Birth control pills usage.

What is the contraceptive pill?

The combined contraceptive pill or ‘the pill’ is a type of medication that prevents against pregnancy. It can be used to treat heavy periods, painful periods, PMS or premenstrual syndrome, and endometriosis. It can also improve acne. A woman gets pregnant when a man’s sperm meets one of her eggs. To prevent pregnancy, the pill keeps the sperm and egg apart, by stopping ovulation, by making it harder for sperm to get to an egg and by making it harder for a fertilised egg to implant in the lining of the womb. The combined pill contains synthetic versions of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. To take it, you swallow one tablet at roughly the same time each day with a glass of water.

How effective is the contraceptive pill?

There are many different types of contraceptive pill but, used correctly, all types are over 99% effective at protecting against pregnancy.
Cilest, Marvelon, Yasmin and Microgynon are all just over 99% effective when taken correctly. This means that they prevent 99 in 100 possible pregnancies.

Is it safe to take the contraceptive pill?

The pill is not without disadvantages, but most women find that the benefits outweigh the risks. It is quite common for there to be some temporary side effects of the contraceptive pill, which include mood swings, tender or sore breasts, headaches, breakthrough bleeding and spotting, and nausea. These side effects normally go away after a few months. If they don’t pass, you could try a different pill instead.

How do I take the contraceptive pill?

To take it, you swallow one tablet at roughly the same time each day with water. Some pills come in packs of 21 tablets. With these you take a pill a day for 21 days, then you have a seven day break.

Other pills come in packs of 28 tablets. With these you take a pill everyday and don’t take a break, but the last seven tablets are placebos (pills that don’t have any medicine in them).

I have forgotten to take my pill – can I get pregnant?

Whether you are taking a combination pill or a mini-pill, all contraceptive pills need to be taken at the same time everyday. If you miss or forget to take the pill it can affect your contraceptive cover and should be avoided. Most pills can be taken with a delay of up to 12 hours, however, due to their lower hormone content some progesterone-only pills (or mini-pills) lose their contraceptive protection much quicker. Please read the patient leaflet and ensure you understand the time frame for taking your particular pill.

Whether forgetting a combination pill has affected your contraception depends on how much time has passed. If you remember to take the missed pill within 12 hours you are still protected. In this case, there is no need for the use of additional methods of contraception. Just take the pill as soon as you remember and continue your treatment at your usual time (even if this means taking two pills in a 24 hour period).

I should have taken my contraceptive pill more than 12 hours ago - what do I need to do?

If more than 12 hours have passed since your usual time for taking your daily contraceptive, this may have affected your protection. Whether you need to take extra steps to prevent pregnancy depends on during which week in your cycle you have missed a pill. The patient leaflet of your contraceptive pill contains detailed information on how to proceed in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd week of your monthly course of tablets. Follow these instructions carefully and ask a doctor if you have any questions. If you have missed a pill in the third week you may need to skip the break during the fourth week and continue with a new pack straight away.