Cerelle

Cerelle is a contraceptive pill with only one hormone in it: desogestrel. It’s a progesterone-only pill that prevents pregnancy by stopping the ovaries from releasing an egg. Without an egg, there’s nothing for the sperm to fertilise. It also thickens the fluid in the cervical mucus, which makes it more difficult for sperm to reach an egg.

Cerelle is a pill of many names. Sometimes it’s referred to as the mini pill, other times as a progestogen-only pill, or POP.

Although the combined pills are the more widely used contraceptive pill, the mini pill is suitable for those who can’t take oestrogen. This is because mini pills, like Cerelle, only contain progesterone, so it’s ideal for women who are more sensitive to or can’t take oestrogen.

Your body prepares itself for pregnancy each month. When you ovulate, the ovary releases an egg which travels to the uterus. If the egg is fertilised by sperm, it embeds itself in the uterine lining and starts to develop. If the egg isn’t fertilised, you don’t fall pregnant.

Ovulation is triggered by hormones in your body, mainly oestogen and progesterone. When you take the mini pill, the balance of hormones is changed. This stops ovulation from happening. It also thickens the cervical mucus, making it harder for the sperm to reach the egg and fertilise it.

Cerelle effectiveness: what are the numbers?

If you take it properly, Cerelle is over 99% effective.^[1] So out of 100 women taking Cerelle over the course of one year, fewer than one will get pregnant. This is called ‘perfect use’.

But if you forget a pill from time to time or don’t take it when you should, it’s not quite as effective. Around 91%. So for every 100 women taking it over a 12-month period, nine will become pregnant. This is what’s known as ‘typical use’.

In short – the less mistakes you make with it, the lower your pregnancy risk.

Cerelle comes in strips of 28 pills, each pill marked with the day of the week alongside it and arrows which you should follow. Take one pill at the same time every day, with no breaks between one strip and the next.

Swallow each pill whole with water.

If you take your first Cerelle pill on the first day of your period, you’ll get immediate protection from pregnancy. You can start taking Cerelle on days two to five of your cycle, but you’ll need to use additional contraception such as condoms for the first seven days.

You may experience some bleeding when you’re using Cerelle, but just keep taking the pills as normal. Most women notice that their periods stop or become very light and infrequent when taking Cerelle, which can be an added benefit and is perfectly safe.

When you’ve reached the end of a strip, start a new strip the following day, without waiting for a bleed.

If you miss a pill – don’t worry. Follow the guidance in the information leaflet that comes with your treatment.

If you’re less than 12 hours late in taking a pill, take it as soon as you remember and take any pills that follow at the usual time. Your protection from pregnancy isn’t affected.

If more than 12 hours have passed since you took a pill, you’ve been sick, or you have diarrhoea, you may be at higher risk of getting pregnant. Take the pill you missed as soon as you can, even if it means taking two pills on the same day. If you’ve missed more than one pill, you only need to take the pill you missed most recently. Then take any pills after that as normal. You’ll need to use extra contraception, such as condoms, for the next seven days, as your protection from pregnancy has been affected.

Coming off Cerelle

If you want to come off Cerelle, talk to us first before you stop taking it. You’ll no longer be protected from pregnancy once you’ve stopped.

If you’re having periods, you may want to wait until you’ve got to the end of your current strip before you stop taking it, so you can stick with a regular cycle.