Oral contraception (‘The Pill’) is a tablet to prevent pregnancy. There are several different types of oral contraceptive pill, which use the synthetic hormones oestrogen and progestogen to prevent pregnancy in one (or more) of three ways.

• They prevent a woman from ovulating. Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovaries.
• They change a woman’s cervical mucus making it difficult for sperm to reach an egg.
• They make a woman’s womb inhospitable to prevent a fertilized egg from “implanting”. Implantation is the attaching of the egg to the lining of the uterus.

How effective is the Contraceptive Pill?

An oestrogen and progestogen pill (the combined pill) is the most common type of contraceptive pill prescribed by doctors, and when taken properly it has a 99.9% effective rate in preventing pregnancy. A mini-pill (with only progestogen), when taken as prescribed has a 95% effective rate in preventing pregnancy.

Emergency contraception is taken within three days of unprotected sex and prevents pregnancy by not allowing a fertilised egg to implant in the womb.


Benefits Of Oral Contraception

The medical community is in agreement that the contraceptive pill is safe for the majority of women to use for birth control with few or no side effects. Some of the benefits of taking the pill are:

• Easy and convenient contraceptive method.
• Highly effective in preventing pregnancy.
• Lighter periods and also less cramping, bloating, and irritability that often associated with normal menstruation.
• Does not interfere with sexual intercourse.
• May provide some protection from pelvic inflammatory disease which, if left untreated, can lead to infertility.

Other benefits that some birth control pills offer are, clearing up hormonal acne, less severe cramping and lighter periods. These additional benefits will depend on the specific type of pill you take.


Side Effects Of Birth Control pills

The most common side effects of using contraceptive tablets are nausea, weight gain, sore, swollen breasts and spotting between periods. Most of these symptoms are mild and oftentimes go away with continued use of the pill.

There are more severe side effects associated with oral contraception like abdominal pain, severe headaches and/or blurry vision and swelling or aching in the legs. You should stop taking the pill immediately if you experience any of these symptoms and consult your doctor.

Who Should Not Use The Contraceptive Pill?

If you have any history of blood clots, have ever had breast cancer, are pregnant, or have any history of heart problems of any kind, you should not take contraceptive tablets. If you smoke, you may need to avoid oral contraception as well, since this increases the risk of developing blood clots.

Does The Contraceptive Pill prevent STDs?

Oral contraception does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhoea, HIV or herpes. Only using a condom is effective in preventing the transmission of these diseases during sexual intercourse.

Choosing The Best Contraceptive Pill

All oral contraception for birth control is by prescription only and should be taken under a doctor’s direction. It is important to disclose your full medical history to your physician when deciding which contraceptive pill is right for you.

Deciding on the correct birth control pill for you should be a joint decision between you and your doctor. There are many variables in both the contraceptive pills and your lifestyle that should be taken into account to choose the Pill that is most suited to you.

You should never start taking a contraceptive pill without the advice of your doctor. Different contraceptive pills are suitable for different situations and all carry some form of risk and thus should only be started after a thorough check-up from your doctor.

Oral contraceptive pills are normally taken once daily at the same time each day. This is particularly important for some contraceptive pills, which need to be taken within a 3-hour window otherwise contraceptive cover is lost. Most contraceptive pills will involve a 21-day cycle followed by a 7-day break before restarting, whereas others are taken continuously throughout the cycle. Check the individual instructions for each contraceptive pill for specific information on each.

Remember you should never take a contraceptive pill that has not been prescribed for you by your doctor. It is important that you only take your contraceptive pill for as long as is advised by your doctor and you have a pill review, including a blood pressure test, at least yearly.

At Goodcure Pharmacy we are able to offer women repeat supplies of the contraceptive pill that they have been previously prescribed by their GP. We are also able to provide advance supplies of emergency contraception, if appropriate, to allow you to be prepared should a contraceptive accident occur.

Combined Oral Contraceptives

Monophasic 21-day preparations

Brands include: Gedarel, Cilique, Mercilon, Femodette, Levest, Lucette, Marvelon, Yasmin, Femodene, Microgynon, Ovranette, Rigevidon, Brevinor, Ovysmen, Norimin.

Active ingredients: Oestrogens and Progestogens (see individual packs for specific hormones).

