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How Effective is the Birth Control Pill?

From , former About.com Guide

Updated July 19, 2009

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Question: How Effective is the Birth Control Pill?
Answer: Taken properly, the birth control pill is an effective method of preventing unplanned pregnancy. Of course, exactly how effective the Pill will be for you depends on whether you take your birth control pills every day--just missing 1 pill significantly raises your chance of getting pregnant. On average, about 5 out of 100 couples will get pregnant in a year while using the Pill.

Contraceptive Effectiveness

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