Yasmin: What You Need to Know

Reviewed by Usama Ali, MPharm (GPhC: 2224726). Last reviewed: October 2026.

What is Yasmin?

Yasmin is a combined contraceptive pill containing two hormones: ethinylestradiol (an oestrogen) at 30 micrograms and drospirenone (a progestogen) at 3 milligrams. It is manufactured by Bayer.

Drospirenone is what makes Yasmin different from pills like Microgynon and Rigevidon. It has anti-androgenic properties, which can help with acne and oily skin, and anti-mineralocorticoid properties, which can reduce bloating and water retention. No other commonly prescribed combined pill progestogen has this combination of effects.

Yasmin is not usually the first combined pill offered. Levonorgestrel pills (Microgynon, Rigevidon) are first-line because they are among the combined pills with the lowest blood clot risk. Yasmin is typically considered when there is a specific clinical reason, such as acne or bloating that has not responded to other options.

What is Yasmin used for?

Yasmin is used for contraception. In the UK it is licensed only as an oral contraceptive. Because drospirenone is anti-androgenic and anti-mineralocorticoid, some people notice clearer skin and less bloating while taking it, but these are side benefits rather than licensed uses, and a pharmacist cannot supply Yasmin for skin or bloating alone.

If acne is your main concern, our guide on the pill and acne explains which pills tend to help and how long it takes. If contraception is your main reason and your skin is a concern too, mention it at your consultation.

How does Yasmin work?

Yasmin prevents pregnancy in three ways. It stops your ovaries from releasing an egg each month. It thickens the mucus at the cervix, making it harder for sperm to reach an egg. And it thins the lining of the womb, reducing the chance of a fertilised egg implanting.

Taken correctly, Yasmin is more than 99% effective. With typical use (where pills are occasionally missed or taken late), effectiveness is around 91% (FSRH, 2023).

How do you take Yasmin?

Take one tablet at the same time each day for 21 days. Then have a 7 day break during which you will usually get a withdrawal bleed. After the 7 days, start the next pack. The withdrawal bleed is not a true period. It happens because hormone levels drop during the break.

You can also run packs back to back to skip the withdrawal bleed. This is supported by current FSRH guidance and is safe to do regularly. Taking packs back to back is outside the pill's licence, so check with your pharmacist first.

Yasmin has a 24 hour late window. If you take it less than 24 hours late, you are still protected. If you miss it by more than 24 hours, follow the missed pill guidance in the patient information leaflet or use our missed pill tool.

Is Yasmin the same as Lucette?

Yes. Yasmin and Lucette both contain ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms and drospirenone 3 milligrams. They are clinically equivalent. The difference is the manufacturer: Yasmin is made by Bayer, Lucette by Gedeon Richter. Lucette's coating contains soya lecithin, so it is not suitable if you are allergic to peanut or soya. Dretine and Yacella are other equivalent brands (Ellanite was discontinued in September 2025). For a side by side comparison, read Yasmin vs Lucette.

Under the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service, your pharmacist supplies whichever drospirenone product is available. You may receive Yasmin, Lucette, Dretine or Yacella. They all contain the same medicine at the same dose. Tell your pharmacist if you have a peanut or soya allergy, because Lucette is not suitable for you.

What are the side effects of Yasmin?

Side effects of Yasmin listed as common in the patient leaflet (between 1 and 10 in every 100 users) are changes to your bleeding pattern, breast pain or tenderness, headache, depressive mood, migraine, nausea, thicker vaginal discharge and vaginal thrush. Most settle within 2 to 3 months. Migraine that starts or worsens on Yasmin needs a review.

The table groups the side effects in the Yasmin patient information leaflet by how often they are reported. Lucette and Yacella contain the same hormones at the same doses, so the same effects apply.

Tell your pharmacist or GP if you develop migraine for the first time, or your migraines get worse or come with visual disturbance. Migraine with aura means the combined pill is no longer suitable, and a progestogen-only pill is the usual alternative.

