There are 2 types of oral contraception available in New Zealand. These are:
- the combined pill, known as ‘the pill’, which contains the hormones oestrogen and progestogen
- the progestogen-only pill, which contains only progestogen.
Combined pill ('the pill')
The combined pill contains the female hormones oestrogen and progestogen. It works by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg each month. The combined pill makes periods more regular and lighter, so it is also used to treat heavy or painful periods.
Most people can take the combined pill. However, it may not be suitable if you have some medical conditions. Talk to your doctor or nurse to see if it is suitable for you.
The combined pill needs to be taken every day, but many people do forget one from time to time, so in real-life usage it has an average failure rate of 8% compared with a failure rate of 1% if taken every day.
Chance of getting pregnant: 1–8%.
This means that for every 100 people taking the combined pill for 1 year, there would be between 1 and 8 pregnancies.
Read more about the combined pill.
Progestogen-only pill
The progestogen-only pill works by making your cervical mucus thicker and changing the lining of your womb. This makes it less likely that a sperm fertilises an egg and if an egg is fertilised it less likely to bury itself in your womb to grow. Cerazette is a progestogen-only pill which also stops your ovaries releasing an egg each month.
The progestogen-only pill is safer than the combined pill for some people with medical conditions and has no risk of blood clots. However, it may cause irregular bleeding and it has to be taken at exactly the same time each day which some people find difficult. It can be used while you are breastfeeding.
Chance of getting pregnant: 1–8%.
Real-life usage has an average failure rate of 8% compared with a failure rate of 1% if taken at exactly the same time every day. This means that for every 100 people taking the combined pill for 1 year, there would be between 1 and 8 pregnancies.
Read more about the progestogen-only pill.