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Birth Control Pills, Patch, or Ring
Very low-dose pills
| Generic Name | Brand Name |
|---|---|
| desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol | Mircette (prescription) |
| drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol | YAZ (prescription) |
| levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol | Lybrel (prescription) |
| norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol | LoEstrin (prescription) |
Low-dose pills
| Generic Name | Brand Name |
|---|---|
| drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol | Yasmin (prescription) |
| levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol | Seasonale (prescription), Seasonique (prescription) |
| norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol | Lo/Ovral (prescription) |
Phasic pills
| Generic Name | Brand Name |
|---|---|
| levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol | |
| norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol | Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 (prescription) |
| norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol | Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo (prescription) |
High-dose pills
| Generic Name | Brand Name |
|---|---|
| ethynodiol and ethinyl estradiol | |
| norethindrone and mestranol | Norinyl (prescription) |
| Note: | This is not a complete list of all brand-name birth control pills available. |
Skin patch
| Generic Name | Brand Name |
|---|---|
| ethinyl estradiol and norelgestromin | Ortho Evra patch (prescription) |
Vaginal ring
| Generic Name | Brand Name |
|---|---|
| ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel | NuvaRing (prescription) |
Birth control pills
Very low-dose pills have 20 mcg of estrogen plus progestin.
Low-dose pills have 30 to 35 mcg of estrogen plus progestin.
Phasic pills have changing levels of estrogen and progestin.
High-dose pills have about 50 mcg of estrogen plus progestin.
For information on progestin-only pills, see progestin-only hormonal methods.
Some birth control packets have pills without hormones for certain days of the month. Other brands of birth control, such as LoEstrin, may add an iron supplement to the non-hormonal pills.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 13, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Anne Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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