QuestionHi. Sorry I am sending this here, but I went to the Birth Control section and the expert on there wrote she is very against the pill and I really just have a basic question...I don't want to get reprimanded just asking it.
Anyways. I just was curious, I know they say to take the pill 'SAME TIME DAILY' -- I was just wondering what the technical leeway is for that. I take mine 10am on the dot daily, I'm never late. But I always wonder how much leeway does one really have for 'same time daily'? If you take it within the same hour is that the same time? Or does it have to be within 10 minutes before or after the time?
I know this is probably a stupid question, but I've always been curious about what exactly is "same time daily".
AnswerFirst of all, do not ever apologize for asking any question. No question is stupid.
When you take birth control pills, there is an elevation of estrogen and progesterone. When you miss a pill, you can start bleeding due to a drop in the hormonal level in your body. That is why we suggest taking the pill at the same time each day. By taking it at the same time each day, it helps you to remember if you took it or not. As long as you take the pill every day, it still is effective. If you forget to take the pill and suddenly remember it during the day, take the pill. It still will work. If you miss a pill and find that it is still there the next day, take two pills. If you miss two in a row, take two the next day and two the day after. It is still effective. If you miss three pills in a row, throw the pack away, wait for the following
Sunday, and start a new pack. If you have missed three pills in a row, use another method of birth control (condoms, diaphram, abstinence) until you start the next pack. You do not have to take the pill within 10 minutes every day. However, if you are late for your pill, you may have some breakthrough bleeding. You still are protected against pregnancy. Don't worry. By the way, I do recommend the pill as the best method of birth control. In addition to being 99.9% effective in preventing pregnancy, the pill lowers the risk of anemia, pelvic inflammatory disease, cancer of the uterus, cancer of the ovary, colon cancer, dysmenorrhea, and acne.
