Most women take one pill per day for 21 days, then take a four or seven-day break before starting the next pack. You’re likely to experience a withdrawal bleed during this time. This looks like a period, but it isn’t.

Marvelon can also be taken as follows:

Tricycling: Take one pill every day for nine weeks without stopping. Take a 4 or 7-day break after 9 weeks (3 packs of pills) and then restart the cycle.

Take 1 pill every day without missing a dose.

Take 1 pill every day for at least 21 days for a flexible extended use. Take a four-day break if you experience excessive bleeding. Start taking the pill every day on the fifth day, and don’t take another break for at least 21 days.

Marvelon’s hormones (ethinylestradiol and desogestrel) stop your ovaries from producing an egg (ovulation). They also make it more difficult for sperm to reach an egg or for an egg to implant in the womb lining.

Marvelon is 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy when taken correctly. Approximately 9 out of 100 women will become pregnant if it is not always taken correctly.

You may not be protected against pregnancy if you are vomiting or have severe diarrhoea. Continue to take the pill as usual if this happens, but use a condom while you’re sick. If this lasts longer than 24 hours, you should take the same steps as if you missed a pill.

Please keep in mind that you should only begin Marvelon if you are certain you are not pregnant.

If you start using Marvelon on the first five days of your period, you should be protected from pregnancy right away, assuming you don’t have a short or irregular menstrual cycle.

If you have sex after day 1 and have a short/irregular menstrual cycle, you must use condoms for 7 days. If you have sex in the first 7 days, your clinician will be able to tell you if you need to use additional contraception.

Many women do not have any negative side effects, but some do. Mood swings, headaches, tummy pain, breast discomfort, and feeling sick are just a few examples. Blood clots occur in a small percentage of women. The risk of blood clots is slightly higher with this pill than with others. Send us a message through your Patient Record if you have any concerns.

See the patient information leaflet for a complete list of side effects and how to use it correctly. If you have any concerns about side effects, please contact us through your Patient Record.