By Jennifer Jope for Fibroids1Whether a woman takes her birth control pill first thing in the morning or right before going to bed at night, many women don’t realize that taking the pill at different intervals is putting them at a higher risk of getting pregnant.
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Remembering the Pill
Having trouble remembering to take your pill at the same time each day? Follow these tips:
Take the pill at the same time you do something else each day, like brushing your teeth.
Set an alarm on your cell phone or your watch when you need to take your pill.
Leave the pill in clear view, such as near the sink when you wash your face.
If you take the pill during the day, leave it with your belongings or in your purse.
Stick a Post-It note on your bathroom mirror.
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Recent research, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the pharmaceutical firm Organon, revealed that 8 out of 10 women using the progestogen-only pill are not aware that it must be taken within three hours of the normal time of intake. The survey consisted of 5,700 women in both Europe and North America and found that although 44 percent of women were using the birth control pill, 26 percent were unsure of whether it was the progestogen-only pill or a combination pill. The results also revealed that some women are somewhat lax in taking their prescription. For instance, one fourth of the women didn’t think it mattered when they took their pill, while 85 percent of the women taking the progestogen-only pill were unaware that it must be taken within three hours of the normal intake time. The average timeframe given by these pill users was 8.3 hours. Rachel Friedman, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said she was slightly surprised by the results of the survey because most of the women she encounters are aware of how the pill works.
“It’s not a novel concept for people,” said Friedman, adding many women understand that taking the prescription at the same time is important for efficacy. However, she admits “in general, there are things people don’t know about the pill.”
The problem with varying the time of intake has to do with the body’s reaction to the hormones. The progestogen-only pill works by altering the thickness of the cervical mucus. If the pill is taken more than three hours late, the reliability of the pill is compromised. However, the combined pill and the estrogen-free pill inhibit the release of the egg. They are more reliable than the progestogen-only prescription because a woman has a 12-hour window each day to take the pill.
Women’s attitudes about contraception were also considered in this study. Nearly half of the women admitted to forgetting their pills at home during vacation. Meanwhile, more than half of the women used antibiotics on vacation and almost half of them were unaware that this affects the reliability of the pill. Friedman added that there isn’t a significant amount of data available about the effects of antibiotics on the pill. The medications that do negatively interact with birth control pills tend not to be prescribed all that often, she said. Also, a typical reason for discontinuing the pill is breakthrough bleeding, which Friedman says women may not realize can occur if the pill is taken at different times.
So how can women become more aware about the medication they are taking? Friedman said she provides verbal and written instructions when prescribing the pill and discusses major side effects, such as hypertension and blood clots. She notes that there is only so much time to discuss different aspects of the pill with her patients, including the risks and benefits.
“A person can’t comprehend all that in one visit,” said Friedman, who typically asks her patients starting the medication to come back in three months to assure they are healthy and taking the pill properly.
But just like a doctor can only provide so much information in a small window of time, Friedman says there are probably many people who simply don’t ask questions, so it is important to bring up concerns with your doctor.
