How Long Can You Be On Birth Control

The combined oral contraceptive pill is often but chosen "the pill". Information technology contains artificial versions of female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which are produced naturally in the ovaries.

If sperm reaches an egg (ovum), pregnancy can happen. Contraception tries to cease this happening usually past keeping the egg and sperm apart or by stopping the release of an egg (ovulation).

At a glance: the combined pill

When taken correctly, the pill is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. This means that fewer than 1 in 100 who employ the combined pill as contraception will get pregnant in one twelvemonth.
The standard mode to have the pill is to take 1 every 24-hour interval for 21 days, then have a interruption for 7 days, and during this calendar week you take a drain like a menstruum. You starting time taking the pill once more afterwards 7 days.
You may be able to take some types of pill with no or shorter breaks (a tailored regime), which may reduce some side effects. Speak to a md or nurse nigh your options.
You need to accept the pill at around the same time every day. You lot could become pregnant if you do not do this, or if you miss a pill, or vomit or have severe diarrhoea.
Some medicines may make the pill less effective. Bank check with your medico if you're taking any other tablets.
If you have heavy periods or painful periods, PMS (premenstrual syndrome) or endometriosis the combined pill may help.
Minor side furnishings include mood swings, nausea, breast tenderness and headaches – these usually settle downward in a few months.
At that place is no evidence that the pill will make you gain weight.
In that location'south a very depression take a chance of serious side effects, such as blood clots and cervical cancer.
The combined pill is not suitable if you lot are over 35 and fume, or if you take certain medical conditions.
The pill does non protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and then employ a condom too.
There may be a link betwixt the pill and depression merely evidence is mixed and further inquiry is needed.

How the combined pill works

How it prevents pregnancy

The pill prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg each month (ovulation). It likewise:

thickens the mucus in the neck of the womb, so it is harder for sperm to penetrate the womb and attain an egg
thins the lining of the womb, so at that place is less run a risk of a fertilised egg implanting into the womb and being able to grow

The pill is over 99% effective if used correctly. Other methods of contraception are meliorate at preventing pregnancy, such equally the IUD, IUS, implant and injection.

In that location are many different brands of pill, made up of 3 main types:

Monophasic 21-twenty-four hours pills

This is the most common blazon. Each pill has the same amount of hormone in it. One pill is taken each twenty-four hours for 21 days and then no pills are taken for the adjacent seven days. Microgynon, Marvelon and Yasmin are examples of this type of pill.

Phasic 21-day pills

Phasic pills contain ii or 3 sections of unlike coloured pills in a pack. Each department contains a dissimilar corporeality of hormones. One pill is taken each day for 21 days and so no pills are taken for the next seven days. Phasic pills need to be taken in the right society. Logynon is an case of this type of pill.

Every day (ED) pills

At that place are 21 active pills and seven inactive (dummy) pills in a pack. The two types of pill look different. Ane pill is taken each 24-hour interval for 28 days with no interruption between packets of pills. Every twenty-four hours pills need to exist taken in the right order. Microgynon ED is an instance of this type of pill.

Follow the instructions that come with your packet. If you lot accept any questions, enquire a doc, nurse or pharmacist.

It'southward important to take the pills every bit instructed, because missing pills or taking them at the same fourth dimension equally certain medicines may brand them less effective.

How to take 21-day pills - standard government

Have your 1st pill from the bundle marked with the right day of the week, or the 1st pill of the 1st colour (phasic pills).
Go on to take a pill at the aforementioned time each day until the pack is finished.
Stop taking pills for 7 days (during these 7 days you lot will get a bleed).
Start your next pack of pills on the 8th day, whether you are even so haemorrhage or not. This should be the same day of the week as when you lot took your 1st pill.

How to take every day pills

Accept the 1st pill from the section of the packet marked "start". This will exist an active pill.
Continue to take a pill every day, in the right social club and preferably at the same time each 24-hour interval, until the pack is finished (28 days).
During the 7 days of taking the inactive pills, you volition go a bleed.
Start your next pack of pills after y'all have finished the 1st pack, whether you lot are notwithstanding bleeding or non.

Tailored regimes

You tin also have the combined pill as a tailored regime. This may include taking the pill for 21 days and stopping for 4, or taking the pill continuously without a break. For more than information speak to a doctor or nurse.

