Could the pill terminate a pregnancy?

Question

I read on one of the answers on this site that the pill normally prevents pregnancy, but sometimes it prevents it by destroying the embryo.

I believe life begins at conception, and so I need to know, is this true?

Answer 1

What happens if you take birth control pills while you're pregnant?


If you continued taking your birth control pill because you didn't realize you were pregnant, don't be alarmed. Despite years of this accident happening, there's very little evidence that exposure to the hormones in birth control pills causes birth defects.


Still, the birth control pill is a potent estrogen. Lessons learned from women who took diethylstilbestrol — a synthetic estrogen that was later linked with cancer — to prevent miscarriage in early pregnancy suggest that such exposure should be minimized.


Once you learn that you're pregnant, stop taking the birth control pill.

Answer 2

Okay, I am a college student and I did a research project on this topic voluntarily because it was really bothering me because I was on the pill and I have Catholic beliefs. The way that the combination pill works is that one hormone prevents ovulation and therefore when sperm get into the uterus and the fallopian tubes there is not egg to meet and fertilize. The second hormone is a backup incase the first hormone fails. It prevents the tissue lining the uterus to thicken and therefore makes the uterus uninhabitable. This means that if the first hormone fails and an egg is fertilized, the second hormone will prevent the egg from implanting and it then cannot become a baby. It will be washed out with the woman's next withdrawal bleed. This means that if you believe that life begins at conception then the baby is dying. But, with the combined pill you cannot tell when the first hormone fails so you do not know when you are, in a sense, having an abortion. This is why I no longer take the pill. However, if you look at the way a baby develops, it is only a group of a few hundred stem cells for the first 5 or so days. At this point it has the potential to become anything human, a baby, an arm, a liver, a heart muscle. It is a group of cells that are undefined and if they were to be taken out of the womb, exactly as they are, and placed with cells of any part of a human they would become those cells and not a baby. So it's all about how you look at. Technically, when the fertilized egg exists the female body it is not a baby but a group of stem cells. This is really a moral debate, not a scientific one. No on is right, it's all about what makes you sleep better at night.

Answer 3

technically no, its not like an abortion pill

BUT

if for some reason the pill doesn't work and you still get pregnant the hormones in the pill can cause you to miscarry or cause defects in the fetus.

The pill is supposed to stop any egg implanting into the uterine wall by tricking your body (with the pill hormones) into believing it is already pregnant so it doesn't need to get pregnant again.

Hope that makes sense. I understand your belief that life begins at conception but the chances of getting pregnant on the pill if your are taking it religiously everyday are pretty slim and usually you will then miss a period and can stop taking the pill to prevent it causing any problems. (conception would have only been 2weeks before the missed period so it prolly wouldn't do much to the baby if caught early) Or to be doubly sure, use condoms and the pill. This has the added benefit of protecting you against STD's as well as pregnancy.

Best of luck

Answer 4

That's really unknown.

if you think you are pregnant, do not begin a new cycle of pills, take a pregnancy test first! If you are pregnant being on birth control, it could cause complications in the pregnancy.

Now conception is a funny concept...do you view conception as when the egg becomes fertilized, or when it attaches to the uterine wall?

It is common for an egg to become fertilized but if the female is on birth control, it makes the uterus an unstable environment and the egg does not attach to the uterine wall and flushes it from the system. In fact, it's really common for that to happen anyway, birth control or not.

So it's dependent upon your beliefs.

Answer 5

It can happen but it depends on which hormones and at what concentrations your pill is. I used to have a friend who used her pill like a morning after pill. She used to take 3 at a time. I don't know if it worked but she reckoned it did. Don't speak to her anymore as I believe life begins at conception too.

Why don't you try calling a pharmacy about your specific BCP and they should be able to inform you of all the side effects including miscarriage.

Goodluck

Answer 6

If the "pill" you're referring to is the regular birth control most everyone is familiar with then no, I don't think it can. What the pill is doing is releasing hormones that make your body think it's pregnant therefore resisting your brain from releasing the hormones that cause your fertility.

Answer 7

Well, there's many pills you could be talking about. There's plan B.. which is taken within seventy-two hours after unprotected sex. This prevents the sperm from reaching the egg.
Then there is an abortion pill. I think that's self-explanatory.
I assume you meant plan b. :/

Answer 8

it is a possibility that is why docs say dont take the pill if you are pregnant trying to conceive or nursing it can cause great harm to an unborn babys undeveloped system

Answer 9

yeah if you are already pregnant and continue taking the pill there is a chance that it could kill the fetus

Answer 10

im not sure. did you take the pill then realize you might be pregnant? ask your doctor.