Does the pill prevent conception or pregnancy?
From what I understand, both. If working properly, it should prevent an egg from being released at all, thus preventing conception. However, it also does things that would prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus (thinning the layer on the uteran wall, etc) should the primary means of birth control fail.
The pill works by preventing ovulation thereby preventing conception. Although the lining build-up of the uterus is usually decreased in women on the pill, I wouldn’t count on that alone to prevent pregnancy if ovulation occured.
I think what you mean to ask is “Does the pill prevent ovulation, fertilization, or implantation?” Conception could be construed to mean ‘fertilization’ which the pill does not prevent, per se.
As others have pointed out, the pill’s main mechanism of action is to prevent ovulation. It also has effects on the uterine lining to prevent implantation if ovulation and fertilization occur.
The process of fertilization itself involves a process by which a sperm releases an enzyme to break down an egg’s protective barrier, setting off a chain reaction across the surface of the egg that prevents other sperm from penetrating.
I was reading somewhere recently, and forgive me if I can’t remember the cite, but there was some research being done to basically immunize a woman against the enzyme that the sperm release. The effect being that fertilization (in rats, I believe) was 100% blocked. Big deal, you might say, oral contraceptive pills have an efficacy approaching 99.7%. But that is only when they are used properly (ie every day at the same time of day and without interactions with other medications). The benefit of the new method is a yearly injection with little or no side effects, it isn’t hormonal and it’s not a permanent innoculation.
I wonder what we’ll call it? A Sperm Shot, like a flu shot or tetanus shot?
Well, it’d depend. If we had to pay for it, a Money Shot perhaps?
hangs head in shame at awful awful sperm and porn related joke in GQ