Same time, every day.

Yasmin will come with detailed instructions on how to take it. It’s important to follow these instructions — late and missed pills lower how effective Yasmin is.

Each pack of Yasmin comes with 28 pills. You’ll take active pills containing hormones for three weeks, and then inactive pills with no hormones for the last week. That’s when you’ll have your period. After you’re done with the pack, you can start a new one.

How you take Yasmin is up to you. You can take it with water, with a small meal or even swallow it dry if that’s your thing. Some people report a bit of nausea when taking the pill — if that’s you, try having a snack or small meal.

If you haven’t used hormonal birth control in the last month, you should take your first Yasmin pill on the first day of your period. You’ll be immediately protected against pregnancy. You can also start taking it on day 2-5 of your period, in which case you should use a condom for a week while your protection kicks in.

If you’re switching from another birth control, it’s a little different. You should check the information that comes with your pill pack for advice on when to start.

If you’ve forgotten to take your pill and it’s less than 12 hours since the time you normally take it, you’re in the clear. Just take Yasmin as soon as you remember. If it has been more than 12 hours, though, the effectiveness of your birth control is reduced.

The patient information that comes with your Yasmin pack has detailed instructions on what to do if you’ve missed a pill, but here’s the gist.

If you forget a pill during the first week, take it as soon as you remember (even if that means taking two at the same time). Use a condom for the next week.

If you forget a pill during the second week, take it as soon as you remember (even if that means taking two at the same time). You don’t need to use a condom.

If you forget a pill during the third week, either take the pill as soon as you remember and start a new pack instead of taking the week of inactive pills or don’t take the forgotten pill and go directly to the week of inactive pills.

If you’ve forgotten more than one pill in your pack, we recommend getting in touch with a doctor.

You can stop taking Yasmin at any time. But keep in mind that if you want to stay protected against pregnancy, you'll need to use another form of birth control.

If you're stopping using Yasmin because you want to have a baby, it's recommended that you wait until you've had a full menstrual cycle after stopping it before trying to conceive.

If you have come to the end of your Yasmin pack and you're switching to another birth control pill, you should take the first pill from your new pack on the same day that you would have taken the first pill in your next Yasmin pack, to make sure you stay protected.

All medication can cause side effects, and so can birth control. The most commonly observed side effects associated with Yasmin are depression, headaches, migraines, nausea, breast pain, breast tenderness, menstrual disorders, bleeding in between periods, vaginal discharge or a yeast infection.

No one wants to encounter side effects when they take medication. But it helps to know what to do if it happens. Because of the pharmacological function of pills like Yasmin, they can have common side effects.

Sometimes, the initial side effects you encounter while taking birth control will go away after some time. They might also be mild enough for you to manage and deal with. For example, drinking plenty of water or taking paracetamol may help with headaches.

Don’t settle for anything that feels uncomfortable or painful. The benefit of taking birth control should outweigh the potential risk of side effects. Some side effects associated with pills like Yasmin can be adverse, so see a doctor if you notice anything that you’re not comfortable with.

You must seek urgent medical attention if you develop symptoms of an allergic reaction. Symptoms can include wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing or swallowing, a swollen throat, mouth, tongue or lips, watery eyes, redness, rash or hives. Do not take Yasmin again if this happens.

You must also stop taking Yasmin immediately if you think you’ve become pregnant.

The risk of heart attack or stroke may increase while taking Yasmin if any of the following apply to you: 

• You’re 35 or older
• You smoke (a clinician will not prescribe Yasmin if you’re 35 or older and smoke)
• You’re overweight or obese
• You have high, uncontrolled blood pressure
• Someone in your immediate family had a heart attack or stroke when younger than 50 
• You, or a family member, have high cholesterol or triglycerides
• You have migraines with aura
• You have a heart problem 
• You have diabetes

Tell the prescriber if any of these apply to you, and it may be possible to find a suitable substitute in relation to birth control. For example, women who smoke and are over 35 might be better suited to a progestogen-only mini pill.

Yes. There are different versions of Yasmin which contain the same active ingredients. Some examples of these include Nikki, Yaz, Giavni, Loryna, Vestura, Lo-zumandimine, Jasmiel, Ocella, Zarah, Syeda and Zumandamine. Some of them, like Yaz, have the same ingredients but in different amounts.

Because all of these combined pills contain the same active ingredients, they will mostly have consistent side effects and contraindications. However, there are also different combined pills which contain different active ingredients, and these may be better for you if you cannot take pills which contain drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, like Yasmin.

Birth control pills like Yasmin are highly effective — around 99% when taken correctly. However, missing pills can lower their effectiveness.

If you think you may have become pregnant while taking Yasmin, stop taking it immediately and take a pregnancy test. If the test is positive, get in touch with your regular doctor, gynecologist or reproductive health center to discuss your options.

Yasmin is a combined birth control pill, as it contains both progestogen and oestrogen. There are other combined birth control options that aren’t pills, and pills that aren’t combined.

The mini pill contains only progestin. Unlike combined pills, mini pills don’t stop ovulation. Mini pills are effective and are a great option if you’re sensitive to oestrogen.

The patch is a combined birth control you stick on your skin. It stays on for a week at a time and releases hormones into your body.

Another option is the vaginal ring, which is inserted for three weeks. After a weeklong break, you’ll insert another ring.

EveAdam offers combined pills, mini pills, contraceptive patches and vaginal rings. There are birth control options we don’t have, like the IUD, because you need to have a doctor physically put it in for you.

Yasmin and Eloine have the same active ingredients and are both prescribed to prevent pregnancy. Eloine has slightly less oestrogen than Yasmin.

Yasmin is a 21-day pill, meaning you have three weeks of active pills followed by a week of inactive pills. Eloine is a 24-day pill, so there are 24 active pills and just 4 inactive ones.

Ask the clinician during your consultation to see if Yasmin or Eloine is a better choice for you.