I was quite happy on the pill – until the side-effects kicked in | Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff

Oral contraception involves taking a cocktail of hormones, and hoping for the best. If only there was more research in this area

I have been bleeding for three weeks. Yep, you read that right. I'm not dying, but I am navigating the vagaries of stopping the contraceptive pill and then swiftly starting it again.

I was first put on desogestrel, AKA the mini-pill, more than a decade ago, during my first long-term relationship. In the years since, I thought I had become a bit of an expert about it. I knew, for example, that it mostly stopped my periods, unless I forgot to take it a couple of times or didn't take it at the same time every day. I knew it could be helpful for those suffering endometriosis and was suitable for people with high blood pressure. I knew that it came under lots of different brand names in lots of different packaging, and that for some reason the name brands", such as Cerazette, seemed to suit my body better than generic" pills, even though doctors say they are no different.

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