Oral contraceptives have changed the lives of hundreds of millions of women for the better. It’s impossible to imagine the freedom so many of us enjoy today without reliable contraception in the background, giving us more choice over how our futures pan out.
But, 60 years on from their invention these contraceptive pills are not always convenient to get from our doctors, as Alison South found out.
“A couple of years ago I went to ask my doctor for a prescription, but they gave me a number for a different clinic I had to call,” she says. “Their hours were 9-1 or 9-4 and I’d always be too busy at work, and then eventually I gave up trying…”
Alison isn’t living in a remote village miles from a clinic – she’s a thirty-something professional living in north London. From difficulties getting through on the phone during working hours, to waiting weeks for an appointment she’d then have to take time off work to attend, she found it very inconvenient to take control of her reproductive health.
I just came off the combined contraceptive pill after 14 years and this is what I wish I’d known
And she is far from the only woman experiencing these problems. In 2019, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health (APPG SRH) report concluded that cuts to funding meant that ‘women in England are facing increasing difficulty in accessing contraception which suits their needs’, putting them at risk of unwanted pregnancies1. Closures of sexual health services, reduced opening hours and cuts to staff numbers were said to be behind the problems, which the report noted affect trans and non-binary people as well1.
So how do we improve access? Among other things, the APPG SRH report concluded that in addition to maintaining public funding for this contraception, making the progestogen only pill (POP) available over the counter will help ‘widen access’ for women1.
The good news is, that change is now upon us. As of 8th July 2021, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted a marketing authorisation for desogestrel 75 microgram. Hana, which contains desogestrel, can be bought online or straight from a pharmacy.
For the first time in Britain, women can purchase a contraceptive pill without a prescription, following a consultation with a pharmacist. Without needing a GP surgery appointment, many women can now buy a daily oral contraceptive pill conveniently.
This reclassification to improve accessibility and choice has significant support from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH)2.
This new regulation is a massive step forward with desogestrel (a progestogen-only pill), being reclassified. The two types of pill are combined oral contraceptives (a mix of oestrogen and progestogen), which you usually take for 21 days, with a seven-day break, and progestogen-only pills (POPs), which you take every day without a break.
New guidelines say you can go period-free on the pill. I’ve been taking it back-to-back for 10 years and can’t recommend it enough
Hana is a POP which comes in a daily dose of 75 microgram desogestrel. Desogestrel is the second most commonly used contraceptive pill in the UK. It is proven to be more than 99% effective when used correctly – that means taking it every day, at the same time of day, without a break between packs4.
It contains a synthetic version of the human hormone progesterone, which works to prevent ovulation and alter cervical mucus (helping block sperm from entering the womb), so no egg is released from your ovaries each month. That means there is no egg there to be fertilised when you have sex.
Unlike the combined pill, it doesn’t contain oestrogen, which means it is suitable for women who cannot take oestrogen. The pharmacist will ask some simple health questions before you buy Hana to check it’s suitable for you.
If you want to get your pill over the counter, you will have to pay – a one-month pack of Hana will cost £9.95 and a three-month pack will cost £21.95. So if you were buying three months’ supply, it would cost as little as 26p a day. But this change is all about providing more choice, not less. If you can’t pay or simply prefer not to, desogestrel will still be available on prescription, free of charge.
And that’s what it all comes back to: choice, and a woman’s autonomy over her body.
As David Taylor*, emeritus professor of pharmaceutical and public health policy at University College London School of Pharmacy has said about contraception: “With effective contraception, women can decide when, or if, they want to become pregnant. Preventing unwanted pregnancies radically enhances women’s ability to meet their educational, employment and life ambitions, and contraception has been a major catalyst for gender equality in our society.”
By giving us more power over our personal lives, this small change in medical regulation could be a big win for millions of women.
Hana is available to buy at pharmacies including Boots and Superdrug now in a one month pack (RRP £9.95) and three-month pack (RRP £21.95).
*Please note, David Taylor does not endorse any medicinal brands or products.
Hana film-coated tablets. Oral Contraception. Contains desogestrel. Read label
Date of preparation: July 2021
Veeva reference number: UK/HANA/0196
1. https://www.fsrh.org/policy-and-media/all-party-parliamentary-group-on-sexual-and-reproductive-health/
2. https://www.fsrh.org/news/fsrh-and-rcog-respond-to-the-cross-party-group-on-srh-inquiry/
3. HRA Pharma data on file.
4. Hana SmPC November 2020.
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