Contraception Guides

Free, pharmacist-reviewed guides to help you understand your contraceptive pill.

Choosing your pill

Start here if you're deciding whether the pill is right for you and which type to pick.

Which Contraceptive Pill Is Right for Me? (start here). How your clinician decides, and which pill suits your body and lifestyle.
Combined Pill vs Mini Pill: Which Is Right for You?. A side-by-side comparison to help you decide which type suits you.
How Do You Get the Pill in the UK?. Your options including GP, pharmacies, clinics, and online services.
Is the Contraceptive Pill Free?. Where to get free contraception in the UK and who is eligible.
Is Contraception Direct Safe and Legit?. How the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service is regulated and kept safe, and how to spot a genuine online pharmacy.
Free Contraception Online. How to get the pill delivered free on the NHS without a GP appointment.
Starting the Pill for the First Time. What happens at your consultation, when to take your first pill, and how long until you are protected.
How to Switch Contraceptive Pill. How to change between combined and mini pill safely, stay protected, and what to expect.
What Is the Best Contraceptive Pill?. There is no single best pill. Which suits you depends on your goal: acne, skipping periods, avoiding oestrogen, and more.
Coming Off the Pill: What to Expect. How quickly fertility returns, when your periods come back, and whether you need a break.

Everything about the combined pill, including the most common brands.

What Is the Combined Pill? (start here). How the combined pill works, its benefits, and who can take it.
Microgynon 30: What You Need to Know. How Microgynon works, side effects, blood clot risk, and how to get it free on the NHS.
Yasmin: What You Need to Know. How Yasmin works, drospirenone's benefits for acne and bloating, blood clot risk, and how to get it free.
Levest: What You Need to Know. How Levest works, side effects, equivalence to Microgynon and Rigevidon, and how to get it free.
Rigevidon: What You Need to Know. How Rigevidon works, its equivalence to Microgynon and Levest, side effects, and how to get it free.
The Pill and Blood Clots: What Is the Actual Risk?. The real numbers, which pills carry the lowest risk, and when to choose the mini pill instead.
The Pill and Acne: Which Pills Help and Why. Which pills can help with acne, how long it takes, and whether the mini pill can make it worse.

The progestogen-only pill and the desogestrel brands.

What Is the Mini Pill? (start here). How the progestogen-only pill works and who it's suitable for.
Cerelle: What You Need to Know. How Cerelle works, side effects, timing window, and how to get it free on the NHS.
Cerelle vs Cerazette: What's the Difference?. Why pharmacies switch between these desogestrel brands and what it means for you.
Cerazette: What You Need to Know. How Cerazette works, its 12-hour window and side effects, and why it is the same medicine as Cerelle.
Desogestrel: The Mini Pill Explained. How desogestrel works, the brands it comes in, and what to expect in the first few months.
Slynd: What You Need to Know. The oestrogen-free drospirenone mini pill with a 24 hour window that may help acne, and how to get it free.
Does the Mini Pill Cause Weight Gain?. What UK guidance says about the mini pill and weight, and when to review your contraception.

What to expect, and what to do if something goes wrong.

What Are the Side Effects of the Pill?. What to expect when starting, stopping, or switching your pill.
Does the Pill Stop Your Period?. Why bleeding changes on the pill, and how to skip periods safely.
The Pill and Antibiotics. Which antibiotics affect the pill (most do not), and when to use extra precautions.
The Pill and Mood. What the evidence says about the pill and low mood, and when to review your contraception.
Vomiting, Diarrhoea and the Pill. When being unwell affects your protection, and what to do.
What to Do If You Miss a Pill. Step-by-step guidance for all UK pill types. What counts as late and when you need extra precautions.
Missed Pill Tool. Answer a few questions and get personalised advice for your specific pill. Interactive tool based on FSRH guidelines.

All guides clinically reviewed by Usama Ali, MPharm (GPhC: 2224726).