Zelleta is a highly effective contraceptive pill that contains the synthetic progesterone desogestrel. The dose of progesterone is slightly higher than other brands of mini pill, which means it is more likely to prevent periods.

Zelleta is known as a mini pill or progesterone only ‘pop’ pill because it doesn’t contain oestrogen found in combined contraceptive pills, the patch or the vaginal ring.

Zelleta is over 99% effective when taken correctly and it can be used as a long term reversible contraceptive.

Benefits of Zelleta

Zelleta is an easy to take contraceptive that doesn’t interrupt sex. It works quickly and offers other benefits too.

Because it contains desogestrel Zelleta can prevent an egg ripening and minimise the likelihood of a period. Regulating periods can help manage acne and reduce the effects of PMS by lightening flow and managing hormones that create mood changes.

Lihter periods can also help women struggling with the symptoms of endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome as it reduces the amount of endometrium produced. In the majority of women the dose of desogestrel is high enough to prevent regular periods making it of real benefit to women with monthly period difficulties and long standing conditions affected by menstruation.

Zelleta does not contain oestrogen it can be used by women who are sensitive to oestrogen based contraceptives, women who smoke, women who are breastfeeding and other ailments.

Your body naturally responds to its flow of sex hormones that tell the ovaries it’s time to release an egg and prepare the womb lining ready for fertilisation. Hormones also indicate that the time for fertilisation has passed, and causes the womb-lining to release as a period.

Zelleta changes this process so that your body responds to the desogestrel you take on a daily basis, managing your reproductive cycle to temporarily prevent fertility.

The dose of desogestrel in Zelleta prevents pregnancy by increasing the thickness of cervical mucus so that sperm cannot enter the womb to fertilise an egg. It also thins the womb lining so an egg cannot implant there. In addition, the higher dose of progesterone can prevent ovaries releasing eggs in some women.

Taking every day Zelleta provides effective contraception and period management without using oestrogen.

Zelleta pills contain 75 micrograms of the synthetic progesterone desogestrel. You need to take just one pill a day to prevent pregnancy and manage periods.

You can take Zelleta with food or water or simply swallow it without a drink – it is small enough to swallow without difficulty. Don’t chew or cut Zelleta as you will not receive the full dose and its efficiency will be reduced.

There are 28 pills in each strip of Zelleta labelled with the day of the week. Take the correctly labelled pill at the same time each day following the directional arrows until you reach the end of the packet.

You may have some bleeding when taking Zelleta, but you should always take back-to-back packets without a break. When you finish your 28 day strip of Zelleta, immediately start the next strip.

The combined contraceptive pill is taken for 21 days with a seven-day break, or seven dummy pills, but mini pills like Zelleta are taken without a break. Women who have busy lives or find it difficult to remember the next strip of combined pills may feel more comfortable with Zelleta as taking a pill becomes part of their daily routine.