How to take Monophasic 21-day Contraceptive Pills

Start your packet of pills with the first pill marked with the correct day of the week.
Continue taking one pill at the same time each day, working your way around the pack until it is finished.
You should then have a 7-day break when you will have your period.
You should then start your new pack of pills on the 8th day (this will be the same day that you started your last new pack).
Monophasic 28-day ‘Every day’ preparations

Brands include: Femodene ED, Microgynon ED.

Active ingredients: Oestrogens and Progestogens (see individual packs for specific hormones)

How to take Monophasic 28-day ‘Every day’ contraceptive pills:

Start your packet of pills with the first active pill usually marked ‘start’.
Continue taking one pill at the same time each day, working your way around the pack until it is finished after 28 days.
You should have your period during the last 7 days of your pack when you are taking the inactive pills.
You should start your new pack of pills the day after taking the last inactive pill of the previous pack.
Phasic 21-day preparations

Brands include: Logynon, Binovum, Synphase, Trinovum.

Active ingredients: Oestrogens and Progestogens (see individual packs for specific hormones)

How to take Phasic 21-day Contraceptive Pills

Start your packet of pills with the first pill of the first colour.
Continue taking one pill at the same time each day, working your way around the pack until it is finished.
You should then have a 7-day break when you will have your period.
You should then start your new pack of pills on the 8th day (this will be the same day that you started your last new pack).
Phasic 28-day ‘Every day’ preparations

Brands include: Logynon ED

Active ingredients: Oestrogens and Progestogens (see individual packs for specific hormones)

How to take Phasic 28-day ‘Every day’ contraceptive pills:

Start your packet of pills with the first active pill usually marked ‘start’.
Continue taking one pill at the same time each day, working your way around the pack until it is finished after 28 days.
You should have your period during the last 7 days of your pack when you are taking the inactive pills.
You should start your new pack of pills the day after taking the last inactive pill of the previous pack.
Progestogen-Only Oral Contraceptives

Brands include: Cerazette, Femulen, Micronor, Norgeston, Noriday, Zelleta, Feanolla, Cerelle, & generic desogestrel.

Active ingredients: Progestogen (see individual packs for specific hormone)

How to take progestogen-only contraceptive pills:

Start your packet of pills with the first pill at a convenient time of day.
Continue taking one pill at the same time each day within a 3-hour window (12 hours for Cerazette), working your way around the pack until it is finished after 28 days.
Your pill may affect your period; it can stop, become lighter or irregular.
You should start your new pack of pills the day after taking the last pill of the previous pack.

Different types of contraception and how they work

Depending on the type you choose, contraception prevents STIs and pregnancy in various ways.

Pills or hormonal contraceptives are the most popular contraceptive method among women. Birth control pills are taken orally and emit a low dose of synthetic hormones that suppress ovulation and inhibit the movement of sperm and the implantation of eggs. All of these actions lead to a significantly reduced chance of becoming pregnant following unprotected intercourse. There are numerous contraceptive pills available on the market to suit each woman’s individual circumstances. Some may be taken every day and will stop your periods whilst others are taken in cycles with a regular period in between. Oral contraceptives by themselves do not prevent against STIs and should be used in conjunction with a barrier method. Oral hormonal contraceptives have the advantage that they can be taken every day and do not require any interruption during sex.

In the event of barrier or hormonal birth control failure, there also exist morning-after pills, which are single pills, taken orally, that can prevent pregnancy for up to five days after the event of unprotected sex. Emergency contraception (EC) can inhibit implantation and delay ovulation if it has not already occurred. Emergency contraception is ineffective against an egg that has already implanted. This means that emergency contraception must be taken as soon as possible, but within 72 hours and 120 hours for Levonelle and EllaOne respectively. Emergency contraception should only be used when regular methods of contraception, such as barrier methods like condoms, have failed and there is a risk that unprotected sex has occurred. Emergency contraception should not be used regularly as a first line form of contraception.

Barrier methods like condoms are some of the most popular choices in family planning. With a barrier method, the contraceptive device acts as a literal barrier between egg and sperm. This means that as well as helping to prevent pregnancy, if used properly, they can reduce the risk of STIs as well. Condoms and other barrier methods carry the advantage that they do not need to be incorporated into your daily routine and can be used as and when required.

There are also other methods of contraception such as the contraceptive injection, the contraceptive implant, an IUD (coil) or a diaphragm. If the above methods of contraception are unsuitable or undesirable you can speak to your local GP surgery or sexual health clinic about the other forms of contraception available.