Hormonal Methods of Family Planning 211
Forgetting to take pills:
If you miss pills you could get pregnant.
If you forget 1 or 2 pills, take 1 pill as soon as you remember.
Then take the next pill at the regular time. This may mean that
you take 2 pills in one day.
If you forget to take 3 pills, 3 days in a row, take 1 pill right away.
Then take 1 pill each day at the regular time.
If you are using a 28-day packet of pills, take only the hormone
pills and skip the sugar pills, then start taking hormone pills from a
new packet. If you are using a 21-day packet, start a new packet
as soon as you finish the one you are taking now. Use condoms
(or do not have sex) until you have taken a pill for 7 days in a row.
If you forget to take more than 3 pills, stop taking the pills and
wait for your next monthly bleeding. Use condoms (or do not
have sex) for the rest of your cycle. Then start a new packet.
Late or missed pills may cause some bleeding, like a very light
monthly bleeding.
If you have trouble
remembering to take
pills, try taking a pill
when you do a daily
task, like preparing the
evening meal. Or take
the pill when you see
the sun go down or
before you sleep. Keep
the packet where you
can see it every day. If
you still forget to take
your pills often (more
than once a month),
think about changing to a different method of birth control.
If you vomit within 3 hours after taking your pill or have severe
diarrhea, your birth control pill will not stay in your body long
enough to work well. Use condoms, or do not have sex, until you
are well and have taken a pill each day for 7 days.
Stopping the pill:
If you want to change methods or get pregnant, stop taking the
pills when you finish a packet. You can get pregnant right after you
stop. Most women who stop taking pills because they want to get
pregnant will get pregnant sometime within the first year.
= missed pill
= take 2 pills
Where Women Have No Doctor  2012