No, women do not ovulate while taking birth control pills.

Birth control pills, more popularly known as "the pill", are a form of oral contraception that comes in packs of either twenty-one or twenty-eight pills, to be taken daily.

Combination Pills

Birth control pills  typically consist of synthetic female hormones called estrogen and progestin. These hormones actually stop the pituitary glands from developing and releasing eggs.

Therefore, it can be said that the function of the pills is to stop ovulation, which is essentially the process wherein the ovaries release eggs into the uterine lining, with the end goal preventing fertilization, if the female engages in sexual activity. Another effect of birth control pills is that it thickens the cervical mucus, thus strengthening the uterus from penetration from sperm cells.

Progestin Only Pills

Apart from the combination birth control pills which contain estrogen and progestin, another kind of pill is available, wherein only one hormone, which is progestin is in its ingredients.

Another type of pill contains only one hormone (progestin), and is called either the "progestin-only pill", or the "mini-Pill". It works by suppressing ovulation and helping to prevent the male's sperm from reaching the egg.

Statistics

Birth control pills are considered the most effective form of birth control for females today.

For the combination pills, statistics show that only five out of one hundred females who take the birth control pill get pregnant when using the pill[5]. However, proper use of the pill should prevent pregnancy by ninety-nine percent, with only one out of one hundred females becoming pregnant with such use.

Meanwhile, for the progestin only pills, the effectivity rate against pregnancy is at ninety-eight percent.

These statistics indicate that the combination pills are more effective in preventing pregnancy at a slightly higher rate.