What Is Ortho Tri-Cyclen?
Ortho Tri-Cyclen
® (norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol) is a prescription
birth control pill (technically known as an
oral contraceptive). Several other birth control pills are equivalent to Ortho Tri-Cyclen, including:
In addition to its use for birth control, Ortho Tri-Cyclen is approved to treat acne.
Ortho Tri-Cyclen is made by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. Generic versions of the drug are made by various manufacturers
(see Generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen).
Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a combined oral contraceptive, which means that it is a birth control pill that contains two different types of hormones. It contains both an estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and a progestin (norgestimate). The hormones in the pill prevent pregnancy primarily by stopping ovulation (the maturation and release of eggs from the ovaries). However, the medication also works to prevent pregnancy in two other, less important ways. Ortho Tri-Cyclen changes the cervical mucus (the fluid of the cervix, which is the lower, narrow part of the uterus that is connected to the vagina), making it more difficult for sperm to enter the uterus. Lastly, the medication alters the lining of the uterus (the endometrium), making it less receptive to an embryo.
Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a triphasic birth control pill, which means that there are three different "phases" of pills in each pack, plus the last week of tablets with no active ingredients. Each week has a different amount of the progesterone hormone in Ortho Tri-Cyclen. This is why it is important to take the pills in the correct order.
