We just don't know how much a woman knows about the little white pill that they take everyday. Birth control pills are known to improve the quality of a woman's skin. It is also known to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Birth control pills are indeed multi-functional, but there are still some information that only a few, if not many, women know. Among the least known birth control facts include the findings that the efficacy of birth control pills is reduced depending on a woman's body weight.

Research has shown that birth control pills may not be as effective for those women who are considered overweight. On a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, those women who take their birth control pill regularly without a miss, but has a BMI or Body Mass Index of higher than 27.3. have a higher risk of becoming pregnant. However, researchers have yet to come up with a final, conclusive evidence about the connections between pregnancy, body weight, and birth control pills.

Definitely, there is no one single pill that is supposed to be the answer to all birth control questions and needs of women, or couples, for that matter. Birth control pills have been reformulated several times since it was approved during the 1960's. There have been more than 40 types of birth control pills available throughout the United States, and in most parts of the globe. Researchers began to realize the fact that most women did not need to take the maximum dosage for such pills, in order to prevent pregnancy. In line with this, birth control pills today are now sold with a much lower amount or level of hormones than birth control pills sold twenty to thirty years ago.

There are two kinds of pills: the combination (mixed estrogen and progestin) and progestin-only (often dubbed as the mini pill). Women who breastfeed should not take the combination pill since estrogen can reduce milk production. Since the progestin-only pill contains no estrogen, this is a good choice for breastfeeding mothers, especially since one can still get pregnant while breastfeeding despite the myth that still persists that breastfeeding women cannot conceive.

Usually, women can safely miss one pill without having to use any back-up birth control method, but missing two can increase the risk of getting pregnant. Playing safe would be the key here, and using a back-up method for the rest of the pack is recommended. It is also a fact that the pill can cause very slight weight gain, but this won't make a woman fat. A few decades ago, when the hormone levels of women were generally higher, taking the pill resulted in an increase of body weight. Different women have different side effects. It is best to shop around for the pill that works for oneself, but try and wait for at least three months before switching, since many side effects dissipate after a few months.