Late Pill: Impact on Birth Control Effectiveness - What You Need to Know

Question
I have been on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for about 2 years. Recently I stopped and then started back again. My period came on a Sunday so I immediately took the pill which was 10pm. The past week I have been taking the pill at 10pm. This past weekend I was out of town, and took the pill at 11pm on Friday night. The next night I took the pill at around 12:30. Does it highly increase the risk of pregnancy taking it an hour late? Or are you protected up to a certain amount of hours? I've been using back up methods but just wondering if I am protected or should still use backup. Any help would be helpful.  

Answer
Hi Katie..
I'm not a medical doctor so I would encourage you to ask your personal physician about your question. However, in my opinion I don't think this small amount of time would make a difference. But the birth control pill in general is not 100% fool proof so you always have a chance of pregnancy. Have you had any side effects from the pill in these two years? I used to be on the pill but did some research and no longer recommend this method of birth control. If you have any further questions, please email me at DCHERYL51@yahoo.com
Diane Cheryl