Health Topics
Missed Birth Control Pill Guidelines
Online Birth Control Education
What can you do if you miss taking your combined oral contraceptive pills? Follow the instructions for the scenario that best fits you.
If you missed 1 active (hormonal) pill
or if you started a pack 1 day late
- Take an active (hormonal) pill as soon as possible and then continue taking pills daily.
- No additional contraceptive protection (such as condoms) is needed. Emergency contraception (or "the morning after pill") is not needed.
If you missed 2 or more active (hormonal) pills
or
if you started a pack 2 or more days late
- Take an active (hormonal) pill as soon as possible* and then continue taking pills daily. Depending on when you remember that you missed a pill(s), you may take 2 pills on the same day (one at the moment of remembering, and the other at the regular time) or even at the same time.
- Also, use condoms or abstain from sex until you have taken active (hormonal) pills for 7 days in a row.
- If you missed the pills in the third week, you should finish the active (hormonal) pills during your current pack and start a new pack the next day. You should not take the 7 inactive pills.
- If you missed the pills during the first week and had unprotected sex you should use emergency contraception for maximum protection, in addition to taking today's active birth control pill.
If you missed any inactive (non-hormonal) pills
- Discard the missed inactive (non-hormonal) pill(s) and then continue taking pills daily.
Additional Pill Information
- The inconsistent or incorrect use of pills is a major reason for unintended pregnancy.
- Seven days of continuously taking oral contraceptive pills is necessary to reliably prevent ovulation.
- Women who frequently miss pills should consider an alternative contraceptive method.
- It is important to take an active (hormonal) pill as soon as possible when pills have been missed.
- If pills are missed, the chance that pregnancy will occur depends not only on how many pills were missed, but also on when those pills were missed.
- The risk of pregnancy is greatest when active (hormonal) pills are missed at the beginning or at the end of the active pills, i.e. when the hormone-free interval is extended.
Revised from www.not-2-late.com. Feb. 2006
Online Birth Control Education |
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last reviewed: Spring 2005