Hana

What is Hana?

Hana is one of the first contraceptive pills to be available over the counter without the need for a prescription from a clinician. You will need to have a short consultation with a pharmacist to ensure Hana is right for you, but the process is simple and convenient - no need to wait for an appointment with your GP.

Hana contains one active ingredient, desogestrel, making it a progestogen-only or mini pill. Therefore, Hana is a good option for women who may not be able to use the combined pill, perhaps because they have high blood pressure or are over 35 and smoke.

How does Hana work?

The mini pill releases progestogen and works to prevent pregnancy by:

• Stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation)
• Thickening the cervical mucous to make it difficult for sperm to reach an egg
• Thinning the womb lining so that a fertilised egg cannot attach itself to it

How effective is Hana?

When used correctly, the mini pill is more than 99% effective, but real-life use estimates it’s around 92% effective. That accounts for things like forgetting to take the pill, so about 8 in 100 people will fall pregnant while taking the mini pill.

A study published in The Lancet found that the supply of progestogen-only pills over the counter alongside emergency contraception increased the use of effective contraception, and so could prevent unintended pregnancies.

A study involving Turkish women investigated the efficacy, side effects and continuation of a desogestrel-only pill in women who had recently given birth or aborted a pregnancy. 7458 women were included in the study which found that the progestogen-only pill was 97% effective at stopping ovulation from occurring.

Is Hana safe?

Hana is well tolerated by many women, but it may not be suitable for everyone. That’s why one of our clinicians will assess you, via your answers to an online medical questionnaire, to see if the Hana pill is appropriate for you.

How to take Hana

Hana is supplied in strips of 28 tablets and each tablet is marked with the day of the week you should take it.

To take Hana, you should:

• Swallow one Hana tablet whole, at the same time each day, with a glass of water, starting with the corresponding day on the top line of the strip. For example, if you take the first tablet on a Monday, take the tablet that corresponds with Monday on the top row.
• Never skip a tablet. You should take one tablet every day, even if you have a bleed or spotting.
• Continue taking one tablet each day until the pack is empty. You should follow the direction of the arrows printed on the strip.
• When the pack is empty, start a new pack of Hana pills the next day. You do not take a break or wait for a bleed while taking the Hana pill.

What to do if you miss a Hana dose

If you forget to take the Hana contraceptive pill, what you should do will depend on when you should have taken the missed pill.

• If you should have taken Hana less than 12 hours ago you should take the delayed pill straight away and take the next pill as usual, even if that means taking two Hana pills on the same day. Your protection from pregnancy should not be affected.
• If you should have taken the Hana pill more than 12 hours ago you should take the most recently missed pill right away. If you have missed any earlier pills in the strip, you should leave them, do not take them. You should then take your next pills as usual, even if that means taking two pills in one day. You will need to use condoms for the next 7 days.

If you need further guidance, the Hana patient information leaflet is a useful place to start.

Hana side effects

Hana side effects include:

• Nausea
• Headaches
• Changes in menstrual bleeding
• Breast tenderness
• Mood changes
• Weight changes
• Decreased libido

Who can’t take Hana?

You should not take Hana if you:

• are or think you might be pregnant
• are allergic to desogestrel or any other ingredients in the Hana pill
• have unexplained vaginal bleeding between periods or after having sex
• have liver disease or jaundice
• have a blood clot in your legs or lungs
• have breast, ovarian or endometrial cancer

If any of these apply to you, our clinicians may suggest a different mini pill, such as Noriday. Some women may also be better suited to the combined contraceptive pill.

You should also let our clinicians know if any of the following apply to you:

• If you have ever had breast, ovarian, or endometrial cancer
• If you have ever had a blood clot
• If you have high blood pressure
• If you have epilepsy
• If you are diabetic
• If you have tuberculosis
• If you have liver problems, including liver cancer
• If you have ever had chloasma

It is also important to let the clinicians know if you currently take any other medications, including those that are prescribed, over-the-counter, or herbal because these may affect the effectiveness of the Hana pill.

Are there any risks associated with taking Hana?

There are some risks linked to the Hana pill. Some research has shown that taking a mini pill slightly increases the risk of breast cancer. However, the risk falls when you stop taking the mini pill, similar results have also been seen in the combined pill. The risk of blood clots is increased in any woman who takes a contraceptive pill, combined or mini. The risk of getting a blood clot while taking a mini pill, like Hana, is believed to be lower than if you use a combined pill, but further research is needed to confirm this.

What alternatives to Hana are available?

There are other mini pills available which contain the same active ingredient, desogestrel, and in the same 75 microgram (mcg) dose as Hana, such as:

• Cerazette
• Cerelle
• Feanolla

Noriday is another example of a mini pill but it contains a different progesterone as its active ingredient, norethisterone. All mini pills work to prevent pregnancy in the same way, but some women may find different progesterone suits them better, for example, it may cause fewer side effects.

If the mini pill is not right for you, then a combined pill may be a better option. Combined oral contraceptive pills contain two hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.

Some of the combined pills available from Prescription Doctor are:

• Brevinor
• Cilest
• Dianette
• Femodene
• Femodette
• Logynon
• Marvelon
• Mercilon
• Microgynon
• Ovranette
• Qlaira
• Rigevidon Pill
• Yasmin
• Zoely

We also offer other types of hormonal contraception, such as:

• Contraceptive rings
• Evra patch

Can I buy Hana online?

Yes, the Hana daily contraceptive pill is available online from Prescription Doctor. You will need to complete a short online questionnaire so that one of our clinicians can assess to see if Hana is suitable for you.

Additional resources

Your options to get the contraceptive pill

What is the difference between a mini pill and a combined contraceptive pill?

Understanding your contraception options

Best contraceptive pill for you

How long does it take the contraceptive pill to work?

Why does my NuvaRing keep falling out?

Sources

Cancer Research UK, (2023). Does the contraceptive pill increase risk of cancer?

Hana, (2024). Is the Hana contraceptive pill suitable for me?

Hana patient information leaflet, (no date). Hana 75 microgram film-coated tablets.

NHS Inform, (2022). Progestogen-only pill (mini pill).

NIH, (2022). The efficacy, acceptability and continuation of postpartum, post-abortive progestin-only pill: a pioneering prospective multicentric study from Turkey.

NIH, (2011). Hormonal Contraception and Thrombotic Risk: A Multidisciplinary Approach.

The Lancet, (2020). Use of effective contraception following provision of the progestogen-only pill for women presenting to community pharmacies for emergency contraception (Bridge-It): a pragmatic cluster-randomised crossover trial.