Norgeston

What is the Norgeston pill?

Norgeston is a contraceptive pill that contains just one hormone, levonorgestrel, a type of progesterone that is highly effective at preventing pregnancies.

Progesterone only pills like Norgeston are sometimes known as mini pills, or POPs. They are just as effective as the combined pill at preventing pregnancies when taken correctly.

How do Norgeston pills work?

Every month, when your body gears itself up for pregnancy, ovulation takes place. This is where the ovary releases an egg that travels to the uterus to be fertilised by sperm. If the egg is fertilised, it latches on to the wall of the uterus and begins to grow. If the egg isn’t fertilised, you don’t get pregnant.

Hormones in the body cause ovulation, and thicken the uterine wall, which creates the right conditions for a fertilised egg to attach itself to the wall and grow there.

The body already contains the naturally occurring hormones progesterone and oestrogen, and when the hormone in Norgeston, levonorgestrel, is added to the mix, it alters the hormonal balance slightly. Ovulation is prevented, and the mucus in the cervix is made thicker, making it a lot more difficult for sperm to reach an egg.

How effective is Norgeston?

If you take it correctly, Norgeston is over 99% effective.  So to put this into perspective, out of 100 women taking Norgeston over a 12-month period, less than one will get pregnant. This is known as ‘perfect use’ of the pill.

It’s not quite as effective if you miss the odd pill or are late taking it. This is sometimes called typical use, where effectiveness drops to around 91%. So out of 100 women taking it for a year, nine will become pregnant.

If you want to get as much protection as you can from Norgeston, aim for ‘perfect use’.

How to take Norgeston

There are 35 pills in every strip of Norgeston. Each pill has a day of the week printed next to it, and you should follow the direction of the arrows. Take one pill at the same time every day, without taking any breaks between one strip and the next.

If you need to, swallow each pill whole with water, but don’t chew the pills.

Start taking Norgeston on the first day of your period, as this gives you immediate protection from pregnancy. If you’re switching from a progesterone only pill to Norgeston, you can start taking Norgeston at any point without your protection from pregnancy being affected.

If you’re switching from the combined pill to Norgeston, start taking Norgeston the day after your last active pill. You don’t need to use any extra contraception, such as condoms.

Norgeston and missed pills

If you miss a pill, follow the instructions that come with your medication.

The missed pill window for Norgeston is three hours, so if you’re less than three hours late taking a pill, your protection from pregnancy shouldn’t be impacted. Just take it as soon as you remember, even if it means taking two pills in one day. Take any pills that follow at the usual time.

If you’re more than three hours late, or you’ve missed more than one pill, you may be at greater risk of getting pregnant. Take your next pills as you would normally and use additional contraception, such as condoms, for the following seven days. If you’ve missed any pills in a strip and had sex during the week before missing any pills, your risk of becoming pregnant will likely be increased.

If you miss more than one pill, or if you’re more than three hours late in taking a pill and are concerned, speak to your prescribing clinician so they can discuss the situation with you and advise you on the next steps.