Starting the combined pill

Y'all can usually beginning taking the pill at any point in your menstrual wheel. There is special guidance if you take only had a baby, abortion or miscarriage. The guidance may also be different if yous have a brusk menstrual wheel. Go advice from a doctor or nurse if y'all need it. You may need to use additional contraception during your 1st days on the pill – this depends on when in your menstrual wheel you start taking information technology.

Starting on the 1st twenty-four hour period of your period

If you lot start the combined pill on the 1st twenty-four hour period of your flow (day 1 of your menstrual cycle) you volition be protected from pregnancy straight away. You lot volition not need additional contraception.

Starting on the 5th twenty-four hour period of your cycle or before

If you start the pill on the 5th day of your catamenia or earlier, you lot will still be protected from pregnancy direct away.

Starting after the 5th solar day of your wheel

You will non be protected from pregnancy straight away and will need additional contraception until you have taken the pill for vii days.

If y'all get-go the pill after the 5th day of your bike, make sure yous have non put yourself at risk of pregnancy since your last period. If you're worried you're pregnant when y'all start the pill, accept a pregnancy examination 3 weeks after the last time you had unprotected sexual activity.

What to do if you miss a pill

If yous miss a pill or pills, or you first a pack late, this can brand the pill less effective at preventing pregnancy. The take chances of getting pregnant after missing a pill or pills depends on:

when the pills are missed
how many pills are missed

Find out what to do if you lot miss a combined pill.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

If you vomit inside three hours of taking the combined pill, it may not take been fully captivated into your bloodstream. Take another pill straight away and the adjacent pill at your usual time.

If you proceed to be sick, go on using another grade of contraception until you've taken the pill again for 7 days without vomiting.

Very astringent diarrhoea (vi to 8 watery poos in 24 hours) may also mean that the pill does not work properly. Proceed taking your pill every bit normal, simply use additional contraception, such as condoms, while yous have diarrhoea and for two days after recovering.

Speak to a GP or nurse or call NHS 111 for more than information, if your sickness or diarrhoea continues.

Who can utilize the combined pill

If there are no medical reasons why yous cannot have the pill, and you exercise not fume, y'all tin take the pill until your menopause. However, the pill is not suitable for everyone. To find out whether the pill is right for you, talk to a GP, nurse or pharmacist.

The pill may not be right for you if y'all:

are pregnant
fume and are 35 or older
stopped smoking less than a twelvemonth agone and are 35 or older
are very overweight
have certain medicines

The pill may also non be right for you if yous have (or have had):

blood clots in a vein, for example in your leg or lungs
stroke or any other disease that narrows the arteries
anyone in your close family unit having a claret jell under the age of 45
a centre abnormality or centre disease, including high blood pressure
severe migraines, particularly with aura (warning symptoms)
breast cancer
disease of the gallbladder or liver
diabetes with complications or diabetes for the past 20 years

After having a baby

If yous have only had a infant and are not breastfeeding, you lot tin about likely start the pill on day 21 after the birth simply you will need to check with a dr.. You volition be protected against pregnancy directly away.

If you lot start the pill later than 21 days after giving birth, yous will need additional contraception (such every bit condoms) for the adjacent 7 days.

If you are breastfeeding, you're not brash to take the combined pill until 6 weeks after the nativity.

Afterward a miscarriage or abortion

If you have had a miscarriage or ballgame, you can starting time the pill upwardly to 5 days afterward this and you will be protected from pregnancy directly away. If you lot kickoff the pill more 5 days after the miscarriage or abortion, you'll need to utilise additional contraception until you lot accept taken the pill for seven days.

