5 Important Things to Know Before Going on the Pill

I have taken the combined contraceptive pills for over a year now and I am very happy with it. Many of my friends have since started to take it too and often they ask me questions about it when they're considering it, so I thought a blog post about it may be useful to some of our readers.

1. The pill WILL effect your mood. Hormones affect our bodies in strange ways and it is important that you are aware of this before you start taking it. Personally, I found it just made me more grumpy when I was already agitated but the consequences can be far more severe. They even say that 80% of teenagers who take the pill become depressed.
2. You have a certain time frame to take your pill in, which will be detailed in the pamphlet with it. If taken in this time frame the pill is 99.9% effective, but this reduces to 90% if taken incorrectly. I recommend getting an app which reminds you when to take it, as this will also keep track of your 'resting' week.
3. Make sure you are informed on various other contraceptive methods available before making your decision on what's best for you. The NHS website is a good place to find reliable information to do this.
4. There are certain health risks involved with taking the pill. Your doctor will go through these with you but you must be aware of them before you start taking it. If you experience any of them, follow the advice in your pamphlet.
5. There is no guarantee that your periods will get better from taking the pill. For me, they did but this isn't always the case. Your doctor will go over it in more detail when you go there to receive your prescription.