Different Names Of Birth Control Pills | Brands By Type

Birth control pill packs can look like alphabet soup. One friend mentions Yaz, another has Microgynon, your pharmacist hands over a box called Levlen, and a search result lists yet another name for what seems to be the same pill. It is easy to feel lost in the label maze.

The core idea is simpler than the box art. Most brands fall into a few main types, based on which hormones they contain and how those hormones are arranged across the month. Once you know those types, the different names of birth control pills start to follow patterns instead of feeling random.

Different Names Of Birth Control Pills By Type

Broadly, oral contraceptives fall into two big groups. Combined pills contain both an estrogen and a progestin. Progestin only pills, often called mini pills, use just one hormone. Within those groups, packs differ in hormone dose, number of active days, and brand name, but the basic idea stays the same.

Pill Category	Sample Brand Names	Typical Use Pattern
Monophasic Combined (21/7 Or 24/4)	Alesse, Aviane, Microgynon, Levlen, Yasmin, Yaz	Same hormone dose each active day; classic starter option for many users.
Triphasic Combined	Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Trinessa, Tri-Sprintec, Logynon	Dose changes in three steps across the pack to mimic natural cycle shifts.
Extended Cycle Combined	Seasonale, Seasonique, Amethia, Daysee	Active pills for about three months, then a short break and a withdrawal bleed.
Continuous Combined	Lybrel, Amethyst	Active pills year round with no planned hormone free week; spotting can still occur.
Low Dose 24/4 Combined	Loestrin 24 Fe, Yaz, Beyaz	Twenty four active pills and four inactive or iron pills; shorter hormone free window.
Chewable Combined Packs	Femcon Fe, Minastrin 24 Fe	Tablets can be chewed or swallowed; pack design suits people who dislike swallowing pills.
Progestin Only Mini Pill	Micronor, Noriday, Opill, Cerazette	Only progestin; often used when estrogen is not advised or not tolerated.

Names vary by country and by pharmacy, so you may see some of these labels only in certain regions. The hormone type and dose on the side of the box tell you more than the brand logo, so it helps to learn how to read that small print as well.

Birth Control Pill Name List And Common Brands

When you search for different names of birth control pills online, the lists can feel endless. That is because the same hormone pair can appear under many brands and generic labels. Health agencies group pills mostly by hormone mix, not by logo, and that can help sort the long lists into something that makes sense.

Combined pills that pair ethinyl estradiol with levonorgestrel are a good example. Brand names include Alesse, Aviane, Altavera, Levora, Seasonale, Seasonique, and many more, all built on that same hormone pair. The MedlinePlus drug information page lists dozens of these labels for the same basic formula.

Other combined pills swap in progestins such as drospirenone, desogestrel, norethindrone, or norgestimate. Names like Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella, Gianvi, Kariva, Desogen, and Ortho Cyclen sit in this group. A clinician may pick from these based on side effect patterns, bleeding control, acne control, or other health factors, not just the brand name you see in an advert or on social media.

Brand Names Versus Generic Birth Control Pills

One hormone formula can appear under both a well known brand and several generic names. Once patent protection expires, other manufacturers can produce the same dose and sell it under new labels. Pharmacies often stock the generic first, since it usually costs less.

In those cases, the active ingredients and strengths match the original brand. The pack may look different, and the name may change, but the hormone mix in each active tablet lines up with the reference product. This is why a pharmacy may switch you from, say, Yasmin to a generic drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol pack while assuring you that the effect should stay similar.

If your pack changes name, look at the tiny line on the front or side that lists the hormone milligram doses. Matching those numbers is the easiest way to see whether the new pack contains the same type of pill you used before. If the numbers or hormone names differ, ask the pharmacist to walk through what changed.

Combined Birth Control Pill Brand Name Examples

Combined pills dominate most brand lists. They pair an estrogen, usually ethinyl estradiol, with one of several progestins. A visit to the Planned Parenthood birth control pill page shows that this group still accounts for most pill prescriptions in many settings.

Popular Monophasic Combined Pills

Monophasic packs keep the same hormone level across every active day. They are simple to explain and simple to take, which is one reason they show up so often on starter prescriptions.

• Alesse, Aviane, Levlen, Microgynon: Ethinyl estradiol plus levonorgestrel in one steady dose across the cycle.
• Loestrin, Microgestin, Junel: Ethinyl estradiol plus norethindrone in several dose combinations and pack lengths.
• Yasmin, Yaz, Gianvi, Ocella: Ethinyl estradiol plus drospirenone, often used both for contraception and for acne or fluid retention control.

Within each bullet group, the pills share the same hormone pair, but doses and pack designs can differ. Some packs hold 21 active tablets and seven inactive tablets, while others use a 24 plus four layout.

