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" The mini-Pill remains one of the most popular methods of birth control \u2013 though it&amp;#039;s still nowhere near as widely-used as the &amp;#039;ordinary&amp;#039; Pill.  The big difference between the mini-Pill and the Pill, is that the mini-Pill contains only one hormone instead of two.  This makes it milder than the regular combined Pill. It&amp;#039;s often referred to as the &amp;#039;progestogen-only Pill&amp;#039; or &amp;#039;POP&amp;#039;.  This is because the female-type hormone it contains is a progestogen (known in the USA as a &amp;#039;progestin&amp;#039;). There is no oestrogen in the mini-Pill.  The mini-Pill is really a very good method of contraception. It&amp;#039;s been around since 1973, and during that time it has proved remarkably safe to use.  Are there any dangers? In early 2015 there were headlines in the press suggesting that the mini-Pill could cause brain tumours.  These reports were based on a Danish paper, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.  The researchers had studied 317 women with a rare type of brain tumour called a &amp;#039;glioma&amp;#039;. They found that the incidence of this condition was 2.4 times higher in patients who had taken the mini-Pill. However, we should point out three things.  This tumour is very uncommon indeed. The number of women who took the mini-Pill in the study was very small. The mini-Pill is often prescribed for overweight women \u2013 and being obese is itself a factor for causing tumours.   Otherwise, there have been no new side-effects discovered in recent years, though in 2013 an Australian research team claimed that the mini-Pill might make women more liable to the sex infection chlamydia.  However, closer inspection of their work suggests that at the moment the risk is only theoretical.  Please note that it seems likely that the mini-Pill carries a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. Who uses mini-Pills? Most adult females can use this method. But traditionally, the mini-Pill has been mainly prescribed for two groups of women:  those who have just given birth \u2013 because, unlike the ordinary Pill, the POP does not stop the flow of the mother&amp;#039;s milk those who have &amp;#039;certain risk factors&amp;#039; for the ordinary Pill, especially those who have weight problems.   Recent research shows that that the mini-Pill is particularly popular with females over 35.  The POP&amp;#039;s great advantage is that its health risks are less than those of the combined Pill. How does it work? The mini-Pill:  thickens your cervical mucus, so that it&amp;#039;s more difficult for sperms to get through  thins the lining of your womb, therefore making it much less likely that an ovum (egg) will implant there affects the motility in your Fallopian tubes, thus reducing the chances of fertilisation in some instances, prevents ovulation (egg release) \u2013 this is particularly so with Cerazette.  What are the mini-Pill&amp;#039;s advantages? The main advantages of the POP are:  it has fewer side-effects than the combined Pill it can be taken at any age (unlike the combined Pill, which is generally &amp;#039;phased out&amp;#039; after the age of 35) it can be taken by breastfeeding women it can be taken by smokers it doesn&amp;#039;t raise your blood pressure it can help to ease PMT (pre-menstrual tension).  Are there any drawbacks? The main drawbacks of the mini-Pill are the following.  It doesn&amp;#039;t control your periods, in the way that the combined Pill does.  It&amp;#039;s slightly less effective than the ordinary Pill.  It&amp;#039;s not always effective in preventing ectopic pregnancies.  It may not be as effective in women who weigh over 70 kilogrammes (11 stone).  You have to remember to take it at roughly the same time each day (within three hours. In the case of the older mini-Pills).  With the newer versions of the mini-Pill (like Cerazette and Cerelle), you do have slightly more flexibility, and it is possible to take these brands up to 12 hours late \u2013 though I wouldn&amp;#039;t recommend it.  Also, Cerazette does seem to have an even lower accidental pregnancy rate than the older types of mini-Pill do.  What are the side-effects? Many women won&amp;#039;t get any side-effects at all.  But the following side-effects can sometimes occur.   Discomfort in the breasts. Headache. Dizziness. Slight weight gain Spots. Possibly depression. Possibly loss of sex drive \u2013 though this is uncertain.  In addition, ovary cysts seem to be a little commoner in women who are on the mini-Pill. Who shouldn&amp;#039;t take the mini-Pill? Official advice is that it should not be taken by women with:   undiagnosed vaginal bleeding  severe artery disease   liver tumours  the rare disease porphyria  a history of breast cancer (with certain exceptions).  In addition, the latest instructions say that the mini-Pill should only be used &amp;#039;with caution&amp;#039; by women who have ever had an ectopic pregnancy. Your doctor or family planning nurse will advise you about this.  Also, if you are very big, it&amp;#039;s possible that the mini-Pill might not be strong enough to give you protection against conception. How effective is it? It&amp;#039;s not quite as efficient in protecting you against pregnancy as the combined Pill, but it is pretty good.  If 100 sexually active women took the mini-Pill regularly for a year, less than three of them would get pregnant. This makes the POP about as effective as the coil (IUD).  However, Cerazette and the others in its group probably have a failure rate of only about 1 per cent per year. But take care: much depends on your ability to take the tablet every single day at about the same time each day. If you can&amp;#039;t manage this (and it isn&amp;#039;t easy!), you&amp;#039;ll increase your risk of pregnancy. An attack of diarrhoea or vomiting can also prevent the mini-Pill from working effectively. How do I get it? Begin by going to a doctor or a family planning clinic and asking them about the mini-Pill. In practice, family planning clinic staff tend to know more about POPs than almost anyone else. Discuss whether the mini-Pill would be suitable for you. Ask about the latest situation regarding side-effects.  If you decide to go ahead with the mini-Pill, you&amp;#039;ll be given a prescription for several packs. Read the leaflet inside the packet.  Then start taking the tablet on the first day of your next period \u2013 this will give you immediate protection. However, if you&amp;#039;re absolutely sure that you&amp;#039;re not pregnant, you can start taking the mini-Pill on any day of your cycle \u2013 but you may not be protected immediately.  Take the doctor&amp;#039;s or nurse&amp;#039;s advice about this.  If you&amp;#039;re not having periods at the moment because you&amp;#039;ve recently had a baby, then you can start taking it immediately. (Don&amp;#039;t do this if there&amp;#039;s any suspicion that you might be pregnant again.)  What brands of mini-Pill are available? In the UK, there are now 10 brands which could be available, depending on where you go for advice.  The desogestrel (&amp;#039;stronger&amp;#039;) group:   Aizea Cerazette Cerelle Nacrez  Desomono Desorex Zelleta.  The older ones:  Micronor (norethisterone) Noriday (norethisterone) Norgeston (levonorgestrel)  In practice, the doctor or family planning nurse will pick one of the above for you. But if you want a mini-Pill from the desogestrel group (with its slightly higher effectiveness, and a 12-hour safety margin), then say so. Other people also read: Choosing a contraceptive: the most popular types of contraception. Contraceptive injections: how do contraceptive jabs work? Contraception \u2013 chemical methods: how do you use them? Contraceptive implants: what are the side-effects? Last updated 01.03.2015 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/conditions/sexual-health/a2226/the-mini-pill-progestogen-only-pill-or-pop/>