Other Medications Could Be Your Birth Control’s Worst Nightmare
The love/hate relationship with antibiotics/medications and birth control is real! Both provide incredible health benefits individually (with some side effects), but together, they are a false narrative that can change your life forever.
Combination pills are the most widely used form of birth control in the world. They are easy, affordable, and require less medical intervention than other types of birth control. But what happens when you get sick? Many illnesses require medical intervention via antibiotics or other medications, which uniquely affects women using contraceptives. Spoiler Alert: Antibiotics and other medications can impact your birth control’s effectiveness!
Many birth control options contain estrogens. Some antibiotics cause the liver to increase the breakdown of estrogen and can drastically decrease estrogen levels in the body and ultimately decrease the effectiveness of birth control. These antibiotics are SUPER rare and not often used in daily medical interventions.
So what’s the deal? Why do so many people believe antibiotics cancel out birth control? Well, illness and sometimes new medications cause vomiting and diarrhea, which means you might not be able to absorb your full dose of birth control before you get sick again. Without your full dose this can lead to unplanned pregnancies.
So what should you do? Once you finish with your antibiotic (that you took in its entirety), it can take 7 to 10 days for your birth control to become effective again. So, use backup methods such as barrier methods until you know that you’re safe from accidental ovulation. Antibiotics are often necessary, and we do no discourage the use of any antibiotic. However, we encourage the power and knowledge to protect yourself and your body from unintended consequences.
Here are some tips for the next time you are on birth control and prescribed antibiotics:
- Ask your healthcare provider if that particular medication can impact your birth control.
- If birth control is the only contraceptive: always allow at least 7-10 days of regular birth control use after the end of your antibiotic prescription.
- Consider backup contraceptives. Female condoms are often covered by insurance and provide you with control.
Want to learn more about how antibiotics can impact your birth control? Visit: