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Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill ( COCP or “the pill”)

Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill

( COCP or “the pill”)

91% effective

The combined oral contraceptive pill prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation. It is taken daily for 21 days in a row, then 7 inactive or “sugar pills” are taken, during which a woman will have a withdrawal bleed like a period.  Some women may skip the sugar pills and take the active pills back-to-back for several months at a time to avoid having periods.

Contraceptive Pill

Pros

  • It’s cheap and generally very safe
  • If taken correctly it’s very effective
  • Most women get no side effects
  • Can be started and stopped as desired, no need for removal of implants or devices
  • May help regulate periods, and allow women to plan around their periods
  • Packs can be taken back-to-back without sugar pills, to skip a period
  • It may help premenstrual tension
  • It may improve acne
  • It may help symptoms of PCOS
  • It may reduce period pain and help women who have endometriosis
  • It may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and uterine cancer
  • If you decide you wish to become pregnant, there is little or no delay to return to fertility when you stop taking the pill

Cons

  • It involves remembering to take a pill every day
  • It does not protect against sexually transmitted infections
  • Some women get side effects (see detailed information leaflet below)
  • If you smoke and are over 35, if you have migraine with aura, or any contraindications to the combined oral contraceptive pill, it may not be suitable for you (see detailed information leaflet below).
  • It requires a new prescription every 6-12 months and an annual blood pressure check
  • It cannot be used if breastfeeding as it can cause reduced milk supply
  • Vomiting, diarrhoea and certain medications can reduce the effectiveness of the pill, and other precautions will be needed to avoid pregnancy
  • It slightly increases the risk of a blood clot in the leg or lung, which can be serious or life-threatening
Click here if you’d like an online prescription for the contraceptive pill
For more detailed information about the contraceptive pill, click here
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