Triphasic, Extended, And Continuous Pack Names

Some combined pills change the hormone level during the month in a stepwise pattern. Triphasic pills work this way, and their names often include words like Tri or phrases that hint at phases in the cycle.

• Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Trinessa, Tri-Sprintec: Norgestimate plus ethinyl estradiol in three dose steps.
• Logynon, Triquilar: Levonorgestrel plus ethinyl estradiol in phase based tablets with different colors.

Extended and continuous packs lean on similar hormone mixes but reshape the calendar. Seasonale, Seasonique, Amethia, Daysee, and related brands supply active tablets for about twelve weeks at a time, with only a short hormone free interval. Lybrel and Amethyst keep active pills going all year with no planned tablet break. These pack designs suit people who prefer fewer or no scheduled withdrawal bleeds.

Progestin Only Birth Control Pill Names

Progestin only pills give one hormone rather than a mix. This suits people who cannot take estrogen because of migraine with aura, clotting risk, or other medical reasons. The CDC contraception overview lists this mini pill group alongside implants and injectables in the broader family of progestin based methods.

Progestin only pill names often reflect the progestin they contain. Common options use norethindrone, norgestrel, or drospirenone. In some countries, desogestrel based mini pills such as Cerazette and Cerelle are widespread. Recent years also brought Opill, a norgestrel mini pill, to pharmacy shelves without a prescription in the United States.

Main Progestin	Example Pill Names	Usual Pack Details
Norethindrone	Micronor, Noriday, Errin	Twenty eight tablets per pack; many versions use all active tablets with no hormone free days.
Norgestrel	Opill	Twenty eight active tablets with one fixed dose; strict same time daily schedule for best effect.
Desogestrel	Cerazette, Cerelle	Twenty eight active tablets; often used in Europe and the United Kingdom with a flexible start window.
Drospirenone	Slynd	Twenty four active and four inactive tablets; wider timing window than older mini pills.
Levonorgestrel Or Other Progestins	Country Specific Mini Pill Brands	Label and dose vary by market; pharmacists match local products to the same hormone group.

Mini pills often need tight timing. With older norethindrone or norgestrel options, a delay of more than three hours can lower protection. Newer brands such as Slynd allow a longer window. The patient information leaflet inside each box sets out the timing rules for that specific pill, so reading that leaflet carefully each time you switch brand is a smart habit.

How To Read A Birth Control Pill Name

Once you know the hormone pairs, the fine print on a pill box starts to feel like a code you can crack. Pill names often sit beside a line such as “ethinyl estradiol 0.02 mg and levonorgestrel 0.1 mg.” That line tells you the estrogen and progestin dose in each active tablet.

Pack labels can also hint at schedule. Numbers like “21,” “24,” or “84” in the product description suggest how many active tablets appear before the inactive tablets. Words like “Fe” in names such as Loestrin 24 Fe show that the inactive tablets contain iron instead of plain filler. None of these details change the basic contraceptive aim, but they matter for side effects and cycle control.

Tables in this article group different names of birth control pills by category so you can match your pack to similar options. When you can spot the hormone group and pack length, you can talk through options with a clinician using clear, specific terms rather than guessing based on color or brand image alone.

Choosing A Birth Control Pill Name With Your Clinician

Picking a pill is less about chasing a famous brand and more about matching your health history and daily habits to the right hormone group and schedule. A smoker over thirty five with migraine will need a different set of choices than a teenager with painful periods and acne. Shared decision making with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist keeps those details in view.

When you sit down for that talk, bring the box or a photo of any pill that worked well for you in the past or gave side effects you want to avoid. Note the name, the hormone doses, and whether you used a combined or progestin only pill. Ask about clot risk, stroke risk, cycle changes, mood changes, and how each option fits with other medicines you take.

Also ask what will happen at the pharmacy counter. Some health systems write prescriptions that allow substitution with any generic match. If you care about pill size, flavor, or pack layout, mention that. In some cases, a slight shift in brand name keeps everything else the same; in others, a new label could mean a new hormone dose.

Final Thoughts On Birth Control Pill Names

Birth control pill packaging can look scattered, but nearly every label sits inside a small set of hormone groups and pack types. Once you learn the main combined and progestin only families, and spot how monophasic, triphasic, extended, and continuous packs differ, names like Alesse, Yaz, Seasonale, Micronor, Slynd, and Opill feel easier to sort.

This article offers general information about pill names and patterns. It does not replace personal medical advice from a clinician who knows your health history. Before you start, stop, or swap any pill, talk with a trusted health care professional and read the full patient leaflet inside the pack. Clear information, paired with a careful check of your risks and goals, leads to a pill choice that fits your life rather than just a box with a familiar brand logo.