Categories: Family Planning
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  • Forgetting to take your birth control pills is one of the major causes of pregnancy while using this form of contraception. We invite you to use our app reminder function to make sure you do not forget in the future and use another form of contraceptives in the meantime to avoid pregnancy.

    If you missed 1 hormonal pill (by 24–48 hours) or if you are simply late taking 1 pill (for less than 24 hours), you should:

    • Take the late or missed pill as soon as possible.
    • Continue taking the remaining pills at your usual time after that 
    • Emergency contraception is not usually needed but can be considered if hormonal pills were missed earlier in the cycle

    If you missed 2 or more consecutive hormonal pills (more than 48 hours have passed since you took a pill), you should:

    • Take the most recent missed pill as soon as possible (discarding ALL other missed pills)
    • Continue taking your pills on schedule (even if it means taking the next pill on the same day you remembered to get back on track).
    • Use back-up contraception (e.g., condoms) or avoid sexual intercourse until you have taken the hormonal pills for 7 consecutive days.
  • Beware! If you have missed multiple pills in a row and had sex you might require Emergency contraception. (Please use Emergency contraception only in Emergency situations and refrain from repeated use or using it as a birth control option). 

    Feel free to refer to our Learning Platform videos on proper use of different contraceptives including the Emergency contraceptive pill. 

    And if you find yourself forgetting to take your pills on multiple occasions, it might be best to consider another form of contraception rather than taking the risk with an unplanned pregnancy.