Missed Birth Control Pill Instructions

While not 100 percent effective, birth control pills are a trusted choice in preventing pregnancy. Birth control pills are small tablets taken by the mouth daily at the same time each day. There are two main types of birth control pills -- combination pills consisting of the hormones estrogen and progestin that stop the development and release of your egg in the ovary, and progestin-only pills that suppress ovulation, preventing sperm from reaching the egg. Birth control pills must be taken every day, but if you accidentally miss a day, it is important to know what to do to prevent pregnancy.

Instructions

• 1

  Take the pill you missed as soon as you remember it. If you missed two pills, take both missed pills as soon as you remember.

• 2

  Take your current day's pill and continue taking one a day if you missed three or more pills.

• 3

  Take the current day's pill and continue taking one a day if you missed two low-dose (20 ug ethinylestradiol) birth control pills.

• 4

  Use condoms or abstain from sexual intercourse if you missed three or more pills until you have taken birth control pills for at least seven days in a row.