Yasmin Pill

The Yasmin pill is an oral contraceptive that you can take to prevent pregnancy. Doctors can also prescribe the Yasmin pill to treat some hormonal conditions, like PMS (premenstrual syndrome), acne or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms.

Benefits of the Yasmin pill

• They’re up to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy
• Your periods are usually regular, lighter, and less painful
• Your risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer is cut by 50%, even for many years after you stop taking them. There’s also a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, functional ovarian cysts and non-cancerous (benign) ovarian tumours.
• If you have acne, you may find it improves
• Normal fertility immediately returns after you stop taking the pill

Disadvantages of this type of contraceptive pill

• temporary side effects when you start taking them
• they do not protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• they’re not as effective as long-acting reversible methods of contraception, like the IUD, IUS, implant and injections

Contraceptive pills like the Yasmin pill work by:

• preventing the release of an egg from your ovaries
• thickening the mucus at the entrance of the womb, making it harder for sperm to reach an egg and fertilise it
• changing the womb’s lining, making it harder for a fertilised egg to attach to it and grow, so it gets passed out of the body naturally

The Yasmin pill does not protect you from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – like gonorrhoea, chlamydia or HIV, so it’s important to still use condoms.

Normally, you take one Yasmin pill a day, at the same time each day for 21 days, followed by a 7-day pill break.

• Yasmin pills come in strips of 21 pills, each marked with a day of the week. Take the pill marked with the correct day of the week and follow the arrows on the strip. Take one pill each day until you’ve finished all 21 pills. Swallow each pill whole with water if needed. There’s no need to chew the pill.
• Then you don’t take any Yasmin pills for the next 7 days. Within a few days of taking the last pill of your 21-day cycle, you should get a withdrawal bleed, like a period bleed.
• After the 7-day pill break, you start the cycle again with a new strip of pills. So, if you take your last pill on a Saturday, you’ll start another 21-day pill cycle on Sunday, the following week. Sometimes your withdrawal bleed may not have finished when it’s time to start your next strip of pills. That’s ok, and you should start the next strip as planned.
• You don’t need to use additional contraceptives during the 7-day pill break, as long as you’ve taken all your pills correctly and start the new strip on time – this is important to stay protected.

Starting the combined pill

If you have regular periods: you can start Yasmin on days 1 to 5 of your period, and you’ll be immediately protected against getting pregnant. If you’re sure you’re not pregnant, you can also start Yasmin on any other day of your menstrual cycle. But you must use extra contraception (like a condom) for the first 7 days.

After a miscarriage or abortion: if you’ve had a miscarriage or abortion during the first 3 months of pregnancy, a doctor may advise you to start taking Yasmin straight away within 5 days. This means that you’ll have contraceptive protection with your first pill.

After having a baby: you should always speak to a doctor or nurse before starting the combined pill after having your baby. You can start taking Yasmin from 21 days after having a baby, but you should use extra protection (like a condom) during the first 7 days of taking Yasmin.

If you’re breastfeeding: using Yasmin is not advised while breastfeeding a baby under 6 weeks old. After this point, you should speak to a doctor before starting oral contraceptives. They’ll be able to advise which pill is best for you.

Coming off Yasmin pills

You can stop taking Yasmin whenever you want. If you do not wish to become pregnant, ask your doctor for advice about other reliable birth control methods. If you would like to become pregnant, stop taking Yasmin and wait for your menstrual period before trying. You’ll be able to calculate the expected delivery date more easily.

Other ways to take the pill

There are other ways of taking the pill that you can try if you get bad side effects. Because side effects usually happen during the 7-day pill break, you can try taking a shorter break or have no break at all. You can either:

• have a shorter pill break (4 days) before starting the next pack
• run 3 packs (9 weeks) back to back before taking a 4 or 7-day break
• take a pill every day, then have a 4-day break when 4 days of bleeding have occurred in a row
• take a pill every day continuously with no breaks when bleeding occurs

These ways of taking the pill can also help you remember to take them and so may help lower your risk of getting pregnant. But irregular bleeding is more likely.

You should speak to a doctor for more information about different ways of taking the contraceptive pill.

If you have regular periods – you can start Yasmin on days 1 to 5 of your period and you will be immediately protected against getting pregnant. If you’re sure you’re not pregnant, you can start Yasmin on any other day of your cycle. But, you must use extra contraception (like a condom) for the first 7 days.

Contraceptive pills like Yasmin are more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy if taken correctly. This means less than 1 in 100 women will have an unwanted pregnancy in a year.

