What to Do If You Miss Your Birth Control Pill

The birth control pill should be taken at the same time every day, but how accurate do you have to be? It depends on the type of pill: some have a day or two to realize their mistake. For others, you only have a window of a few hours.

More restrictive is the progestin-only pill, or “mini-pill”. They need to be taken within the 3 hour window every day. If you miss an appointment, take it as soon as you remember (and take the next one on schedule). Then, be sure to use a backup method, such as a condom, if you have sex within the next 48 hours after the missed pill.

Combination pills containing both estrogen and progesterone are more gentle. Planned Parenthood has a great spreadsheet that tells you what to do if you miss one. If you miss one pill, you can simply take a double dose the next day. However, if you miss more than one dose (assuming it was a hormone pill and not one of the inactive pills at the end of the month), you will need to use the backup method for the next seven days, while continuing to take the active pills to get back on your schedule. … Read more at the link below.

Contraceptive Pills | Planned parenting via Vox

Photos Sarah the C .

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