394 Where There Is No Doctor 2011 Green Pages
Group 4 - High dose pills
These pills are higher in estrogen (50 micrograms
of the estrogen “ethinyl estradiol”) and most are also
higher in progestin.
Common brand names:
Denoval
Nordiol
Eugynon
Ovral
Femenal
Primovlar
Neogynon
If spotting continues even when taking pills from
Group 4, the brands Ovulen and Demulen will often
stop it. But these are very strong in estrogen and so
are rarely recommended. They are sometimes useful
for women with severe acne.
Women who are disturbed by morning sickness
or other side effects after 2 or 3 months of taking
birth control pills, and women who have a higher
risk for blood clots, should try a Triphasic birth
control pill, low in both estrogen and progestin, from
Group 1.
Women who are breastfeeding, or who should
not use regular pills because of headaches or mild
high blood pressure, may want to use a pill with only
progestin. These pills in Group 5 are also called
“mini-pills.”
Group 5 - Progestin only pills
These pills, also known as “mini-pills,” contain
only progestin.
These pills should be taken at the same time
every day, even during the monthly bleeding.
Menstrual bleeding is often irregular. There is also
an increased chance of pregnancy if even a single
pill is forgotten.
Common brand names:
Femulen
Microlut
Micronor
Micronovum
Nor-Q D
Microval
Neogest
Neogeston
Ovrette
these brands
can also
be used for
Emergency
Family Planning
—see the next
section
Emergency family planning
(emergency pills)
Emergency pills are special doses of certain birth
control pills for a woman who has had unprotected
sex and wants to avoid pregnancy. Using birth
control pills this way is safe, even for many women
who should not use pills all the time.
Dosage: Emergency pills must be taken within 5 days
of unprotected sex. The sooner you take the pills
after unprotected sex, the more likely you will not get
pregnant. For emergency family planning, carefully
follow these instructions:
Take 2 “high dose” birth control pills from GROUP 4
within 5 days of unprotected sex, followed by 2 more
GROUP 4 pills 12 hours later.
OR
Take 4 “low dose” birth control pills from GROUP 2 or
GROUP 3 within 5 days of unprotected sex, followed
by 4 more GROUP 2 or GROUP 3 pills 12 hours later.
OR
Take 25 progestin-only pills or “mini-pills” from
the brand names marked in GROUP 5, that have
0.03 mg. of the progestin called levonorgestrel, within
5 days of unprotected sex, followed by 25 more of the
same pills 12 hours later.
OR
Take 20 Ovrette pills, or other mini-pills that have
0.0375 mg. of levonorgestrel, within 5 days of
unprotected sex, followed by 20 more of the
same pills 12 hours later.
New emergency pills have been developed
just for emergency family planning and may be
available where you live. Some brand names
include: Norlevo, Plan B, Postinor-2, Schering-PC-4
and Tetragynon. With Postinor-2, for example, which
contains only progestin, you take 1 pill within 5 days
of unprotected sex, followed by 1 more pill 12 hours
later.
Side effects:
Less than half of all women who use emergency
pills will have nausea or vomiting. If vomiting occurs
within 3 hours after taking the pills, another dose
must be taken. If vomiting is a problem for you, you
can take 25 mg. of promethazine by mouth 2 times
a day. Or, instead of taking the emergency pills by
mouth you can place them high in the vagina. This
method works just as well to prevent pregnancy.
It does not reduce the side effects of nausea or
vomiting, but it does prevent you from vomiting
the pills.