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Contraception - Management
What advice should I give on what to do when progestogen-only pills (POPs) have been missed?
- Missed pill:
- Desogestrel (Cerazette®): > 12 hours late (i.e. > 36 hours since taking the last pill).
- Other progestogen-only pills: > 3 hours late (i.e. > 27 hours since taking the last pill).
- If the woman has missed any progestogen-only pills, she should:
- Take a progestogen-only pill as soon as possible, then continue taking the pills as before. This can mean taking two pills within 24 hours.
- Use additional contraceptive protection for the next 48 hours.
- Consider whether emergency contraception is required. For more information, see the CKS topic on Contraception - emergency.
In depth
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