oral contraceptive
noun
plural oral contraceptives
Definition of oral contraceptive
: 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
Examples of oral contraceptive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some passengers may be more prone to DVT, including those who have a family history of the condition, are overweight, have recently been pregnant, take the oral contraceptive pill, or have spent a lot of time on bed rest. — Natasha Frost, Quartz, "The health risks of ultra-long-haul flights," 22 Aug. 2019 But synthesizing those hormones from animal or plant extracts had been too expensive and relatively ineffective for use in commercial oral contraceptives. — Robert D. Mcfadden, New York Times, "George Rosenkranz, a Developer of the Birth Control Pill, Dies at 102," 23 June 2019 When these pills are taken at the same time as an oral contraceptive, many women see an improvement in breakouts, according to Dr. Linkner. — Jessica Cruel, SELF, "12 Acne Treatments That Really Work, According to Dermatologists," 8 Aug. 2019 But oral contraceptives are different in that missing a couple days dramatically increases the risk for unintended pregnancies, Borrero said. — Elizabeth Lawrence, USA TODAY, "Twelve months of birth control pills at once is beneficial, new research says," 8 July 2019 As oral contraceptives gained worldwide popularity, Dr. Djerassi lectured widely to promote the pill and became a wealthy celebrity. — Robert D. Mcfadden, New York Times, "George Rosenkranz, a Developer of the Birth Control Pill, Dies at 102," 23 June 2019 Right now, there's no national standard for dispensing periods of oral contraceptives. — Elizabeth Lawrence, USA TODAY, "Twelve months of birth control pills at once is beneficial, new research says," 8 July 2019 Wison said before declining to answer a subsequent question about whether DSD athletes should be required to take oral contraceptives. — Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, "As controversy follows speedy Caster Semenya, she continues to not ‘give a damn’," 30 June 2019 Despite the uproar, the oral contraceptive cleared the way for women to plan pregnancies around their careers and lifestyles. — Steve Marble, latimes.com, "George Rosenkranz, the chemist who changed the world with ‘the pill,’ dies at 102," 27 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oral contraceptive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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