Contraception and Phase

Phase is able to predict how your energy and cognition shift, by forecasting your hormone levels.  Hormonal contraceptives alter your body’s natural hormone patterns. Therefore, to keep Phase as accurate as possible, we ask about your contraception type during onboarding and in your settings.

By selecting the right option, we understand how your natural hormone patterns are being altered by contraception, and can fine-tune our algorithm to better reflect your experience.

Not sure which type of contraception you’re using? Check out the guide below for more details on common contraceptive methods. 

If you’re still stuck, feel free to reach out to us at support@phaseapp.io, for further information. 

If you take a pill:

    • The combined pill is a daily pill containing both estrogen / oestrogen and progesterone. It is taken at the same time each day, usually with a 4 or 7-day break (or placebo pills) during which bleeding occurs.

    • Examples brands:

      • Loestrin 20®

      • Mercilon®

      • Gedarel®

      • Femodette®

      • Sunya®

      • Millinette®

      • Loestrin 30®

      • Microgynon 30®

      • Microgynon 30 ED®

      • Ovranette®

      • Levest®

      • Rigevidon®

      • Brevinor®

      • Ovysmen®

      • Norimin®

      • Norinyl-1®

      • Marvelon®

      • Femodene®

      • Femodene ED®

      • Katya®

      • Millinette®

      • Cilest®

      • Yasmin®

      • Alenvona®

      • Zoely®

      • Acnocin®

      • Cicafem®

      • Clairette®

      • Dianette®

      • Diva®

      • BiNovum®

      • Synphase®

      • Trinovum®

      • Logynon®

      • Logynon ED®

      • TriRegol®

      • Triadene®

      • Qlaira®

    • Please note that if you take the combined pill, you will need to let us know how many days of placebo or how many days break in the pill you take. 

    • The progesterone-only pill is a daily pill containing only progesterone. This pill is taken at the same time every day, generally without a break between packs. 

    • Examples brands:

      • Cerazette

      • Aizea

      • CerelleFeanolla

      • Desogestrel

      • Micronor

      • Nor-QD

      • Noriday

      • Opill

      • Femulen

      • 28 mini

      • Microval

      • Norgeston

    • Note there is one brand that we know of, Slynd, where there is an option to take a break in progesterone.  If you are on this brand, you will need to let us know how many days of placebo or how many days break in the pill you take. 

If you have a coil:

    • The copper coil is a small T-shaped device placed in your uterus that uses copper to prevent pregnancy and can last 5-10 years without hormones.

      • Examples brands:

        • T-Safe 380 QLI

        • TT 380 Slimline

        • Nova T 380

        • Neo Safe

        • UT 380

        • Neo-Safe® Mini

    • The progesterone coil is a small T-shaped device placed in your uterus that slowly releases hormones and provides long-term, often multi-year contraception. 

      • Examples brands:

        • Mirena

        • Levosert

        • Kyleena

        • Jaydess

        • Benilexa

If you have an implant:

    • The progesterone implant is a matchstick-sized rod placed under the skin of your upper arm that slowly releases hormones and prevents pregnancy for up to 3 years.

If you have an injection:

    • Progesterone injections are given every 8 to 13 weeks (depending on brand) and steadily release hormones into your system. 

    • Examples brands:

      • Etonogestrel 68mg (Nexplanon®)

      • Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate 150mg (Depo Provera®)

      • Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate 104mg (Sayana Press®)

        Norethisterone enantate 200mg (Noristerat®)

If you use a Vaginal Ring:

    • The vaginal ring is a soft, flexible ring placed inside the vagina, left in for three weeks, and removed for one week. 

    • Examples brands:

      • NuvaRing®

If you have a Contraceptive patch:

    • The contraceptive patch is a small adhesive worn on the skin that releases hormones into the bloodstream and is changed once a week for three weeks, followed by a patch-free week.

      • Examples brands

        • Evra®

If you use other approaches:

Other approaches, like using a condom, tracking your cycles, or if your partner is sterilised, will not affect the hormone cycles of your own body, and therefore won’t impact the predictions that Phase makes for you.

A note on what Phase can and can’t support

There are some types of contraception - like the progesterone implant, the progesterone injection, or the pill (taken without a break) -  where continually taking hormones puts your body into a perceived ‘steady state’.  Current research suggests that with these forms of contraception, you will not experience fluctuations in energy and cognition throughout a cycle, in a way that Phase is able to predict.    As such, we’re afraid to say that Phase isn’t able to support you right now. 

If you are using hormonal contraception with a break, then the contraceptive will keep your hormone levels mostly stable, with some fluctuations during your break or placebo week.  Phase may not be able to consistently map meaningful changes, in energy and cognition, throughout your cycle. That said, the app can still help you stay connected to your cycle and aware of any patterns that do emerge.