The pill

• You take 1 pill at the same time every day. Then you’re protected against pregnancy.  
• There are 2 types of contraceptive pill: the combined pill and the mini pill (also called the progestogen-only pill).
• The combined pill contains 2 hormones: progestogen and oestrogen.
• The mini pill contains 1 hormone: progestogen.
• The hormone progestogen make sure you don’t ovulate, so no egg is released. It also thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it more difficult for sperm to reach the egg. And it makes it more difficult for a fertilised egg to implant itself in the uterus. 
• The hormone oestrogen makes sure you have a bleed (like a period) after 3 weeks. That is the pill-free week. 
• There are different types of pills with different amounts of hormones. They all protect you against pregnancy. Some of them may give you side effects while others won’t.

Strip with 21 pills

• Take 1 pill at the same time every day.
• After 21 days, the pill strip will be finished.
• Then you don’t take any pills for 4 to 7 days. That’s the pill-free week. During that time you’ll have a bleed. You’re still protected against pregnancy.
• Start the next strip after 4 to 7 days.
• Keep a spare pill strip in your bag or purse.
  If you have diarrhoea or vomit after taking the pill, take another one straightaway.

Strip with 28 pills

• Take 1 pill at the same time every day.
• After 28 days the pill strip will be finished – start the new one straightaway.
• You don’t have a break between the pills, so you won’t have a monthly bleed.
• Sometimes you may have some unexpected bleeding or spotting.
• Keep a spare pill strip in your bag or purse.
• If you have diarrhoea or vomit after taking the pill, take another one straightaway.

To get the pill from a pharmacy, you get a prescription for the pill from your doctor, a doctor at Sense or the GGD community health service. You’d rather not go to your own doctor?

Find the address of your local Sense or GGD clinic 
 

Then skip the pill-free week. Start a new pill strip as soon as you’ve finished the previous one. It is not unhealthy – you don’t need to bleed every month. If you regularly skip a pill-free week, you may have some unexpected bleeding or spotting.

Just shorten the pill-free week. Start a new pill strip after 4 days – even if you’re still bleeding. The pill is then even more reliable than with a 7-day break. Not sure what to do? Talk to your own doctor or ask Sense.

Then have a 7-day pill break. You’re still protected against pregnancy during that week. 

When you start taking the pill, you might have side effects like:

• headaches
• irregular blood loss
• painful breasts
• nausea
• low moods
• weight gain
• reduced sex drive

Usually, the side effects disappear after a couple of months. If a side effect becomes very unpleasant, go to your doctor or a Sense clinic. Ask for advice about which pill would be best for you.

• If it has been at least 36 hours since you took your last pill.
• If your pill-free week has been longer than 7 days.
• If you’ve had diarrhoea or vomited within 3 hours of taking the pill.

Read Advice if you’ve missed a pill

Remember: the pill doesn’t protect against STIs. To prevent STIs, you should use condoms.