Advantages and disadvantages

Some advantages of the pill include:

it does not interrupt sex activity
it usually makes your bleeds regular, lighter and less painful
it reduces your run a risk of cancer of the ovaries, womb and colon
it can reduce symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
it can sometimes reduce acne
it may protect against pelvic inflammatory disease
it may reduce the gamble of fibroids, ovarian cysts and non-cancerous breast illness

Some disadvantages of the pill include:

it can cause temporary side effects at outset, such as headaches, nausea, breast tenderness and mood swings – if these practise non get later on a few months, it may assist to alter to a different pill
it can increase your blood pressure level
it does not protect you confronting sexually transmitted infections
breakthrough bleeding and spotting is common in the starting time few months of using the pill
it has been linked to an increased risk of some serious health conditions, such as claret clots and breast cancer

The combined pill with other medicines

Some medicines collaborate with the combined pill and it does not work properly. Some interactions are listed on this page, but it is not a complete list. If you want to check your medicines are safe to accept with the combined pill, yous tin can:

enquire a GP, practice nurse or pharmacist
read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine

Antibiotics

The antibiotics rifampicin and rifabutin (which tin can be used to care for illnesses including tuberculosis and meningitis) tin can reduce the effectiveness of the combined pill. Other antibiotics do non accept this effect.

If you are prescribed rifampicin or rifabutin, you may be advised to change to an alternative contraceptive. If not, you lot will demand to employ boosted contraception (such equally condoms) while taking the antibiotic and for a brusque time after. Speak to a doctor or nurse for advice.

Epilepsy and HIV medicines, and St John'south wort

The combined pill tin interact with medicines called enzyme inducers. These speed up the breakup of hormones by your liver, reducing the effectiveness of the pill.

Examples of enzyme inducers are:

the epilepsy drugs carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone and topiramate
St John's wort (a herbal remedy)
antiretroviral medicines used to care for HIV (research suggests that interactions between these medicines and the progestogen-simply pill can touch the rubber and effectiveness of both)

A GP or nurse may advise you lot to use an alternative or boosted class of contraception while taking any of these medicines.

Risks of taking the combined pill

At that place are some risks associated with using the combined contraceptive pill. However, these risks are minor.

Blood clots

The oestrogen in the pill may cause your blood to clot more readily. If a blood clot develops, it could cause:

deep vein thrombosis (clot in your leg)
pulmonary embolus (jell in your lung)
stroke
eye attack

The hazard of getting a blood clot is very small, but your md will check if you accept sure risk factors before prescribing the pill.

Cancer

The pill can slightly increase the risk of developing breast cancer and cervical cancer. It can also decrease the risk of developing womb (uterus) cancer, ovarian cancer and bowel cancer.

Nevertheless, 10 years later you end taking the pill, your risk of chest cancer and cervical cancer goes dorsum to normal.

Where you lot can get the combined pill

Contraception is gratuitous to everyone through the NHS. Places where you lot can get contraception include:

community contraception clinics
some genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics
sexual health clinics – they also offer contraceptive and STI testing services
GP surgeries – talk to a GP or nurse
some young people'due south services (telephone call the Sexual Health Line on 0300 123 7123 for more than information)

Discover a sexual wellness dispensary

Getting contraception during coronavirus

If y'all need contraception, call your GP surgery or a sexual health clinic as soon every bit possible. Only become in person if you lot're told to.

It can accept longer to get contraception at the moment and some types are non widely available.

You lot may only be able to become the combined pill if you've had your blood force per unit area and weight checked in the last 12 months.

If you lot cannot become the combined pill, y'all may be advised to use the progestogen-only pill or condoms for at present.

How practice I alter to a unlike pill?

If you want communication about irresolute your contraceptive pill, you tin visit a GP, contraceptive nurse (sometimes called a family planning nurse), or sexual health dispensary.

Yous should not have a pause betwixt different packs, so y'all will commonly be advised to starting time the new pill immediately or wait until the day after you accept the last of your old pills.

Y'all may also exist brash to use alternative methods of contraception during the changeover, as the new pill may take a short fourth dimension to take effect.

If you lot're nether 16 years erstwhile

Contraception services are free and confidential, including for people nether the age of sixteen.

If yous're under 16 and desire contraception, the doctor, nurse or pharmacist will not tell your parents (or carer) as long equally they believe you lot fully sympathize the information you're given and your decisions.

Doctors and nurses work nether strict guidelines when dealing with people under 16. They'll encourage you to consider telling your parents, but they will not make you.

The only time that a professional person might want to tell someone else is if they believe you're at chance of harm, such as corruption. The risk would need to be serious, and they would normally discuss this with you first.

More than information

For more information most the pill visit:

Sexwise's page about the combined pill
Contraception Choices' page nigh the combined pill

Page last reviewed: one July 2020
Adjacent review due: one July 2023