Learn about the Yasmin pill and its related information in the article below. Know more about its active ingredients, its proper use, the precautions and side effects it may cause.
What Is Yasmin?
Yasmin is a combined contraceptive pill that combines two female sex hormones namely Ethinyl estradiol, an estrogen, and drospirenone, a progestin. This pill is used as a prevention against pregnancy. It is also used to regulate your periods thus decreasing blood loss and painful periods, and decreasing the risk of ovarian cysts.
Yasmin does not serve as a protection for you or your partner against sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, chlamydia, or gonorrhoea.
How Does Yasmin Contraceptive Pill Work?
Yasmin prevents the release of an egg during your menstrual cycle. It also thickens the vaginal fluid to help prevent the sperm from reaching an egg, therefore, preventing fertilisation from occurring. It changes the lining of the uterus thus, preventing the fertilised egg to attach. When this happens, it will just be released out of the body.
How Do I Use Yasmin Pills?
Before deciding to start taking Yasmin pills, it is advised that you browse through the patient information leaflet included in the package of the medication. It bears crucial information on when to take your pills and what to do if you miss a dose. You may ask your doctor or a family planning nurse to answer your queries or your doubts on the proper use of the pills.
Yasmin tablets are to be taken by mouth once a day, with or without food. It is recommended to take the tablet at about the same time each day to remind you to take your daily dose. You may take the pill after your evening meal or at bedtime to decrease symptoms of nausea and stomach upset.
Follow the instructions enclosed in the package to find the first tablet. Start with the first tablet in the pack and follow the correct order for the next tablets. Do not forget to take your dose every day. Skipping any dose may increase the likelihood of getting pregnant. Pregnancy is also likely to occur if you start a new pack late, or you take your pill at a different time of the day than usual.
If this is your first time to use this medication and you are not switching from another form of hormonal birth control, choose the first tablet in the pack on the first Sunday after the start of your menstrual period or on the first day of your period. If your period begins on a Sunday, begin taking the pills on that day. It will take 7 days for the contraceptive pill to work, so if you were not using a hormonal method before using Yasmin, an additional form of non-hormonal birth control such as a condom is necessary to prevent pregnancy. If you started taking the pills on the first day of your menstruation, a backup birth control method will not be needed during the first week.
What Else Should I Know Before Taking Yasmin Tablets?
Each pack of Yasmin contraceptive pills contains 21 pills with active medication. After you finish the 21 tablets, you will have a 7-day break wherein you do not take any Yasmin tablets. On the third day after the last active pill on the pack, or the third day of your 7-day break, you are expected to have your period. Take note that after you stopped taking the tablets for 7 days, you need to start a new pack regardless if you had your period or not. Seek advice from your doctor if you did not get your period.
