What are long-term oral contraceptives tablets?

Long-term contraceptive tablets (also known as birth control pills) are a type of medication designed to prevent pregnancy using a combination of synthetic versions of naturally occurring hormones called oestrogens and progesterones. There are two main types of oral contraceptive tablets:

• Combined oral contraceptives (also called combined pill or COCs), which contain both hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) and are typically taken daily for 21 days followed by a 7-day pill free break in which bleeding (like a period) will occur. This cycle is repeated monthly.
• Progesterone only contraceptive pills (POPs) also known as the ‘mini-pill’, which contain only the progesterone hormone and need to be taken daily, without any breaks for them to work.