7 Things You Need to Know About Your Pill

March 21, 2011 5:00 pm     Posted in Body, Health, Sex  Erica- University of Michigan g+ page


By Erica

In this day and age, it seems like every one of my friends is on the birth control pill.  However, unlike most girls, most of my friends went on the pill to have sex at the end of high school, and simply stayed on it to enter college.  And while most people know the basics of birth control, few people ever bother to read the fine print.  So here are some of the most important things that you should know (i.e. all the stuff that’s on that little packet of info you throw out every month):

1.   Being on antibiotics can make the pill less effective

This is something that most girls do not know, but is often the most common mistake that girls on the pill make.  Even if you are taking your pill at the exact same time every day, if you are on antibiotics, they are working so hard to fight viruses that they can sometimes fight the effects of the pill.  If you are taking antibiotics, but are still healthy enough to be having sex, use a backup form of birth control.

2.   You may not get your period every month

As I personally learned from being on Loestrin 24, sometimes the pill may make your period so light that it will disappear for months at a time.  While you should probably get a pregnancy test just to be on the safe side, missing your period for a month or two DOES NOT mean that you are pregnant.

3.   Missing one pill means that you should use a backup form of birth control for the next SEVEN DAYS

Even though you might think that missing a pill in the first week of your pack isn’t a big deal, everybody has a different cycle and not using an additional birth control method, like a condom, can lead to pregnancy. And the effects last longer than the 24 hours that pill was good for. To stay completely safe, use an extra form of birth control for a full week. The only time it is okay to miss a pill and not risk pregnancy is if it is one of your placebos.

4.   The pill does not protect against AIDS and other STDs

While this might be obvious to a lot of us, many people think that the pill has the same effects as a condom.  This is completely and totally wrong.  While the pill protects you against pregnancy, it offers you 0% protection against STDS, so using it doesn’t give you an excuse to have a drunken one-night stand and know that you’re protected.  You might be protected from a future child, but that doesn’t mean that you are immune to everything your sexual partner has.

5.   Generic versions are basically the same

Many people pay up to $30.00 a month for the pill, meaning that they will spend $360.00 a year on birth control.  For those people on a tight budget, ask your OB-GYN about generic versions.  While they might not look as fancy, they are just as effective, and most importantly, they will protect you against pregnancy and give you a chance to splurge on an extra pair of shoes.

6.   Heat and moisture make the pill less effective

The best place to keep your pack of pills is probably in a cool drawer away from heat and moisture.  However, this is not always practical, especially if you want to ensure you take your pill the same time every day.  My advice is to grab a little pouch lying around (I use one of my old minuscule wristlets) and keep nothing but your pills in there. And DON’T store them in the bathroom! If you are going to be outside, shove your purse under a table or in the shade.  It never hurts to be just a little bit safer.

7.   All pills are not the same

When you begin taking the pill, you might get your period once every two weeks.  You might have mood swings.  You might have an ultra-light flow. All of this is totally normal.  However, if this continues after a couple of months, there is no harm in switching to another brand.  Sometimes girls have to try out four or five pills to find the right ones for their body, so if after two or three months you are still feeling down, don’t suffer in silence.  Call your OB-GYN and learn about other options.

Remember, the pill is one of the best things out there, but like every other form of birth control, it needs to be used responsibly to have the maximum effect.  If you have something else about the pill you want your fellow CC readers to know, comment away and share the knowledge below!

35 Comments on "7 Things You Need to Know About Your Pill"

  1. marcyh says:
    Mon, 21st Mar 20115:17 pm 

    I love the nuva ring! It works like most combination pills but you only have to worry about it once a month.

  2. ecm says:
    Mon, 21st Mar 20119:13 pm 

    For most types of birth control, a backup form of contraception is important after missing two pills, not one. Using emergency contraception might also be necessary depending on when the pills were missed. More information can be found at &lt ;http://healthcenter.ucdavis.edu/topics/contraception/pill-missed.html>

  3. Jessica says:
    Tue, 22nd Mar 20111:46 am 

    Wow, I never knew about the antibiotics and heat.. really need to rethink birth control pills.

  4. Nikki says:
    Tue, 22nd Mar 20113:39 am 

    I got an IUD and it was the best choice I ever made. No more worrying about having to explain why my phone's alarm is going off at 5 every afternoon or having to remember to carry my pills with me. Honestly it was the best choice for me because after 4 different pills I still didn't find the perfect fit and going two months on each was miserable for me!