But people sometimes forget to take their pill, or don’t take them at the same time each day. This makes the Yasmin pill less effective, and so you’re more likely to get pregnant.

When used typically rather than perfectly, combined pills are not as effective at preventing pregnancy as other methods of contraception like the IUD, IUS, implants and injections. However, combined pills are more effective than barrier methods like condoms or diaphragms.

No contraceptive is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy.

If you have regular periods and start Yasmin on days 1 to 5 of your period, the Yasmin pill will work straight away, and you’ll be immediately protected against pregnancy. If you start on any other day of your cycle, then you’ll be protected after the first 7 days. You must use extra contraception (like a condom) during this time.

If you’re less than 12 hours late taking a pill:

Your protection against getting pregnant is not reduced. Take the missed pill as soon as possible, and then take your next pill at the usual time, even if this means taking 2 pills on the same day.

If you’re more than 12 hours late taking a pill:

Your protection against getting pregnant may be lowered. What you should do depends on when you missed a pill in your 21-day cycle.

• If you’ve forgotten a pill on days 1 to 7: take the missed pill as soon as you remember, even if that means that you have to take two pills at the same time. Continue taking the pills at the usual time and use extra contraception for the next 7 days, like a condom.
• If you’ve forgotten a pill on days 8 to 14: take the missed pill as soon as you remember, even if that means that you have to take two pills at the same time. Continue taking the pills at the usual time. Your protection against pregnancy is not reduced, and you do not need to take extra precautions. If you forget more than one tablet, use extra contraception for the next 7 days, like a condom.
• If you’ve forgotten a pill on days 15 to 21: you can either take the missed pill as soon as you remember and then continue taking your next strip as soon as you finish the last pill, instead of having a 7-day pill break. Or you can stop taking the pills and go straight into your 7-day pill break. If you want to start your new strip on the same day as you usually do, you can make the pill break less than 7 days and start the next strip earlier. If you follow one of these two recommendations, you will stay protected against getting pregnant.
• If you’ve forgotten more than 1 pill in a strip: speak to a doctor for advice and use extra contraception, like a condom. If you've had sex and missed more than one pill, you'll need emergency contraception.

If you’ve had sex in the week before forgetting the pill, there’s a chance you may be pregnant. You may need emergency contraception. Speak to a doctor for advice.

If you take more Yasmin than you should, there are no known, serious, or harmful results from taking too many Yasmin pills. If you take several pills at once, you may feel sick or be sick (vomit), and it’s also possible that you may start to bleed.

If you’re sick or have diarrhoea after taking a pill, there may be a risk that your pill has not had time to be absorbed by your body. The pill will not be as effective, so it’s like forgetting a pill.

If you’re sick, have severe diarrhoea, or have had diarrhoea within 3 hours of taking your pill, you should take another pill from a reserve strip as soon as possible. If you can, take the additional pill within your usual 24-hour pill window. If it’s already been more than 24 hours since you last took a pill, you should follow the advice for missing a pill.

I’m taking antibiotics. Do I need additional protection?

Taking the combined pill with other medicines can make it less effective. For example, some (but not all) antibiotics that are known to make this type of contraception less effective are:

• Rifampicin
• Rifabutin

If you’re currently taking one of these antibiotics, you may also need to use extra contraception, like a condom, as well as taking your pill. You should carry on using extra protection for some time after you finish your course of antibiotics. Your doctor will advise you on what to do.

What other drugs will affect Yasmin?

Other medications that may affect the pill are:

• certain HIV and epilepsy medications
• medications called enzyme inducers
• herbal remedies, like St John’s wort
• weight loss medications or laxatives
• ellaOne emergency contraception

Always discuss any medication that you’re taking with a doctor so they can advise if this might affect how well your contraceptive pill works.

While the Yasmin pill is safe and effective for many women, it’s not for everyone. You should not use it if you have any of the conditions or problems listed in the patient information leaflet that comes with your medication. Speak to a doctor or nurse before starting Yasmin. They’ll discuss your medical history, and they can tell you if Yasmin is safe for you or what other form of contraceptive may be better suited.

There are many different types of contraceptive available in the UK, so your doctor can help you find an alternatives if needed.

Nearly all medicines cause side effects, but not everyone will get them.

