New mini-pill Slynd will allow users more flexibility in timing

The FDA has approved Slynd, a new version of the mini-pill that will bring much-needed flexibility to mini-pill users.

The mini-pill, or the progestin-only birth control pill, is a good option for birth control for people who are not able to use estrogen or prefer not to. Current formulations of the mini-pill have to be taken at the same time every day in order to be fully effective at preventing pregnancy, and if you are 3 or more hours late for a dose, you have to treat that as a missed pill and use back up method of birth control, like a condom (or EC if you didn’t use a condom), if you have sex in the next two days.

Slynd, on the other hand, allows users to be up to 24 hours late in taking a pill without compromising its effectiveness, just like with combination pills. That means that Slynd users don’t need to rely on a backup method until they are 24 hours late taking a pill, which will make the mini-pill significantly easier to use correctly.