Marvelon Contraceptive Pill

Marvelon Tablets

The Marvelon combined pill contains the hormones ethinylestradiol and desogestrel that work together to prevent pregnancy. 

  • 99% effective birth control when taken as directed.

  • Most women take it every day for 21 days, then have a 7-day break. 

  • Requires annual blood pressure and weight check.

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How to take Marvelon

Depending on your needs, you can take the Marvelon pill in 3 different ways:

  1. Tricycling: Take 1 pill daily for 9 weeks (3 packs of Marvelon pills) without a break. After this, take a 4 or 7-day break before starting again.

  2. Flexible extended use: Take 1 pill every day for at least 21 days. If you experience bleeding that bothers you, take a 4-day break. On the fifth day, resume taking your pill daily and continue for at least another 21 days.

If you take breaks, you'll likely experience a withdrawal bleed during this break and while it resembles a period, it's not actually one.



How does Marvelon work?

The Marvelon contraceptive pill contains two hormones (ethinylestradiol and desogestrel) that work together to prevent pregnancy. As well as stopping your ovaries from releasing eggs, these hormones make it harder for sperm to reach an egg or for an egg to implant in your womb lining.

How effective is Marvelon?

As long as you use it correctly and follow the advice of your clinician, the Marvelon combined pill is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. However, if you don't take it as directed, there's around a 9% chance you'll get pregnant which means 9 in 100 women will. 

If you're experiencing vomiting or severe diarrhoea while taking Marvelon birth control pills, your protection might be reduced. So, keep taking your pill as usual and if you are having sex while you're unwell, always use condoms.

If you are ill with these symptoms for longer than 24 hours, follow the same guidance as for a missed pill.

Important: Only start the Marvelon pill if you're certain you are not pregnant.

How long after taking Marvelon are you protected?

If you start taking Marvelon on days 1-5 of your period:

  • You should be protected immediately, as long as you do not have a short or irregular menstrual cycle.

If you start after day 5 or have a short/irregular cycle: 

  • Use condoms for 7 days if you have sex. Your clinician can advise if you need extra contraception during the first week.

What are the side effects of Marvelon?

Like any medicine, Marvelon can have side effects and some women might notice mood swings, headaches, stomach pain, breast discomfort, or feeling sick. Everyone's different though and many women find they experience no side effects at all.

Marvelon does carry a slightly higher blood clot risk compared to some other pills, so in rare cases, blood clots can develop. You'll find detailed information about side effects and proper usage in the patient information leaflet.

If you do have any concerns about the risk of blood clots, or any Marvelon contraceptive pill side effects​, just contact us via your account.

Contraception medicines

Frequently asked questions

If you miss your pill, what to do next depends on when and how many pills you've missed. Missing 1 pill at any time will not affect your contraceptive protection.

However, if you miss 2 or more pills, or start a new pack late, the contraceptive effect of Marvelon may be reduced.

The advice is:

  • Up to 12 hours since your last pill. Take your next pill as soon as you remember and continue with the rest of the pack as normal. This might mean taking 2 pills in one day.

  • More than 12 hours. This depends on when you last took your pill and where you are in your pill packet. Please check the patient information leaflet for more information and specific guidance.

Yes. If you're breastfeeding, you can start taking Marvelon from at least 6 weeks after giving birth.

Yes. If you take 2 packs of Marvelon back-to-back, it will help you avoid having a period.

According to the NHS, there is no evidence that taking the pill makes you put on weight or changes your sex drive. 

If you do notice any weight changes throughout your menstrual cycle, this is likely to be due to fluid retention and other factors not related to the pill.

Yes, you can ask and pay for Marvelon 30/75 through an online doctor service such as ours. Since Marvelon 30/75 is only available on prescription though, you'll need one from a clinician before receiving your medicine.

For all combined contraceptive pills, we'll ask you to tell us your height, weight, and blood pressure. That way we can be sure Marvelon 30/75 is safe for you to use. You can give us this information during your online consultation.

If you'd like to switch your contraceptive pill, a patient can complete a routine contraception assessment.

If you do change to a new pill, we'll advise you to have no break between packs. You might also need to use additional contraception during the changeover too. So we can let you know about this when you message us.

If you've previously bought Marvelon from us and want to re-order, you'll need to complete a new online consultation. 

Marvelon, like other combined contraceptives, can raise your blood pressure and this may be dangerous. That’s why your blood pressure should be checked before starting treatment and then annually.

Whether you've had a recent blood pressure check perhaps at your GP practice, or measured it yourself with a home monitor, we’ll ask you to include this information as part of your consultation.

Marvelon can usually be taken alongside other medications. However, we need to make sure it's safe for you to use. So you'll need to let us know about any prescription medications, over-the-counter products, and recreational drugs you're currently taking.

As well as Marvelon, you can also request contraceptives such as NuvaRing and Evra Patch, and choose from a range of combined pills, low-dose pills, and mini pills.

Find out more about our contraception options.

Although there are long-acting contraceptives too, including implants, coils, and injectable medicines, these are only available through your GP or family planning clinic.

Condoms can also prevent pregnancy and if you're using another type of contraceptive, they also provide effective protection against STIs.