Katya

What is the Katya contraceptive pill?

The Katya pill is a ‘monophasic’ contraceptive, meaning each tablet has the same amount of hormones in it. So you take the same quantity of hormones on each day of your cycle.

Monophasic pills are a bit different to ‘phasic’ combined pills, which involve taking different amounts of hormones on different days of your cycle.

Because each pill contains the same amount of hormones, some women find pills like Katya easier to take.

How does Katya work?

The Katya contraceptive pill, like other combined pills, does three things to give you protection from pregnancy.

The two hormones in it, ethinylestradiol and gestodene, tell the body that ovulation has already taken place, and so the ovaries don’t release an egg.

These hormones also make the mucus in the cervix thicker, which makes it more difficult for sperm to reach and fertilise an egg.

While the mucus in the cervix becomes thicker, the hormones make the lining of the uterus thinner, and this makes it harder for a fertilised egg to latch on to the uterine wall and grow.

How effective is Katya?

If taken correctly, Katya is over 99% effective.  So if 100 women take it as instructed over a 12-month period, less than one will get pregnant.

If pills are missed occasionally, or if it’s used in error, the chances of becoming pregnant increase. So to avoid this from happening, you should always follow the instructions in the patient information leaflet that comes with your treatment.

How to take Katya

Katya comes in strips of 21 pills. You take one a day, every day, at the same time. Do this for 21 days, until you reach the end of the strip.

You can take the pills with or without food, and with water if you need to.

Try to start the Katya pill on the first day of your cycle. This will give you instant protection from pregnancy if you haven’t been using other contraception or you’re switching from another combined pill. If you’re switching from another combined contraceptive pill, start taking Katya the day after the end of your pill-free week for your previous pill.

You can also start taking Katya on days 2–5 of your cycle, but you won’t be protected from pregnancy right away. You’ll need to use additional protection like a condom for the next seven days.

Next to each tablet is printed a day of the week. Simply follow the arrow on the strip and take each pill accordingly. So if you start taking the pill on a Wednesday, take the pill with ‘WED’ beside it.

Once you’ve taken all 21 pills, stop taking any pills for seven days. During this time, you’ll usually get a ‘withdrawal bleed’, or a period.

On the eighth day (the day after your pill-free week), start the new strip, even if your bleeding hasn’t finished. This means you start a new strip on the same day of the week as last time. It should also keep your withdrawal bleed regular.

You can also switch to Katya from an IUS or IUD, or any progesterone-only treatment. Just start taking Katya the day after your last dose of your previous contraception, or when it stops being effective. You’ll still need to use a condom or another barrier method for seven days, or wait to have sex.

If you’ve recently given birth or been pregnant, talk to a clinician first before taking Katya.

What if I miss a Katya pill?

If you’re less than 12 hours late taking a pill, your protection from pregnancy won’t decrease. Just take the pill as soon as you remember. Then keep taking your pills on time.

If you’re more than 12 hours late taking a pill, your protection from pregnancy may be reduced. The more pills you forget to take, the more likely it is that your pregnancy risk is reduced. This risk is greatest either at the beginning of a pill strip or at the end of a pill strip.

If you forget to take more than 1 pill in a strip, let our prescriber know, and they can advise you. It’s best to use a barrier method of contraception until you know you’re protected from pregnancy again.

What if I take more Katya pills than I should?

Taking too much Katya is unlikely to seriously harm you. If you take several pills at once you may feel nauseous or bleed from your vagina.

If you’ve taken too many Katya pills and you’re having worrying symptoms, speak to a clinician.