Different ways to take the combined pill
There are 2 main ways to take the combined pill (also called the pill).
Everyday (ED) pill
You take the everyday (ED) pill every day.
Each packet comes with dummy pills that do not contain any hormones. These are a different colour to the active pills. Some types have 7 dummy pills, while others have 2 or 4.
Follow the instructions in the leaflet that comes with your pills.
21-day pill
You take the 21-day pill for 21 days, then have a break (not taking a pill) for 7 days.
Follow the instructions in the leaflet that comes with your pills.
With both types of pill, you’ll usually have bleeding like a period when you take the dummy pills or have the 7-day break.
Tailored regimes
Some people taking the 21-day pill may choose to have a shorter break, fewer breaks or no break between pill packets. This is called a tailored regime and can reduce symptoms such as headaches and bleeding during pill breaks.
For more information about tailored regimes, speak to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Starting the combined pill
If you’re taking the pill for the first time, you can usually start taking it at any point in your menstrual cycle. The advice may be different if you have a short menstrual cycle (less than 20 days).
There are separate instructions for the brands Zoely and Qlaira.
Read the information leaflet that comes with your pills. Speak to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you’re not sure when to start taking the pill.
Starting on day 1 to 5 of your menstrual cycle
If you start taking the pill in the first 5 days of your cycle (day 1 is the first day of your period), you will be protected from pregnancy straight away.
Starting after day 5 of your menstrual cycle
If you start taking the pill more than 5 days after the start of your period, you will not be protected from pregnancy straight away.
You’ll need to use another type of contraception, such as condoms, until you’ve taken the pill for 7 days.
Starting Zoely or Qlaira
If you start taking Zoely or Qlaira on the first day of your period, you’ll be protected from pregnancy straight away.
If you start taking it after day 1 of your period, use another type of contraception until you’ve been taking:
- Zoely pills for 7 days
- Qlaira pills for 9 days
Important
If there’s a chance you could already be pregnant when you start taking the pill, take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after the last time you had unprotected sex.
How well the combined pill works
You need to take the combined pill at the same time every day for it to work properly.
When used correctly all the time, the pill is more than 99% effective.
If not used correctly, it’s 91% effective and about 9 in 100 women will get pregnant in a year. This is because things can go wrong, for example you might forget to take a pill.
Medicines and herbal remedies that affect the combined pill
Some medicines and herbal remedies can affect how the combined pill works. The pill may not work properly to stop you getting pregnant.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking the pill if you take medicine to treat TB (tuberculosis), epilepsy or HIV.
You should also ask for advice if you take griseofulvin (an antifungal medicine), lamotrigine (a mood stabiliser), or St John's wort (a herbal remedy).
You may need to use another type of contraception.