The most common side effects of the Yasmin pill are:

• breast pain or tenderness
• headache
• irregular periods (this is more common in the first 3 months)
• feeling sick (nausea)
• vaginal thrush infections and vaginal discharge
• migraine (if you have migraines while taking Yasmin, you should stop taking it, use condoms during sex and speak to a doctor as soon as possible)
• low mood or mood swings

These side effects usually settle down within the first few months. But if they don’t, or they’re severe, speak to your doctor for advice. They may suggest a different regimen or alternative contraception.

Less common side effects are:

• being sick (vomiting) and diarrhoea
• acne and other skin conditions (although Yasmin can help improve acne in some women)
• water retention – swollen ankles, feet or legs
• larger breasts
• changes to your sex drive
• changes in your blood pressure
• vaginal infection
• weight change

Rare side effects include:

• hearing problems
• asthma
• breast leaking
• allergic reaction (hypersensitivity)
• painful, reddish skin nodules or a rash with target-shaped reddening or sores
• blood clots in a vein or artery

Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine for more information about side effects. If you get any side effects, especially if they’re severe or persistent, or you’ve noticed a change in your health, speak to a doctor.

Yasmin pills and weight gain: weight gain is often listed as a side effect of contraceptive pills by manufacturers, but studies have not found a direct link between pills like Yasmin and weight gain. There’s also no evidence that different combined contraceptives affect your weight differently. Everyone has a different body shape, lifestyle and overall wellbeing, and how a contraceptive pill affects you can depend on all of these things.

Yasmin pills and acne: some women find their acne improves after they start taking oral contraceptive pills. In others, it can make it worse.

Are there any serious health risks?

Yasmin should be safe for you if you order your medication from a regulated service like ZAVA, a GP or sexual health clinic. They’ll check your medical history to make sure the Yasmin pill is right for you and recommend an alternative if needed.

But there are some health risks linked to using contraceptive pills. You should speak to a doctor straight away if you notice any of the problems listed below.

Severe allergic reaction: signs of a severe allergic reaction include swelling in your face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat.

Combined contraceptive pills and blood clots: using a combined contraceptive pill like Yasmin increases your risk of getting a blood clot, but the risk is still very low. You’re more likely to develop a blood clot during pregnancy.

If a blood clot develops, it can cause:

• deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a blood clot in your leg)
• pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in your lung)
• stroke
• heart attack

Your risk of getting a blood clot in a vein is highest in the first year of taking a combined contraceptive for the first time. When you stop taking Yasmin, your risk of a blood clot returns to normal within a few weeks.

Combined contraceptive pills and cancer: there’s a small increased risk of breast and cervical cancer in women using combined pills. It’s important to look out for warning signs:

• Check your breasts regularly for any changes like dimpling, nipple changes or lumps
• Look out for unusual vaginal discharge, bleeding, pelvic pain or pain during sex and keep up to date with routine cervical smear tests

Combined contraceptives actually lower your risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer by 50%, even for many years after you stop taking them. Combined contraceptives also lower your risk of colorectal cancer, functional ovarian cysts and non-cancerous (benign) ovarian tumours.

Bleeding between your periods: unexpected bleeding can happen in the first few months of taking Yasmin. You can also get bleeding outside of the seven pill-free days. If this lasts for more than a few months, if bleeding starts again after some months, or you have any bleeding after sex, speak to a doctor.

Can the contraceptive pill make you infertile? There’s no evidence to suggest that contraceptive pills like Yasmin can make you infertile (unable to get pregnant). In fact, you should use extra contraceptive protection as soon as you stop taking Yasmin if you want to avoid getting pregnant.

Yasmin pills contain lab-made versions of the female hormones progesterone and oestrogen, called drospirenone and ethinylestradiol. Each tablet contains the same amount of these hormones – 0.03mg ethinylestradiol and 3mg drospirenone.

You may decide to change from another type of contraceptive to the Yasmin pill. This may be because of side effects, changes in your health or simply personal preference. When switching, you should always speak to a doctor for advice.

Changing from a combined hormonal contraceptive pill, patch or hormonal vaginal ring.

If you start taking Yasmin the day after the last pill, patch, or last day using the hormonal ring, you’re protected from pregnancy immediately. If you start after a break from the pill, patch, or ring, you should use extra contraception (like condoms) for 7 days.

Changing from other contraceptives (progestogen-only mini pill, injection, implant, or a progestogen-releasing intrauterine system, IUS)

• You can switch over from the progesterone-only pill any time, but you should use extra contraception (like condoms) for the first 7 days.
• For an implant or injection, you can start up to or on the day of its removal or when the next injection is due. No extra protection is needed.
• For the IUS, start the pill before or on the day it’s removed, and use extra contraception (like condoms) for 7 days.