Birth Control Pill Update

Oral contraceptives using 24-day regimen may be better at preventing pregnancy.
The Los Angeles Times (1/6, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that, according to a study published in the January issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, birth control pills using a "shorter drug-free interval [24 days of active pills followed by four days of inactive pills] combined with pills containing drospirenone, a specific type of progestin that tends to remain in the body longer, are better at preventing pregnancy." Specifically, "the study found that women on a 24-day regimen containing drospirenone had lower failure rates compared with the standard 21-day regimen of pills containing other types of progestins: a 2.1% failure rate after one year of use compared with 3.5% for the other pills and a 4.7% failure rate after three years compared with 6.7%."