Cerelle pill

Progesterone is a hormone that a woman’s body naturally produces as part of her menstrual cycle. Cerelle contains desogestrel, a synthetic form of progesterone. Cerelle must be taken every day to ensure that you are protected against a pregnancy.

Fertilisation is prevented as Cerelle thickens the mucus at the cervix (neck of the womb). This stops sperm from being able to enter the uterus (womb). The desogestrel in Cerelle also prevents an egg from ripening and being released from the ovary. When combined with the thickened cervical mucus, this offers a very effective form of contraception.

Progesterone only contraception, such as Cerelle, may be a more appropriate form of contraception for women who are breastfeeding.

How is Cerelle Taken?

When you first start taking Cerelle, the first pill should be taken on day one of your period. You will have contraceptive cover immediately if you start in this way.

Unlike combined oral contraceptive pills, you do not need to remember to take a break from taking Cerelle. Cerelle must be taken every day at around the same time.

There is no break between packs, just start a new strip of pills the day after the old strip runs out.

If you forget to take a pill, or you take it late, you should seek medical advice to check if you still have contraceptive cover. Missing a pill, or only remembering about it later in the day can reduce the effectiveness of Cerelle. If you were to have unprotected sex, you could be at risk of becoming pregnant.

Each pill should be swallowed whole with some water.

Dosage of Cerelle

Each Cerelle tablet contains 75 micrograms of desogestrel. One tablet is taken every day at the same time, with a little water.

Each strip of tablets is labelled with the days of the week. Start with a pill on the top line labelled with the corresponding day, and then follow the arrows around until you have finished the strip of pills. At this point, you should start a new strip of pills the following day, so that no breaks in taking the pill occur.