Qlaira Contraceptive Pill

Qlaira contraception treatment

Qlaira is a daily combined contraceptive pill that helps keep your hormone levels balanced during your cycle. If you take the Qlaira pill as prescribed, it's more than 99% effective at helping prevent pregnancy.

  • Take 1 pill every day, using the included weekday stickers to help you stay on track

  • More than 99% effective when taken correctly

  • Need yearly blood pressure and weight checks

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How to take Qlaira

Each pack comes with 28 pills: 26 are active pills with hormones, and 2 are placebo pills. The pack also includes stickers to help you keep track of the correct day of the week.

Here's how to get started:

1. Pick out the sticker strip that corresponds with the day you're starting Qlaira (for instance, if you're starting on a Wednesday, go for the 'WED' sticker).

2. Stick it on the pack so the first-day lines up with the pill marked '1.'

3. Follow the arrows on the pack and take one pill each day until you've finished all 28.

Start your next pack the next day. No breaks are needed. Most women usually get their period around the time they're taking the second dark red pill or one of the white pills.

How does Qlaira work?

Each pack of the Qlaira contraceptive pill has a mix of 4 different active pills in different colours and 2 white inactive pills. These active pills contain different amounts of two hormones, estradiol and dienogest, that work together to:

  • Stops ovulation (so you don't release an egg)

  • Make it harder for sperm to reach an egg

  • Make it more difficult for an egg to settle in the womb

As hormone levels change throughout the pack, it's really important to take the pills in the right order.

How effective is Qlaira?

Qlaira birth control pill is over 99% effective when you take it correctly. To get the best results, take your pill at the same time every day and try not to skip any doses. But if you do miss a pill or don't follow the instructions, you could be one of the 9 out of 100 women who might get pregnant in a year, so keeping a consistent schedule is really important.

Also, if you have vomiting or severe diarrhoea and throw up within 3-4 hours of taking an active tablet, your body might not absorb the pill as it should. 

After throwing up or having diarrhoea, take your next tablet as soon as possible (preferably within 12 hours of when you normally take your pill), but it's a good idea to use condoms while you're not feeling well.

If you’re trying to stick to your normal tablet-taking pattern, take the corresponding tablet from another wallet.

Treat this situation like you would do if you missed a pill if you do not take another within 12 hours of when you would normally take your pill (see ‘What to do if you miss a pill’ section below in the FAQs). 

Lastly, make sure you're definitely not pregnant before you start taking Qlaira.

How long after taking Qlaira are you protected?

If you start taking Qlaira on the first day of your period, you're good to go right away. You're protected right away as long as your cycles are regular. 

If you start at any other time in your menstrual cycle (or you are changing to Qlaira from a progestogen-only pill), use additional barrier contraception for the first nine days.

If you're unsure about when to start, ask your clinician for advice.

Qlaira side effects

Most people feel perfectly fine on Qlaira, but like any medication, it can cause a few side effects for some.

Possible side effects of Qlaira include:

  • Feeling a little nauseous

  • Stomach cramps

  • Headaches

  • Breast tenderness

  • Irregular bleeding

Although it's rare, more serious issues like blood clots or high blood pressure can happen too. Make sure to check the patient information leaflet for all the details.

Contraception medicines

Frequently asked questions

If you miss a white (inactive) pill:

These pills are hormone-free, so skipping one won't affect your protection against pregnancy. Just throw away the missed pill and carry on with the rest of the pack as normal.

If you miss a coloured (active) pill:

  • Less than 12 hours late?

  • Take the pill as soon as you remember, then continue your pack as usual. You'll still be protected.

  • More than 12 hours late?

Your protection may be reduced. If the missed pill is more than 12 hours late, the advice depends where in the cycle it was missed. It's a good idea to check page 15 of the patient information leaflet or send us a message via your account to speak to a clinician.

Yes, you can get a prescription for Qlaira. Since it's a prescription-only medication, a clinician will take a look at your health information before they can issue it, even if you're using an online service.

During the consultation, they'll ask about your height, weight, and blood pressure. These details are important to make sure the Qlaira pill is safe for you.

If you're already using Qlaira, you can easily reorder a 3, 6, or 12-month supply directly from your account if you're all set health-wise.

Thinking about switching to a different pill?

If you have any questions, just send us a message through your account, and we'll be more than happy to help you explore your options.

Remember that because the Qlaira is a combined pill, it can raise your blood pressure. So, you'll need to get it checked before you start and then once a year after that. You can use a home monitor or check it at your local pharmacy or GP.

You can usually take Qlaira with other medications, but make sure you let us know about anything else you're taking, even over-the-counter products or recreational drugs. Some of these can affect how well Qlaira works, so sharing this information helps ensure your treatment remains safe.

If Qlaira isn't the right choice, there are lots of great alternatives to explore. You could try:

- Other combined pills, including some that are low-dose

- The mini-pill (progestogen-only)

- NuvaRing

- Evra Patch

- Condoms, which are the only method that also against STIs

And if you're looking for something long-term, you can check with your GP or clinic for options like:

- The contraceptive implant

- The coil (IUD or IUS)

- The injection

You can find a full list of our birth control options on our website.