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Birth Control Pill Instructions Combination Oral Contraceptives (28 Day Packet) What is oral contraception (THE PILL)? A birth control pill has two hormones: estrogen and progesterone. Taking THE PILL every day prevents your ovaries from releasing an egg every month. How effective is THE PILL in preventing pregnancy? If THE PILL is taken as directed, 1 out of 100 women may become pregnant in one year. This means it is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. If you do not take THE PILL exactly as directed, it does not work as well and you may become pregnant. How do I start THE PILL? Start your first pack of pills on the first day you start your menstrual period. You should use another method of birth control (example: condoms and spermicide) until you start THE PILL. OR Start your pills today. If you start your pills today, you should use another method of birth control as a back-up method (example: condoms and spermicide) during the firs two weeks (14 days) of THE PILL package. Your PILL will begin to protect you from pregnancy after the first 2 weeks. OR Start your pills today or tomorrow. Since you just had an abortion, THE PILL will begin to work immediately to protect you against getting pregnant. How do I use THE PILL correctly? Take one pill at the same time each day until you finish the package. Your menstrual period should come sometime during the last 7 days of pills. When you finish the last pill, start a new package of pills the next day. When you open your last package, contact your doctor or Women's Health Services to make an appointment for more pills. DO NOT LET YOURSELF RUN OUT OF PILLS. If you forget to take a pill, you should take it as soon as you remember. If you forget to take a pill until the next day, you should take two pills. If you forget to take a pill for 2 days in a row, take 2 pills a day for the next 2 days then go back to taking one pill every day. Use a second method of birth control (for example: condoms and foam) along with your pills for the next 2 weeks. You may have some spotting. If you forget to take a pill for 3 or more days in a row, call Planned Parenthood / Women's Health services or your doctor for instructions. Start using another method of birth control right away or do not have any sex because you are no longer protected from pregnancy. it is very important you talk to a doctor for instructions on how to restart your pill. Remember THE PILL will prevent pregnancy if taken correctly but does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STD). You should use THE PILL and condoms and spermicide together to protect against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. What type of side effects will I have? When you start THE PILL for the first time, you may feel some MINOR SIDE EFFECTS. Not everyone has these problems and they usually go away after 3 or 4 months of birth control pills. Bleeding between periods. This bleeding will usually stop in a day or two. If the bleeding becomes heavy, call Planned Parenthood / Women's Health Services or your doctor. Missed period. This may happen even if you are taking the pills as directed. However, it can be a sign of pregnancy if you have forgotten some pills. If you skip a period, begin your next package of pills at your regular time. If you miss 2 periods, you should have a pregnancy test. If you continue to miss periods, call Women's Health Services or your doctor. Nausea Headaches Breast tenderness Fluid retention (bloated feeling, water weight gain) Moodiness Depression If you have any of these minor side effects DO NOT STOP TAKING THE PILL. If they don't go away after 3 or 4 months or you cannot tolerate the problem, call Women's Health Services or your doctor. In rare circumstances, there can be SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS from taking a birth control pill including: High blood pressure Blood clots in your legs or lungs Heart attack Stroke If you have any of the following symptoms, call Planned Parenthood / Women's Health Services or your doctor right away: Abdominal Pain (severe) Chest Pain (severe), shortness of breath or coughing up blood Headaches (severe) Eye problems: blurred vision, flashing lights or blindness Dizziness or fainting Severe leg pain (calf or thigh) Are there other medicines that will make THE PILL not work? Anti convulsant Drugs Phenobarbital, Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Primidone, Ethosuximide, Phenytoin (Dilantin) Use another method or a high-dose oral contraceptive. Antibiotics Rifampin, Penicillin, Ampicillin, Metronidazole, Tetracycline, Nitrofurantoin, Sulfa drugs Use another method (for example, condoms and foam) while you are taking the antibiotic and for 48 hours afterward. Continue to take your pill every day with the antibiotic. Antifungals Diflucan, Fluocnazole If a short-term course, use another method (for example, condoms and foam) while you are taking the antibiotic. If long term, use another method. 7.html Health Benefits of the Pill