In many oral contraceptive regimens, a subset of pills contains no active hormones. These pills, often referred to as “sugar pills” or “reminder pills,” are designed to be taken during the final days of the cycle, typically the last week of a 28-day pack. Their primary purpose is to maintain the habit of taking a daily pill, ensuring consistent adherence to the contraceptive schedule. They do not prevent pregnancy directly.
The inclusion of these non-hormonal tablets offers several advantages. Most notably, they provide a predictable time for withdrawal bleeding, mimicking a natural menstrual cycle and potentially offering psychological reassurance to users. Historically, the addition of these inactive pills was partially motivated by a desire to make the use of oral contraceptives more acceptable and less disruptive to perceived notions of femininity and reproductive normalcy.