Because drospirenone has anti-mineralocorticoid properties, it can affect potassium levels. This is usually not clinically significant, but Yasmin is not suitable if you have severe kidney disease or sudden (acute) kidney failure. If you take medicines that can raise potassium, your pharmacist may suggest a blood test or a different pill.

"People often ask about Yasmin specifically because of the acne and bloating benefits," says Usama Ali, MPharm (GPhC: 2224726), pharmacist at Contraception Direct. "We always explain the full picture, including the slightly higher clot risk, so you can make an informed decision."

What about blood clot risk?

All combined pills carry a small increased risk of venous thromboembolism (blood clots). Yasmin carries a slightly higher risk than levonorgestrel pills because it contains drospirenone.

These figures come from the FSRH Combined Hormonal Contraception guideline. The risk is real but small. For context, the risk during pregnancy is considerably higher than the risk on any combined pill.

Yasmin is prescribed when the clinical benefit (such as improvement in acne or bloating) justifies the slightly higher clot risk compared to levonorgestrel pills. Your pharmacist assesses your personal risk factors before supplying it. For more detail, read our guide on the pill and blood clots.

The mini pill is not thought to raise blood clot risk in the way the combined pill does. If clot risk is a concern, it is a suitable alternative.

Does Yasmin help with acne?

Drospirenone is anti-androgenic, meaning it works against the hormones that cause oily skin and acne. Combined pills containing drospirenone are the most associated with skin improvement among all oral contraceptives.

Improvement is usually visible within 2 to 3 months and continues for up to 6 months. If you stop taking Yasmin, acne may return.

Acne is not a licensed indication for Yasmin, so your pharmacist will not prescribe it solely for skin. But if contraception is your primary reason and acne is also a concern, drospirenone pills are a reasonable choice. For more detail, read our guide on the pill and acne.

Does Yasmin cause weight gain?

Yasmin is unlikely to cause significant weight gain. The patient leaflet lists fluid retention and body weight changes as uncommon side effects, reported by between 1 and 10 in every 1,000 users, and FSRH guidance says the available evidence does not show that the combined pill causes weight gain (FSRH, 2023).

Drospirenone's anti-mineralocorticoid effect means some people feel less bloated than on other combined pills. If your weight changes and it bothers you, speak to your pharmacist about alternatives rather than stopping without another method in place.

Who can take Yasmin?

Yasmin is suitable for most people aged 16 to 49 through the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service. Your pharmacist checks your medical history, blood pressure, BMI, smoking status, and migraine history before supplying it.

Yasmin is not suitable if you have a history of blood clots (DVT or PE), experience migraine with aura at any age, smoke or vape and are 35 or over (or stopped less than a year ago), have a BMI of 35 or above, have high blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher when measured by a pharmacist or GP, or 135/85 or higher on a home monitor) or take medicine for it, are breastfeeding in the first 6 weeks after birth, or have severe kidney disease or sudden (acute) kidney failure.

The potassium warning is specific to drospirenone. If that is the only reason Yasmin does not suit you, your pharmacist may suggest a levonorgestrel pill such as Microgynon instead. If you have serious kidney disease, such as nephrotic syndrome, or you are on dialysis, no combined pill is suitable (UKMEC 2025), and your pharmacist will talk to you about other options.

Not sure whether Yasmin suits you? Read our guide on which contraceptive pill is right for me.

How to get Yasmin free

Yasmin is available free on the NHS through your GP, a sexual health clinic, or a pharmacy through the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service. With Contraception Direct, you book a free phone consultation, your pharmacist checks your suitability, and your pill is posted in discreet packaging within 1 to 3 working days.

Under the PCS, your pharmacist supplies the most cost-effective drospirenone product available. You may receive Yasmin, Lucette, or Yacella. They are all the same medicine.

If you are currently on Yasmin and want to continue, want to switch from another pill, or want to start for the first time, book a consultation. Your pharmacist will confirm whether drospirenone is right for you.

This information is for general guidance only and does not replace advice from a clinician, pharmacist, or doctor. A clinician will review your consultation before any medication is supplied.