Are they also available without estrogen?
The minipill is a hormonal contraceptive which is basically estrogen-free. The progestin it contains is either levonorgestrel or desogestrel and other new progestins. The minipill should not be confused with the so-called micro pill. This is a combined preparation, i.e. it contains a combination of estrogen and progestin. Unlike the combined pill, it contains a lower dose of estrogen, by definition less than 50 micrograms per pill.
Dosage
The minipill should be taken exactly as directed by your doctor. Usually one pill is taken a day, it is taken continuously without a break. The pill should be taken at the same time every day if possible, so that there are 24 hours between each intake. Even small deviations can affect the effectiveness and cancel out the safety of the minipill.
Price
The price of the minipill varies depending on the supplier and the size of the package. The price for a 3-month package is around 30 €.
Minipill and alcohol
As a rule, alcohol does not remove the contraceptive protection of the pill. Problems occur as soon as the complete absorption of the active substance by the body is not ensured. If the consumption of alcohol causes diarrhoea or vomiting, for example, the active substance may be removed from the body beforehand. Increased alcohol concentrations in the blood often lead to forgetting to take the pill.Especially with preparations containing levonorgestrel, this is associated with a high risk of an unwanted pregnancy, as the medication must always be taken at exactly the same time. Even when consuming alcohol, you can avoid possible contraceptive slip-ups by using a condom.
Forgotten the pill once – What to do?
Even if only one tablet is taken late, contraception may be impaired. In particular, the minipill with levonorgestrel should not be taken more than two hours after the usual time of taking it. If a tablet has been missed, take it as soon as possible.
For the next seven days other methods of contraception should be used in addition to the minipill. If you had sexual intercourse in the seven days before forgetting to take a pill, you may have become pregnant unintentionally. In this case a doctor must be contacted immediately.
With the newer minipills containing the active ingredient desogestrel, the reliability of contraception is impaired if the tablet is taken more than 12 hours too late. In this case, too, additional barrier methods should be used in the following seven days. There is also the possibility of having become unintentionally pregnant through sexual intercourse in the previous week.
