Can I take Marvelon without a seven-day pill-free gap?
From the medical point of view, there is no benefit in having the gap, and if you are taking a fixed, rather than a phasic pill, you can take Marvelon back-to-back without pill free days. This may avoid a bleed during a social event or a vacation. The bleed that occurs during the gap we call a withdrawal bleed and not a period. The pharmaceutical companies produce the packaging with the combined oral contraceptive pill-free interval as women understandably feel that it is normal to have a monthly bleed. The only real advantage is that it provides an indication that there is no pregnancy. The phasic pills do not readily lend themselves to a pill-free interval although your doctor can usually provide appropriate advice (2) If a pill is missed less than seven days before the combined oral contraceptive pill-free interval, Marvelon-free interval should be avoided (18). The pill-free interval can be avoided for social convenience such as a vacation. Some women have cyclical symptoms around
