Contraceptive Pill -

[jojo_gee 8]

Hey girls, I'm almost out of my pill from my British supplies and about to go and investigate how to go about getting the pill here...Planned Parenthood by the sounds of it. Thing is I've been on Microgynon for so long and I don't want to switch brands now. Does anyone have any idea of the American equivalent? I tried searching on the net but you know how crazy it becomes when looking up anything medical. Has anyone out there already switched over and can anyone give me some information on what you did and what I should do.

Thanks in advance, JoJo X

[Rhiannercakes 14]

When you go there, bring the main medical ingredients listed on it. There should be two (progesterone and estrogen) and they should be on the blister pack. (Of the ones I've seen)

They'll reccomend what to give you based off of this.

That's what I suggest.

[Leenie 15]

There probably isn't a very good American equivalent, but the people are Planned Parenthood are really nice and really knowledgeable. I'd bring the packaging/notes from your old pill in with you for your birth control consultation, and they will try to match up the active ingredients as close as possible to an American pill.

[moss 0]

I also take Microgynon and have done some research, i think they have it there too but it's in a 30-pill pack as it comes with 7 placebo pills to take instead of the 7 pill-free days we have. I think that's the only difference. I hope it's not hard to find as I'd like to stay on it too.

[CDAgirlMI 51]

I also take Microgynon and have done some research, i think they have it there too but it's in a 30-pill pack as it comes with 7 placebo pills to take instead of the 7 pill-free days we have. I think that's the only difference. I hope it's not hard to find as I'd like to stay on it too.

In the brand I take you can either get a 28 day pack (21 "active" pills & 7 non-active) or 21 day pack (just 21 active pills & you're off for 7 days).

[RUSSandRACHEL 3]

What brand is that CDAgirlMI? Cos I'm on Microgynon too and need to find an equivalent. I heard that the pill in the US costs about $30 a month... We don't have health insurance at the moment so it will be one more thing to add to the list! Uhhh!

I am going to get a good 6 months supply from my doctor when I leave the UK at the end of May though, to keep me going...

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Yazmin. I'm not sure how it compares to what you're on now. Before I left for the US, I got 6 months worth too.

I know they make Yazmin here, but I haven't needed to get any yet....& I'm not sure how much it costs.

In Canada it was around $20-25 a pack.

[jojo_gee 8]

I almost want to be really cheeky and find out which of my friends back home are on it and ask them to send me over another 6 months! I don't have health insurance either. Everytime I say that out loud, I touch wood. Contraception should absolutely be free worldwide, its astonishing that it isn't.

[h1a1 5]

Contraception should absolutely be free worldwide, its astonishing that it isn't.

I disagree because who would pay for it if you didn't pay for it? Taxes are high enough already :-)

[CDAgirlMI 51]

I almost want to be really cheeky and find out which of my friends back home are on it and ask them to send me over another 6 months!

I was considering that too. But since its available here & now I'm covered under my husband's insurance, I'll just get it here.

[SunDrop 59]

I disagree because who would pay for it if you didn't pay for it? Taxes are high enough already :-)

Versus the cost of hospital bill write-offs following illegal abortions, fostering adoptees or neglected, unwanted kids and supporting single mothers who can't work due to the extortionate cost of childcare? I'd be interested in seeing some kind of cost comparison stats.

[F & J 21]

I was on Nordette before I came here and when I ran out of pills, I went to our local health department for a contraception consultation and they prescribed a generic form for me called "Levora" and it's exactly the same = Levonorgestrel 150 micrograms, Ethinyl estradiol 30 micrograms

I looked up Microgynon and the dosage is the same as Nordette - you may want to look into getting Levora too. We got mine for $16 per pack

[h1a1 5]

Versus the cost of hospital bill write-offs following illegal abortions, fostering adoptees or neglected, unwanted kids and supporting single mothers who can't work due to the extortionate cost of childcare? I'd be interested in seeing some kind of cost comparison stats.

If you can afford luxuries then you can afford to pay for the pill. Low income households are another matter.

[Sweets85 0]

I was on Microgynon in the UK. I spoke to an OBGYN here and she put me on Levora which has exactly the same active ingredients and runs on the same cycle.It comes with 28 active pills, and then 7 inactive ones to help you keep track of when you're taking them (if you ever had difficulty remembering when to start the next pack). I pay $12 for 3 months worth, but I don't know how much my insurance covers beyond that.

[britbird 4]

Levora is the equivalent of Microgynon. Unlike the little green packets in the UK, the American ones have the sugar pills for the 'off days'.

If you want to double check then just compare the hormone ingredients in each - they are the same.