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Oral contraceptive pill

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Oral contraception is used by 25 - 30% of couples in the UK. It is highly effective and in addition to preventing pregnancy, it may be used to manage irregular menstrual cycles and to ameliorate dysmenorrhoea. Preparations with low doses of oestrogen and relatively more progestogen may be used to manage endometriosis.

Factors to consider when choosing a preparation include:

  • patient's age
  • smoking habit
  • pre-existing acne / hirsutism
  • cost

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