Question

how do the pill and mini - pill provide protection against pregnancy?
○ they kill sperm.
○ they block sperm from reaching an egg.
○ they prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg.
○ they release progestin into the body to prevent fertilization.

Explanation:

• "They kill sperm" is incorrect as birth control pills (combined or mini - pill) don't kill sperm.
• "They block sperm from reaching an egg" is the mechanism of methods like condoms or diaphragms, not pills.
• Birth control pills (both the regular pill with estrogen and progestin and the mini - pill with progestin) work mainly by suppressing ovulation, i.e., preventing the ovaries from releasing an egg. The mini - pill can also thicken cervical mucus and thin the uterine lining, but the primary mechanism for pregnancy prevention is ovulation suppression.
• While the mini - pill releases progestin, the main way it prevents pregnancy is by stopping ovulation (and the other secondary mechanisms), and the option's description of "to prevent fertilization" is not the primary or most accurate way to describe its action compared to preventing ovulation.

Answer:

C. They prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg.