Birth Control Options: Side Effects, Effectiveness & Safety

For individuals selecting a contraceptive method, understanding the balance between effectiveness, hormonal impacts, and potential side effects is critical for long-term health.

Birth Control Information

The Effects of Birth Control Taken While Pregnant

Published Aug,14 2017 | By Elizabeth Thatcher

Birth control methods include hormonal contraceptives, such as pills, shots and patches. Each method and brand has a unique mixture of estrogen and progestin and delivery molecules that can potentially affect a fetus.

Based outside Boston, Elizabeth Thatcher began writing health-related articles in 2007. Her work has appeared in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Science," "Nature Genetics," "Journal of Cell Biology," "Developmental Dynamics," "RNA Biology" and "BMC Genomics." Thatcher earned a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from Mercer University before starting medical research and receiving her doctorate in molecular biology from Vanderbilt University.