  5. ThisIsStupid says:
    Tue, 22nd Mar 201111:20 pm 

    #1 is not true. While it is widely believed, there are no scientific studies to back it up. And antibiotics don't fight viruses; they fight bacteria. Whoever wrote this is an idiot.

  6. Kate says:
    Fri, 25th Mar 201111:12 pm 

    Make sure you know about your genetic risk factors for blood clots before you go on birth control, and go off BC long before you have surgery. I'm fit and healthy, but I got a blood clot after knee surgery and the only likely explanation was that I was on the pill, since increased risk for blood clots is a known side effect of many BC pills.

  7. randomnerd says:
    Tue, 29th Mar 201111:55 pm 

    for one wrong mistake?

  8. Britt says:
    Thu, 31st Mar 20112:40 am 

    I'm on Loestrin 24 too and I also go months sometimes without having my period. I thought this was really odd, so thanks for calming my nerves! I definitely agree with your advice to try different pills until you find one that works for you. I was on 3 others and had serious health problems with all of them and finally was happy with Loestrin.

  9. Alex says:
    Thu, 31st Mar 20116:15 pm 

    actually, while the studies aren't complete, they do show links, and its way better to be safe than sorry, especially in the case of birth control. My sister got pregnant on the pill, and when her doctor and her were trying to figure out what went wrong, they realized at her speculated date of conception, she had also been on antibiotics. No one had ever told her the two may conflict, and her doctor assumed that after a few years on the pill she would have known, so she never said anything. Most studies for antibiotics are inconclusive, but there are a few anti-seizure medications, anti-fungal, and migraine treatments that are known to interfere. Some medications boost enzymes in your liver causing them to break things down faster, including the hormones of your birth control. It depends on the medication and what it causes your body to do in order to fight infection.

  10. virginvixon says:
    Fri, 1st Apr 201111:39 am 

    HELLO!!! TEEN MOM WITH FARRAH!!! she was on the pill took antibotics and WHAM there was baby sophia!!

  11. YouAreDumb,ForReal says:
    Sat, 2nd Apr 20111:09 pm 

    "Whoever wrote this is an idiot"
    Whoever wrote this comment is an idiot. And rude.

  12. tatertot says:
    Tue, 5th Apr 201110:58 am 

    These are pretty basic. I'm more concerned with things doctors NEVER tell you about the pill. Like it can effect your mood, making you more emotional, depressed, or even in the case of a friend of mine, treating her depression. What's more, is it can effect your libido. These were things a doctor never told me, and when I mentioned to my gynecologist offhand that my sex drive was low, she said, "oh, well that could be cause you're on the pill." WHAT? I'm on an IUD now, and at least I know that if I'm crazy or depressed it's my own hormones talking.

  13. Amie Parham says:
    Fri, 15th Apr 20111:30 pm 

    @This is Stupid, There are scientific studies to back it up, and it says on the bottle or in the pamphlet that #1 is true. Other wise, there wouldn't be websites like this; http://www.drugstore.com/ask/do-antibiotics-inter…

    One fact that may not be as well known to some is how the birth control actually works. As a conservative pro-lifer, I believe that life begins at conception, and those who feel the same way may not know that certain forms of birth control allow conception to occur but do not allow the fertilized egg to attach to the uterine wall, which I believe is wrong.
    Talk to your doctor and they can tell you how they all work and which one will fit with your moral beliefs.

  14. Emily says:
    Sun, 17th Apr 20111:54 am 

    No offense, but this website and these message boards are not for discussing morality. They are for discussing REALITY. Most of us girls use birth control and we clicked on this article to read about tips we should know. We don't need or want to hear about your religious beliefs and your OPINION on when life begins. We use birth control because we are trying to be RESPONSIBLE and not bring a child into this world before we are emotionally, financially, and psychologically able to handle it. You would see a lot more abortions if less women used birth control. I think you need to see the bigger picture and pick your battles.

  15. sage says:
    Thu, 21st Apr 201111:46 am 

    I disagree with generic pills are the same, my mom took generic bc pills when moving from va to fl and became pregnant with me while taking the generic ones, my sister took generic when her normal yaz wasn't avaliable and she got really sick from taking them.

  16. Joy says:
    Thu, 21st Apr 20112:11 pm 

    I cannot tolerate generic pills either.

