Birth control glossary
Editorially reviewed on October 29, 2026. [TODO: medical reviewer]
Quick answer
Plain definitions for the medical words and Taglish terms you will see on pill packs, at the clinic and on this site.
- combined pill
- A pill with estrogen and a progestin, like Trust, Lady or Yaz. More
- cyproterone acetate
- An anti-androgen progestin in Diane-35, Althea and Cybelle.
- desogestrel
- A progestin in Marvelon (combined) and Cerazette (progestin only).
- dinadatnanFilipino
- Getting your period. 'Hindi dinadatnan' means no period yet.
- DMPA
- Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, the 3-monthly injection (Depotrust, Lyndavel). More
- drospirenone
- A progestin used in Yaz, Yasmin and their same-formula brands.
- ethinylestradiol (EE)
- The estrogen in most combined pills. Doses are 20, 30 or 35 mcg.
- implant
- A small rod under the skin of the arm, lasting years. More
- iron pills
- The brown tablets in packs like Trust. They contain iron, not hormones.
- IUD
- Intrauterine device. Copper (no hormones) or hormonal. More
- LARC
- Long-acting reversible contraception: implants and IUDs.
- levonorgestrel
- A progestin used in Trust, Lady, Charlize and Minipil.
- lynestrenol
- The progestin in Daphne and Exluton.
- MEC
- WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria: who can safely use each method.
- mensFilipino
- Period. 'Delay ng mens' means a late period.
- nakakabaogFilipino
- Causes infertility. Pills do not. More
- nakakatabaFilipino
- Fattening. 'Nakakataba ba ang pills?' asks whether pills cause weight gain. More
- perfect use
- How well a method works when used exactly as directed every time.
- PhilHealth package
- A fixed PhilHealth benefit that covers implant or IUD insertion at accredited facilities.
- pillsFilipino
- In everyday Filipino, 'pills' usually means birth control pills. More
- placebo pills
- Inactive tablets at the end of some packs. Some packs use iron tablets instead.
- progestin-only pill
- A pill with no estrogen, like Daphne, Exluton or Cerazette. More
- quick start
- Starting a method on any day rather than waiting for your period, with backup for a few days.
- reglaFilipino
- Period (menstruation). More
- resetaFilipino
- Prescription. All birth control pills need one in the Philippines. More
- RH Law
- Republic Act 10354 (2012), the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act.
- spotting
- Light bleeding between periods. Common in the first months on a pill. More
- turokFilipino
- Injection. In birth control talk, the DMPA shot every 3 months. More
- typical use
- How well a method works in real life, including missed pills and late shots.
- withdrawal bleed
- The bleed during the inactive or break days of a pill pack. It is not a true period.
- Yuzpe method
- An older emergency method using combined pills, advised only by a doctor. We do not publish doses. More
This guide is for information. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or switching birth control.
Sources
- Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers, WHO and Johns Hopkins CCP