Contraception

The combined pill is usually referred to as ‘the pill’. It contains two hormones – oestrogen and progestogen. These are similar to the natural hormones women produce in their ovaries.

The main way the pill works is to stop the ovaries from releasing an egg each month (ovulation). It also:

• Thickens the mucus from your cervix. This makes it difficult for sperm to move through it and reach an egg
• makes the lining of your uterus (womb) thinner so it is less likely to accept a fertilised egg

If the pill is taken according to instructions, it is over 99% effective. This means that less than one woman in 100 will get pregnant in a year.

Please see here for further information on the combined pill: https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/combined-pill/