Because, unfortunately, it is known that far from one woman taking oral contraceptives, was surprised to hear from the gynecologist that she is pregnant. Is it possible? Yes, but the reason is not the tablets themselves. Most likely, there were circumstances in which they simply ceased to function. Therefore, it is worthwhile to know when besides the tablets you need to apply additional means of protection from pregnancy. How to take birth control pills is the topic of the article.
Long break
In the case of most birth control pills, the interval between the end of one course and the beginning of the second (new packaging) should not exceed 7 days. Otherwise, it may happen that the ovaries will again work in the usual rhythm, and this will lead to the formation of eggs. If, for example, you forget to take the last tablet of the old packaging and start a new one on the same day as usual, you will extend the break. And this can be dangerous. The same thing happens if you forget to take the first pill from a new package a day when you need to do it. Immediately there is a danger that the effectiveness of the pill will decrease. If you forget to take the last pill, do not count down seven days, and immediately start the next package. And if it happened in the middle of the package, take another pill as soon as possible. If the break is less than 12 hours, the effectiveness of the tablet will not decrease. But if it takes more time, for the next 7 days you need to be protected additionally, for example, using condoms. The risk of a dangerously prolonged interval between tablets drops to zero in the case of the most modern tablets. The scheme of their reception is 24 plus 4. This means that the package contains 24 tablets containing hormones and 4 without hormones. As a result, you take the pill every day for 28 days without any interruptions. Therefore, there is no risk that you will make a mistake and forget to start a new packing on time.
Was there vomiting or diarrhea?
This situation can happen to each of us. Problems with digestion appear in various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, or, for example, with the flu and migraine attacks. Vomiting or diarrhea can also result from poisoning, overeating, or alcohol abuse. In such situations, there is a danger that the body will not have time to absorb the necessary dose of hormones. This usually takes 3-4 hours. Therefore, if you vomited for 2 hours after taking the pill, it may be that too few hormones have managed to penetrate your body. And this means that the tablet will not be effective. At the same time, you can not take a new pill so that there is no overdose. In this situation, you have nothing else to do but to protect yourself from pregnancy until the end of the cycle in other ways, such as condoms, intravaginal drugs or spermicidal cream. The same recommendations apply to the situation if you have had diarrhea.
Have you transferred the infection?
The effect of birth control pills can be eased by taking certain medications. Most drugs directly or indirectly affect the activity of liver enzymes. These enzymes are indicators of the presence of toxins in the liver. Some slow them down (so-called inhibitors of enzymes), others, on the contrary, accelerate (so-called enzyme inducers). Drugs that belong to the second group of drugs lead to increased excretion of the hormones taken by the liver. And this can negatively affect the effectiveness of the tablet. Therefore, if you get sick, for example, with angina or an infection of the upper respiratory tract and the doctor prescribes an antibiotic (eg ampicillin), you should be very careful. The maximum concentration of enzyme inducers in the body can appear after 2-3 weeks of taking medications and stay up to 4 weeks after the end of therapy! It is also worth knowing that this action can have not only antibiotics, but also other drugs, for example, antifungal and anticonvulsant. Therefore, be sure to ask your gynecologist whether the prescribed drug will affect the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. Maybe the doctor will advise you to interrupt the sexual life for a while, or recommend that you protect yourself in other ways.
Drink decoctions of herbs?
If you are infected with an infection that makes you cough and fever, you will most likely go to a doctor. By prescribing medicines to you, the doctor will ask if you are taking contraceptives, and will report the current risk that protection will weaken and you can become pregnant. However, dangerous in this situation can be those drugs that you take yourself, without consulting a doctor, for example, any decoctions and teas, which include St. John's wort. Therefore, if you decide to use a natural remedy or regularly drink herbal teas, carefully read the instructions - will this prevent the hormones contained in the contraceptive pills from interfering with the action. Substances contained in St. John's wort affect the functioning of the liver in the same way as antibiotics. Their action can last up to two weeks after the end of the course of treatment.