Contraceptive use With perfect use, less than 1% of women will become pregnant during the first year of using CHC. However, with typical use 9% of women will become pregnant during the first year. Traditionally, to mimic a normal menstrual cycle, CHC is used for 21 consecutive days. For all of these methods (pill, patch, vaginal ring), these 21 days are typically followed by either 7 days of no use (for the pill, patch or vaginal ring) or 7 days of administration of placebo pills (for the pill only). During these 7 days, withdrawal bleeding occurs. For those women who do not desire withdrawal bleeding or require bleeding to be suppressed completely, medication regimens can be tailored to the individual with extended periods of use and infrequent hormone-free periods. The efficacy of CHC is the same whether these methods are used continuously or with a 7 day break to allow for withdrawal bleeding. Non-contraceptive use<unk>  oral contraceptives (COCs) can be used to treat menstrual cycle disorders including heavy menstrual bleeding, and pelvic pain disorders such as endometriosis and dysmenorrhea. CHCs are also a first line treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome for menstrual abnormalities, acne, and hirsutism. Perimenopausal women on<unk>  oral contraceptives have increased bone density, and COCs can be used to decrease hot flashes.<unk>  oral contraceptives have been shown to reduce risk of endometrial cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2 ovarian cancer, and a modest reduction in colon cancer.
Combined hormonal contraception
Long-acting reversible contraception
Male contraceptive
Heat-based contraception
Hormonal contraception
High-dose estrogen
Nonsteroidal estrogen
Antiprogestogen