How to take the progestogen only pill
Types of progestogen only pill
There are 3 types of progestogen only pills. One that contains desogestrel, one that contains drospirenone and one that contains levonorgestrel or norethisterone. These are different versions of the hormone, progestogen.
How many pills will you get?
There are 28 pills in each packet of desogestrel-containing pills, and 35 pills in each packet of levonorgestrel-containing pills. Drospirenone pills come in packs of 28, with 24 white, active pills and 4 green, inactive pills.
If it’s your first time using the progestogen only pill, you’ll usually get a 3-month supply.
After 3 months, you’ll need to book a follow-up appointment to check that you’re happy with the method and talk about any side effects. You’ll then be able to get enough for 6 or 12 months.
Did you know?
If you’ve run out of the progestogen only pill, you can take your current pack to a pharmacy and they should give you a 1-month supply. They can only do this once, but it will keep you going until you can get a new prescription.
How to start the progestogen only pill
For the 3-hour and 12-hour types of progestogen only pill, start taking the pill in the first 5 days of your period and it will work straightaway.
For the 24-hour pill, start on the 1st day of your period for immediate protection.
Starting at any other time in your cycle means the contraception will not work straightaway. If you do this, you’ll need to use condoms during sex for a few days to prevent pregnancy.
For the 3- and 12-hour pills, use condoms for the first 2 days. For the 24-hour pill, use condoms for the first 7 days.
You take the progestogen only pill at about the same time every day. Take it every day without any breaks.
Is there a chance you could be pregnant?
Before you start taking the pill, you need to be reasonably certain you’re not pregnant.
For example, if you’ve used condoms consistently and correctly every time you’ve had sex, then you can be reasonably certain you’re not pregnant. You can take the progestogen only pill right away.
If you’re not 100% certain, you can still start the progestogen only pill. After 3 weeks take a pregnancy test to make sure you’re definitely not pregnant. If the test result is positive, stop taking the pill and see your doctor.
Have you taken emergency contraception this cycle?
When you can start the progestogen only pill depends on what type of emergency contraception you’ve taken:
if you’ve taken levonorgestrel emergency pill, you can start the progestogen only pill straight away
if you've taken ulipristal acetate emergency pill, leave it 5 days until starting the progestogen only pill. This is because the ingredient ulipristal acetate can interact with the progestogen only pill and make both medications less effective
Either way, take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after starting the progestogen only pill.
What happens if you miss a pill?
The progestogen only pill becomes less effective very quickly after missing a pill so you’re much more likely to get pregnant and will need to use another method of contraception for the next 48 hours.
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