Progestogen-Only Pill (POP)

• Effectiveness: If taken correctly, it can be up to 99% effective.
• Quick acting: Once taken, it will be effective after 2 days.
• Helps with heavy & painful periods: It may help with premenstrual symptoms and painful periods.
• Safe medication: The POP is safe for women over 35 who smoke, have high blood pressure, a history of blood clots, or migraines and headaches. It is also safe for women who are breastfeeding (though a small amount of Progestogen may pass into your milk, it is not harmful to your baby), and it is safe to use after a miscarriage or abortion.

Possible side effects include:

• Weight: There is no evidence that POP causes weight gain, but hormones affect women differently, and some may see an increase in appetite or fluid retention.
• Skin: Skin changes can be a temporary side effect that should settle after 3 months, but they can sometimes persist.
• Periods: A common effect is irregular periods, which may be more or less frequent, lighter, or include spotting. In a small number of women, periods may stop altogether.
• Breasts: Research on the risk of breast cancer and hormonal contraception is complex and contradictory. There is not enough evidence to say that the progestogen-only pill does not increase the risk of breast cancer.
• Sex drive: Some women may notice a decrease or increase in libido, while others may not notice any change.
• Headaches/Migraines: Some women may experience an increase in headaches when they first start the method. If these persist, switching to other types of POP is an option.
• Nausea/Vomiting: This method does not normally cause nausea and vomiting, but if it happens, it can affect how the pill works and increase the pregnancy risk.
• Mood: All hormonal methods can affect mood, which normally settles within the first few months. If mood changes are causing difficulties, swapping pills or changing methods is an option.
• Ovarian cysts: The use of POP may lead to the development of small fluid-filled cysts on the ovaries. Often there are no symptoms, but when present, they typically manifest as pelvic pain and usually disappear without treatment.
• Ectopic pregnancy: If you become pregnant while taking the Progestogen-Only Pill, there appears to be a slightly higher chance (1 in 10) that the fertilized egg will implant outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube.

POP is safe for most women. The main circumstances where it may not be safe for you include those who are taking certain medications for epilepsy, HIV, and tuberculosis, as this may affect the pill's effectiveness.

You have to take one pill every day without any break and can start at any point in your cycle.

• If you’re taking traditional POP, you must take the pill within 3 hours of the same time every day.
• If you’re taking Desogestrel POP, you must take the pill within 12 hours of the same time every day.

You can be up to 3 hours late taking POP (or up to 12 hours if you’re taking a Desogestrel Progestogen-Only Pill) without any problems. However, if it is longer than this, you may NOT be protected from pregnancy. In such an event:

• Take one pill as soon as you remember (and only one).
• Take one pill at the same time as you normally would (this may mean taking two pills on the same day—one when you remember and one at the normal time).
• Use another method of contraception for the next 48 hours or abstain from sex.
• If you had unprotected sex during the 2 days of missing your pill, you may need to take The Morning-after pill as soon as possible.

If you vomit within two hours of taking POP, you will need to take another pill. As long as you don’t vomit again, you are still protected against pregnancy. You can continue to take your next pill as per normal.

You can stop taking POP at any time of your cycle. However, please note that it is possible for you to get pregnant as soon as you stop, because the lining of your womb starts to thicken immediately.