What’s a minipill?
The minipill is a hormonal contraceptive in tablet form which, in contrast to the classic “contraceptive pill”, does not contain estrogens (female sex hormones). While most forms of the pill contain both oestrogens and progestins (pregnancy hormones), a minipill works via the progestins alone. The minipill prevents pregnancy in a different way and therefore, unlike mixed hormone preparations, must be taken continuously without a break every day of the month.
The progestins in Cerazette® prevent sperm from entering the uterus and implanting an egg. Estrogens also prevent an egg from maturing at all. Most minipills therefore offer less protection against unwanted pregnancy than conventional pills.
Unlike other forms of the minipill, however, the dosage of the progestin in Cerazette® is much higher, so that even without estrogens as the active ingredient, ovulation is prevented in many women, and the efficacy is therefore roughly equivalent to that of a combined preparation. Would you like to know the exact functions of the hormones and thus obtain a clear overview of the woman’s cycle? So these topics could also be of interest to you:
- What are the functions of the individual hormones in women? – Hormonal contraceptives – Which are the best?
Active ingredient and effect of Cerazette
The active ingredient contained in Cerazette® is desogestrel, a hormone from the group of gestagens that is similar in its effect to progesterone (pregnancy hormone) produced by humans. The female body is influenced in several ways by the hormone intake and the development of pregnancy is prevented. By taking the artificial hormone, the body is made to believe that a pregnancy has already occurred.
On the one hand, the consistency of the so-called cervical mucus at the transition from the vagina to the uterus is changed in such a way that sperm can no longer cross this barrier so easily. In addition, the desogestrel has an effect on the lining of the uterus and has a negative influence on the conditions for implantation of an egg. Due to the high dosage of desogestrel contained in Cerazette®, most women are additionally prevented from the maturation of an egg cell, so that protection is higher compared to comparable minipills with a lower dosage.
Dosage of Cerazette
The correct dosage of Cerazette® is achieved by taking one tablet daily. One blister pack contains 28 tablets. Weekdays are printed on the back and you should start taking the tablet from the top row with the appropriate day of the week.
Every day at about the same time of day you should take another tablet, following the pattern shown by arrows. This is the best way to avoid taking the wrong dosage, for example if you are unsure whether you have already taken the tablet or not. It is important to start the next day immediately after using one blister pack and not to pause and wait for the bleeding to stop, as with the classic pills.
