- If you have a birth control implant, like Depo-Provera, or start taking combination pills within five days of your period, you don’t need birth control backup. But start at any other time, and you need another birth control method for the next seven days. For progestin-only pills, backup is needed for the first 48 hours of use.
- Illnesses like the flu that involve vomiting or diarrhea can lower the efficacy of birth control pills. Use another method of birth control for seven days after the illness passes. Do this even though you may not have missed taking any pills.
- If you are a smoker and a woman older than 35, birth control pills aren’t recommended for you. This is especially true if you have any of the following conditions: a family or personal history of blood clots, migraines with aura, cancer of the breast or uterus, heart or liver disease, or uncontrolled high blood pressure. Find another method of birth control that will be less damaging to your health.
- To continue the subject, make sure you are on the correct kind of contraceptive. If you can’t take estrogen because of migraines, breastfeeding, heart disease or other conditions, there is the progestin-only pill as an alternative. But one should be reminded that the combination pill is more effective.
- Other options should be explored if taking a daily pill is a hassle, or you are forgetful. There are birth control injections that are effective for three months; the same goes for vaginal rings, patches and diaphragms. But the last three involve a bit more maintenance than a shot or implant.
- Don’t use the antibiotic Rifampin if you take the combination pill because it undermines hormone-based contraception. It is also the same for the patch or vaginal ring.
- Other drugs that can be problematic for those on hormonal contraceptives are some anticonvulsants, antibiotics, HIV drugs or oral medications for yeast infections. Check with your doctor or pharmacist for drug interactions.
- Can there be a “wrong” condom to use? There is emerging evidence that polyurethane condoms break more frequently than latex. Though they are considered effective in preventing pregnancy, lambskin condoms shouldn’t be relied on for STD prevention. The tiny pores in these condoms are small enough not to allow sperm to pass through, but other bodily fluids may penetrate them.
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Are You Making These Contraceptive Mistakes?
April 18, 2024
Are You Making These Contraceptive Mistakes?
