Missed Birth Control Pills

The birth control pill, also known as oral contraceptive, is an effective form of birth control. It is 99.5% effective when taken correctly. Women are human and may get busy or have a stressful event that may cause them to miss a pill or two. This will cause the pill to be less effective in preventing pregnancy because it must be taken daily to be the most effective. 

When a pill is missed, first see if the pill missed was a “spacer pill”. Those are the pills that are taken to keep in the habit and to make it easy to know when to start the new package of pills. If it is one of those pills, and the missed pill is discovered before the last one would have been taken, there is nothing to be concerned about. Resume taking the spacer pills and start the next package on time. Missing any of the last 7 pills of a 28-day package will not raise your risk of pregnancy. 

If it is one of the pills with the hormones in it that was missed, the first thing to do is mark it on a calendar and mark the days that intercourse occurred the week before and the week after the pill was missed. This can be very helpful to determine a due date, if a pregnancy results from the missed pill. 

Consult a health care professional regarding a missed pill for instructions specific to you and the type of pill you are taking. Here are some general guidelines for missed pills: 

The Pill is started late

·        1 day late starting the next package-take 2 pills as soon as you remember and one pill each day after and use a backup form of birth control for two weeks

·        2 days late starting the next package-take 2 pills per day for 2 days, then continue as usual and use a backup form of birth control for two weeks

·        3 or more days late starting the next package-call the clinic or your health care professional for instructions.

The Pill is missed during the cycle

·        1 pill missed-take it as soon as you remember and take your next pill at your usual time, which may mean taking two pills in one day

·        2 pills missed in a row in the first two weeks-take two pills on the day you remember and two pills the next day, finish the rest of the pack as usual and use a backup form of birth control for one week

·        2 pills missed in a row in the third week-keep taking one pill every day until Sunday, then on Sunday, set aside the rest of the pack (including the spacers) and start taking a new pack of pills and use a backup form of birth control for one week

·        3 or more pills missed in a row anytime-keep taking one pill every day until Sunday, then on Sunday, set aside the rest of the pack and start taking a new pack of pills and use a backup form of birth control for two weeks.

Missing a period does not always mean that you are pregnant. If you do miss a period, think about how likely a pregnancy is and also consider the risks related to continuing birth control pills. 

When pregnancy is most likely:

·        In the first few months of Pill use

·        If you missed taking any Pills

·        If you are taking another medication (especially antibiotics)

·        If you have been sick (vomiting and/or diarrhea)

When one or more pills are forgotten and a period is missed that month, it is recommended that a sensitive pregnancy test done at a clinic or by a health care professional. If two periods are missed in a row, it could either be normal or a sign of pregnancy. A pregnancy test is recommended right away because it is the only way to know for sure. 

Missing a pill can result in an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. If you tend to miss pills on a regular basis, ask your health care professional about other effective birth control options available to you.