Birth Control Pills vs. Menopause Pills (HRT): Key Differences

Both birth control pills and pills for menopause, more commonly called hormone replacement therapy (HRT), contain progesterone and/or estrogen. The difference lies in the amount and type of hormones each drug uses and the effect they have on a woman's reproductive system.

The Pill

• Birth control pills prevent pregnancy. According to Planned Parenthood, the pill works for two reasons: it stops a woman's body from releasing an egg and it thickens vaginal mucus so sperm can't travel up the vagina.

HRT

• HRT pills provide a post-menopausal woman with the hormones her ovaries no longer produce. These hormones help to reduce menopausal side effects, including hot flashes, sleeplessness and vaginal dryness.

Type

• Birth control pills contain either estrogen and progesterone (the combination pill) or progesterone only. HRT pills contain either estrogen or progesterone only or a combination of both hormones.

Amount

• According to womentowomen.com, birth control pills contain greater amounts of hormones than HRT pills. The lower levels of estrogen and/or progesterone found in HRT are enough to relieve a post-menopausal woman's symptoms.

Considerations

• Middle-aged women, who are still menstruating but are beginning to experience the hormonal fluctuations characteristic of approaching menopause, can find relief by taking an oral contraceptive.