Differences in Birth Control Pills & Pills for Menopause

Birth control pills are designed for younger women. Menopause pills are for older women.

Both birth control pills and pills for menopause, more commonly called hormone replacement therapy (HRT), contain progesterone and/or estrogen. The difference lies in the amount and type of hormones each drug uses and the effect they have on a woman's reproductive system.

The Pill

Birth control pills prevent pregnancy. According to Planned Parenthood, the pill works for two reasons: it stops a woman's body from releasing an egg and it thickens vaginal mucus so sperm can't travel up the vagina.

HRT

HRT pills provide a post-menopausal woman with the hormones her ovaries no longer produce. These hormones help to reduce menopausal side effects, including hot flashes, sleeplessness and vaginal dryness.

Type

Birth control pills contain either estrogen and progesterone (the combination pill) or progesterone only. HRT pills contain either estrogen or progesterone only or a combination of both hormones.

Amount

According to womentowomen.com, birth control pills contain greater amounts of hormones than HRT pills. The lower levels of estrogen and/or progesterone found in HRT are enough to relieve a post-menopausal woman's symptoms.

Considerations

Middle-aged women, who are still menstruating but are beginning to experience the hormonal fluctuations characteristic of approaching menopause, can find relief by taking an oral contraceptive.

References

• Planned Parenthood: The Pill
• Women to Women: Menopause and Perimenopaus
• North American Menopause Society: The Hormone Therapy Story

Resources

• North American Menopause Society: The Changing Body