What is Seasonique?
Seasonique is a combined birth control pill that’s almost 100% effective at preventing pregnancy if taken correctly. It’s very similar to Indayo.
It comes in packs of 91 pills, 84 of which contain two hormones and 7 which only have one. Seasonique is an extended cycle pill that is also biphasic, so the hormones in the pills only change for a week at the end of every three-month cycle.
Combined pills are very safe for most women, but Seasonique is amongst the safest in the combined pill category as it has a lower risk of serious side effects, such as blood clots. And it’s also less likely than other pills to give the usual side effects like heavy bleeding, breast fullness and tenderness, headaches, fluid retention, tiredness, irritability, nausea and bloating.
How does Seasonique work?
Seasonique contains levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, and these hormones have three main tasks to perform in your body. First, they stop ovulation — this alone can prevent pregnancy, but Seasonique offers two extra layers of protection, just in case you end up ovulating anyways. The hormones prevent the build-up of the uterine wall so an egg can’t implant there, and they also make your cervical fluid thicker so sperm can’t get through. These three factors will make it very unlikely for you to get pregnant, and can also make your periods lighter.
What doses of Seasonique are there?
Seasonique comes in one dose: 84 pills with 0.15mg of levonorgestrel and 0.03mg of ethinyl estradiol, and 7 pills with 0.01mg of ethinyl estradiol.
There’s a very similar pill called Seasonale, which is made by the same manufacturer. The only difference is that instead of having seven pills with a very low dose of estrogen, these seven pills in Seasonale are inactive (to simulate a pill-free break). Otherwise, the pills are the same.