oral contraceptive

noun

plural oral contraceptives

: any of various preparations (as of norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol) that are taken orally especially on a daily basis and act as contraceptives : birth control pill

Johns Hopkins University has estimated that 80 percent of American women born since 1945 have used oral contraceptives at some time.

—The New York Times

And because it's a combined oral contraceptive … meaning that it contains progestin and estrogen, it's not recommended for nursing moms …

—Caitlin Stine

She is considering having another child and is wondering whether she should discontinue oral contraceptives to attempt pregnancy.

—G. Adam Davidson

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Women who are at the highest risk for breast cancer, such as those with a BRCA 1 or BRCA2 mutation, could actually benefit from taking an oral contraceptive, according to Shah-Khan. —Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 23 Mar. 2023

But so far, no one has successfully developed an oral contraceptive that could be put into feed and distributed in the wild, and that could deliver a reliable-enough dose over time. —Maryn Mckenna, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023

Faust identified a similar error when ChatGPT stated that costochondritis — a common cause of chest pain — can be caused by oral contraceptive pills, but confabulated a fake research paper to support this statement. —Rushabh H. Doshi And Simar S. Bajaj, STAT, 1 Feb. 2023

Ninety female college students participated in a study to compare fat distribution of an oral contraceptive user to that of a nonuser with a similar height and weight. —Donna Sarkar, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2021

Is there any risk that PhenQ will interfere with an oral contraceptive? —Mark Jackson, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2022

Their partners took an oral contraceptive until 3 sperm samples proved the men to be azoospermic. —Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2014

As the New York Times opinion page recently put it, there’s never been a more crucial time for an oral contraceptive for men than in a post-Roe America. —Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2022

The Food and Drug Administration will consider the application for an over-the-counter oral contraceptive pill, a first in the U.S. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

oral contraceptive

noun

: birth control pill