Prevention & Accidents

The Pill & Co.

The Pill & Co.

The birth control pill is the most commonly used contraceptive in Germany to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

There are now a good 100 approved pill preparations on the German market. The pill is a hormone preparation containing the female hormones progestin and oestrogen in different compositions and dosages. When used correctly, the pill is one of the safest contraceptive methods, but of course it also has side effects. You can find more information about the pill here.

Since every girl lives in different circumstances, the choice of the right, safe contraceptive method should be discussed individually with a doctor or with the counsellors at a counselling centre. Not every contraceptive method is suitable for every girl. You can find more information about gynaecologists here.

If you decide to take the pill and there are no medical objections, the first choice should always be a pill containing levonorgestrel to minimise the risk of thrombosis. A woman will get a thrombosis in the first 6 months of the first year of use. After the first year of use, the risk of thrombosis is minimal. It is important here that women do not keep taking breaks from the pill (no partner or other reasons) and start taking it again because with each time you start taking the pill after a break the thrombosis calculation (first 6 months to a year) starts again. This means with every new pill taken after a 4-week break all side effects start again. A thrombosis is recognised by leg pain/arm pain, pain when putting weight on your foot. A thrombosis can also lead to a pulmonary embolism or a stroke.

There are of course many other means of birth control besides the pill. Other hormonal contraceptive methods include the vaginal ring, the contraceptive patch, the hormone implant (Implanon), the hormone coil or the 3-month injection. Hormonal contraceptives are very safe when used correctly, but obviously do also have side effects.

Non-hormonal contraceptive methods include copper, silver or gold coils, the copper chain or the copper bead ball. In addition to these long-term methods, there are barrier methods such as the condom, the diaphragm or the contraceptive cap.

No matter which birth control method you choose – make sure the contraceptive method suits you and your lifestyle.

If you need to take medication, discuss this with your doctor to find the right contraceptive method for you.