Contraceptive

Take contraceptives and stop worrying about pregnancy

Oral contraceptive pills are now quite popular among women. The three most widely known contraceptive pills are Yasmin, Dianette and Cerazette. Of these, the first two are combination pills, which means that they contain two artificial female hormones, oestrogen and progestogen. Cerazette, on the other hand is a mini pill, which means that it contains only one artificial female hormone, progestogen. These contraceptive pills are supposed to be taken on a regular basis, as per the directions for each pill.

Yasmin, being a combination pill, contains ethinylestradiol (oestrogen) and drospirenone (progestogen) as its active ingredient. You are required to take this pill for 21 days of your menstrual cycle, with 7 pill free days after that. The pill is most effective if you start taking it from the very first day of your periods. You can take this pill if you are 18 years of age or above. Some of the side effects of Yasmin include headaches, menstrual changes, nausea, breast pain and abdominal pain.

Dianette contains ethinylestradiol (oestrogen) and cyproterone acetate (progestogen) as its active ingredients. This pill is supposed to be taken for 21 days out of your 28 day menstrual cycle, followed by 7 pill free days. You can experience withdrawal bleeding during this period, which may not be like your normal period as you are not ovulating. The side effects that Dianette can cause include headaches, menstrual spotting, upset stomach, changes in menstrual bleeding, weight changes, breast tenderness, nausea and decreased sex drive.

Cerazette, being a mini pill, contains desogestrel, an artificial progestogen, as its active ingredient and has been proven to be almost 99% effective. This pill is required to be taken for all 28 days of your menstrual cycle, without any break in between. The side effects that you can experience while taking Cerazette can include headaches, nausea, acne, breast pain, decreased sex drive, mood changes, weight gain and irregular or no periods.