  17. jessica says:
    Wed, 18th May 20117:36 am 

    hey emily,
    i think what amie is trying to say is that,
    if u do have those moral boundaries then make sure u read more into it.
    shes not saying do not be responisble but to find a contraceptive that is both suitable to your beliefs and responsible for ur actions.
    and also for some people morality is reality.
    so maybe u should be a little more open minded to the beliiefs of others.
    and not take everything so personally.
    ur not the only girl that visits these sights emily. Grow up.
    .

  18. Melissa Turner says:
    Tue, 3rd Apr 20123:45 pm 

    I have a question and I'd love a response asap please. You can message me on facebook.I have been taking birth control pills for a few years now. Assuming I get drunk every other day and that interferes with the effectiveness of birth control, how long after I stop drinking entirely do I have to wait before the pills effect is better? when you get drunk does that temporarily make the pills less effective? or, would you have to stop drinking and wait a few weeks or months for it to be as effective as it should be?

  19. holmes says:
    Tue, 23rd Oct 20124:39 am 

    can u get pregnant if u missed 3 pills and on antibotics

  20. anonymous44 says:
    Wed, 5th Dec 20125:48 am 

    hi just wondering if anyone could answer my question, basically i just wanted to know if you can have sex more than once in one night whilst taking the combined pill and still not get pregnant or is it only effective for one lot of sex?

  21. AMBNurse says:
    Fri, 7th Dec 20126:06 pm 

    If you look at the ingredients for a name-brand and it's generic counterpart you'll see that they have the EXACT same ingredients and the EXACT same amount of ingredient. The FDA regulates, this. The name may be different, but nothing else is changed. So your Mom and Sis did not get pregnant because it was a generic brand. The only difference is the price, and for those of us who don't have health insurance and can't afford $80 – $50 a month for 28 pills, the generic $4 – $30 are 100% just as effective as a name brand. Some people have more side effects with generics, but generally if they wait it out 3 – 4 months they'll notice these side effects disappear. (Nurse)

  22. AMBNurse says:
    Fri, 7th Dec 20126:08 pm 

    That's your Doc's fault, then. That information is listed in the pamphlets, but it's pretty standard practice that they spill any and all effects the pill can have on ones body before they write out the prescription for you at the office. Perhaps you should switch to a different gyno who's going to do their job properly.

  23. AMBNurse says:
    Fri, 7th Dec 20126:10 pm 

    You've obviously not studied up on your birth control facts. Every gyno in the world would put a bet on you that you'll be the one to get pregnant when taking antis!

  24. AMBNurse says:
    Fri, 7th Dec 20126:12 pm 

    Once you've taken 7 – 14 pills (when first starting birth control) you're 99.9% protected no matter how many times you have sex a day. Just remember to take your pills and on time!

  25. AMBNurse says:
    Fri, 7th Dec 20126:14 pm 

    Yes, evening missing just one pill (especially in the first 7 pills of the pack) can induce ovulation. Anytime you miss a pill, you need to use a backup form of birth control for a complete 7 day period. Antibiotics are also known to make pills less effective, so while on antibiotic medication, you need to use a backup form of birth control for the entire time you're on the anti's and a few days after.

  26. AMBNurse says:
    Fri, 7th Dec 20126:16 pm 

    No. Used correctly, birth control works the same way whether you have alcohol in your system or not.

  27. jess says:
    Mon, 7th Jan 20138:08 pm 

    yes.. easily. miss one pill and you have a chance of it.

  28. jess says:
    Mon, 7th Jan 20138:09 pm 

    you can have sex more than once a night without getting pregnant.

  29. ScaredAnon says:
    Tue, 12th Feb 20138:21 pm 

    I take the pill regularly. However, I was just on my period, therefor I was on the placebos. Two days after my period, still taking the pill as per usual schedule, I had unprotected sex. Since it hadn't been a full week of taking non-placebo pills, is there a chance that I'm pregnant?

  30. Caitlin says:
    Sat, 23rd Feb 20138:01 pm 

    So question. How long after you finish antibiotics will it take for you to start your period? I finished my anitibiotics about two weeks into my pill pack, and I should be starting either today or tomorrow. I used back up protection every time throughout the rest of my pill pack and I do even when I'm not on antibiotics. So pregnancy isn't really a possibility. I'm just curious how long it takes for the antibiotics to be out of your system and when I would possibly be getting my period.

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