Forgot birth control pill this morning? Want to know the benefits of contraceptives? The side effects? How to take them? The answers are here!
The first dose should be the first day of your period and continue with a pill for 21 or 28 days in a row, depending on the contraceptive you use. What should you if you forget to take it? We will tell you.
The oral contraceptive is a drug that is administered with a prescription after a review; since each woman needs a specific type of pill according to her characteristics.
In its composition there is a hormonal combination of estrogen (female sex hormone produced by the ovaries and derived from cholesterol) and progestin (hormones that allow to maintain pregnancy), or each pill only has one progestogen.
By “tricking” the body with these hormones, ovulation (shedding of an egg during the menstrual cycle) is prevented to prevent pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to be rigorous with your intake.
However, if you forget to take it and want to know if you are still protected, we will inform you about the use of the contraceptive pill.
Benefits and contraindications of oral contraceptives
As well demonstrated by a study published by the Chilean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2007, the safety of taking contraceptive pills has sometimes been questioned. For this reason, we explain the benefits and contraindications of using oral contraceptives as a method of prevention against pregnancy.
What are the benefits of an oral contraceptive?
The benefits of taking oral contraceptives include the following:
- Improve acne.
- Helps regulate cycles.
- Improves menstrual cramps.
- It reduces the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy (a fertilized egg that attaches to the fallopian tubes), benign breast disease, ovarian cysts, ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer.
On the contrary, a study carried out in 2013 by researchers from the Warsaw University of Medicine warns that its disadvantages include the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, deep vein thrombosis and hepatocellular adenomas (benign liver tumors); that usually disappear after stopping treatment.
It can also cause an increase in blood pressure and weight in the first 6 months, but this also usually disappears after an adaptation period of 3 months.
What contraindications does an oral contraceptive have?
Contraceptive pills are contraindicated in case of suffering:
- Coagulation disorders.
- Deep vein thrombosis and thrombophlebitis.
- Smoking women over 35 years old.
- History of cerebrovascular disease, acute myocardial infarction, liver disease, or history of breast cancer.
Its use is also discouraged in patients suffering from:
- Varicose veins.
- Migraine.
- Epilepsy.
- Mellitus diabetes.
- Sickle cell anemia
- Arterial hypertension.
- Colostasis (absence of normal flow of bile).
- Gallstones (presence of “stones in the gallbladder”).
If you think you may be pregnant; Go to the doctor to stop taking oral contraceptives.
Side effects
According to the following research published by the Medical Journal of the Mexican Social Security Institute, among the side effects that may appear, the following can be found:
- Depression.
- Headache.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bleeding between cycles.
- Decreased livid.
- Chloasma (yellowish spots on the face).
- Increased risk of venous thromboembolism (plugging of the veins), arterial hypertension and other vascular events.
How should you take an oral contraceptive?
Taking into account that before starting the treatment it is necessary to consult the gynecologist, the first intake should be the first day of menstruation and continue with a daily pill for 21 or 28 days in a row (depending on the contraceptive you use).
The consumption of oral contraceptives is contraindicated in some cases. Therefore, before starting to take them it is recommended to consult a gynecologist.
21-day treatments require 7 days off before restarting a new box. During those seven days, is when the period occurs.
However, those that are 28 pills have the last 7 placebo (no hormones); with which, the rule will appear during the taking of the last 7 days.
In case the rule does not appear in the first break, it is necessary that you rule out a possible pregnancy by consulting the gynecologist.
Also, the “Guide to Contraceptive Methods” advises that if you suffer vomiting or diarrhea within 4 hours of taking the contraceptive, you have to repeat the dose.
Forgot birth control pill today – What should I do?
In case of forgetfulness, take the dose before 12 hours. However, if more than 12 hours have passed, it is advisable to use a condom for the next seven days.
In this line, if you forget 2 or more pills, continue taking the oral contraceptive and use the condom to ensure protection against pregnancy. On the other hand, if you miss 3 or more doses, you must interrupt the treatment cycle and start a new one seven days later.
On the other hand, if forgetting occurs occasionally between the first and seventh pill (first week), you can consider the option of emergency contraception or the “morning-after pill”. However, if you have it between the eighth and fourteenth pill (second week), this alternative is not recommended.
However, if you do not take the pill after this period, it is advisable to skip the rest period and continue with a new container. Remember that if you stop treatment there is a risk of pregnancy immediately and a slight spotting may appear before the first period.
In addition, other side effects may be a delay of the period, varies in its amount and acne reappears.
Frequent forgetfulness to take the pill
The latest generation oral contraceptives take effect from the first dose. However, it is advisable to follow the recommendations that we have explained throughout the article in case you forget to take a dose. Likewise, it is necessary to consult with your gynecologist in case of doubts.
Along these lines, experts indicate that birth control pills are 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. In fact, missed shots is often one of the main reasons this method is not completely reliable.
If you are not a rigorous person with the daily intake at the same time, and you consider that this treatment is difficult to adapt to your lifestyle; We advise you to go to a specialist to try other methods with which you feel more comfortable.
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