Top Birth Control Pill Brands: Protecting with Confidence

Choosing the right birth control pill is an important decision, influenced by individual health needs and lifestyle preferences. Various brands offer different formulations, each with unique combinations of hormones that can affect everything from menstrual regularity to acne control. Some of the most recommended brands include Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Yaz, and Lo Loestrin Fe, each praised for their effectiveness and varying levels of hormones. Curious about which pill might be the best fit for you? Explore the comprehensive list below to find detailed information about top brands and what they offer.

Illustration of birth control pill

Best brands of birth control pill in 2025

Yasmin

Yasmin, a renowned brand for birth control pills, offers a highly effective combined oral contraceptive with a success rate of over 99% when taken correctly, though this drops to around 92% in real-life scenarios due to potential missed doses or interference from other medications. It prevents pregnancy by inhibiting egg release and altering cervical mucus consistency, and also provides benefits such as more regular and lighter periods, reduced period pain, and a decrease in conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease and ovarian cysts. Yasmin contains the hormones drospirenone and ethinylestradiol and is typically taken for 21 days followed by a 7-day break. It does not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. If a pill is missed, especially at the beginning or end of a pack, the risk of pregnancy increases.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen

Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a highly effective birth control pill, demonstrating a use-efficacy pregnancy rate of approximately 1 pregnancy per 100 women-years in clinical trials with 4,756 subjects completing 45,244 cycles. It contains the progestational compound norgestimate and the estrogenic compound ethinyl estradiol, making it a reliable choice for contraception. The product achieved significant success in US sales, with Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo Tablets generating $488.4 million in sales as of September 2015. Additionally, Ortho Tri-Cyclen is indicated for the treatment of moderate acne vulgaris in females aged 15 and older. Its efficacy and additional benefits make it a popular and trusted option for women. For detailed information, you can visit their official webpage.

Sprintec

Sprintec is a highly effective combination oral contraceptive pill, containing norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol, which prevents pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation and thickening cervical mucus, with a failure rate of less than 1% when used correctly. It is as effective as any other birth control pill, with a 99.7% effectiveness rate in perfect use and 93% in regular use. Sprintec is available in a 28-tablet blister pack, including 21 active and 7 inert tablets. The pill is widely used due to its reliability and is part of a growing global contraceptive market projected to reach USD 37.22 billion by 2032. Its effectiveness and convenience make it a popular choice among women seeking contraception. For more detailed information, visit the Sprintec Birth Control Pills page.

Alesse

Alesse, a highly effective birth control pill, contains levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, and has been shown to prevent pregnancy in over 99% of cases when taken as directed. In clinical trials, Alesse demonstrated an overall pregnancy rate of 0.84 per 100 woman-years, including instances where the drug was not taken correctly. It works by inhibiting the monthly release of an egg and altering cervical mucus to prevent sperm passage. Alesse is available in a 28-day pack, with 21 active tablets and 7 inert tablets, and must be taken at the same time each day for maximum effectiveness. Since its introduction, it has been a reliable choice for women seeking oral contraception. For more detailed information, visit Alesse's drug information page.

Apri

Apri is a highly effective birth control pill, combining desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol to prevent pregnancy with a typical user-efficacy pregnancy rate of 1.12 per 100 women-years. It is known for its low risk of breakthrough ovulation due to fewer placebo days, making it 93% effective in regular use and 99.7% effective with perfect use. Apri also offers benefits such as regular periods, reduced acne, and minimal weight gain, primarily due to water retention. User reviews highlight its effectiveness in managing PCOS symptoms and improving menstrual regularity. With a generic version available, Apri remains an affordable and reliable choice for birth control.

Loestrin

Lo Loestrin Fe, a product of the Loestrin brand, is renowned for its ultra-low-dose oral contraceptive pills, providing effective pregnancy prevention with just 10 micrograms of daily estrogen, the lowest dose available. It has been shown to be 99.7% effective if used perfectly and 93% effective in real-world use, based on clinical studies involving 1,270 women over 13 cycles. This regimen includes 24 active pills with 1mg of norethindrone acetate and 10 mcg of ethinyl estradiol, followed by 2 estrogen-only pills and 2 iron pills. Lo Loestrin Fe is particularly recommended for its reduced estrogen content, which is 38% less per month compared to a 20-mcg, 21/7 regimen. Over 4 million women have chosen Lo Loestrin Fe for its efficacy and low estrogen profile.

Microgestin

Microgestin is a renowned brand in the birth control market, offering highly effective progestogen-estrogen combination pills. The Microgestin Fe 1/20, for example, consists of 21 oral contraceptive tablets and 7 ferrous fumarate tablets, following a 28-day regimen. This formulation includes norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol, making it a reliable choice with a typical failure rate of 0.1% for combined oral contraceptives when used correctly. The brand is part of a market projected to reach USD 24.6 billion by 2032, with combined hormonal contraceptives holding the largest market share. Microgestin's products are widely used, particularly among women aged 15 to 24, who make up the majority of this segment.

Seasonique

Seasonique is a highly effective extended-cycle oral contraceptive, consisting of 84 days of levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol followed by 7 days of low-dose ethinyl estradiol, reducing the number of withdrawal bleeding episodes to four per year. In clinical trials, Seasonique demonstrated a Pearl Index of 0.76 pregnancies per 100 woman-years of use, indicating high contraceptive efficacy. The product has been approved since 2006 and has shown a low pregnancy reporting rate of 0.0026% based on 385,901 women-years of exposure. It also suppresses ovarian activity effectively, with an overall ovarian activity rate of 2.86% over a 91-day period. The compliance rate for Seasonique is high, with overall treatment compliance of >= 97% in pivotal studies. For more detailed information, refer to the official FDA label documentation.

Tri-Sprintec

Tri-Sprintec is a highly effective combination oral contraceptive, containing norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol, with a use-efficacy pregnancy rate of 1.21 per 100 women-years and a perfect use efficacy of 99.7%. It is available in a 28-day blister pack and works by preventing ovulation, thickening cervical mucus, and blocking sperm from reaching the egg. The product is contraindicated in women over 35 who smoke and those with certain health conditions like arterial or venous thrombotic diseases. Clinical trials have shown its reliability, with 4,756 subjects completing 45,244 cycles and reporting only 42 pregnancies. Tri-Sprintec does not protect against HIV infection or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Natazia

Natazia, a combination oral contraceptive produced by Bayer, is highly effective in preventing pregnancy and treating heavy menstrual bleeding. It contains dienogest and estradiol, which prevent ovulation and alter cervical mucus and uterine lining to prevent fertilization. In clinical trials, Natazia demonstrated a significant reduction in menstrual bleeding, with an average reduction of 90% in one study and 87% in another by Cycle 7. The medication also showed lower maximum intensity and shorter duration of withdrawal bleeding compared to monophasic oral contraceptives. Approved by the FDA in 2010, Natazia is the only birth control pill also approved to treat heavy monthly periods in women without organic pathology. For more detailed information on its contraceptive efficacy and safety, visit the Natazia healthcare professional resource page.