Sexpert: April 12, 2012

Dear Sexpert,

I’ve recently been having a lot of trouble remembering to take my birth control pill every day. To what extent does missing pills compromise the efficacy of my birth control? Do you have any suggestions to help me remember to take it consistently? Are there other forms of birth control that are better suited to someone as forgetful as me?

— Space Cadet

Dear Space Cadet,

Remembering to take birth control pills, commonly referred to as “the pill,” is a challenge for many women, and over the course of their time on the pill most women will forget to take it at some point. Most importantly, if you miss a pill, take it as soon as possible and use a back-up method (condoms) for seven days after missing the pill. A pill is considered late if you take it more than 12 hours after your normal time. According to Planned Parenthood, while only one out of 100 women who always take the pill as directed will get pregnant over the course of a year, nine out of 100 women will get pregnant over the course of the year if they don’t always take the pill as directed. Thus frequently forgetting to take the pill does compromise its efficacy at preventing pregnancy, and you’re smart to consider ways to remind yourself to take the pill more consistently or alternative methods.

If you are otherwise happy with your birth control pills, the first thing you may want to consider is finding ways to remind yourself to take the pill regularly. You may have success setting an alarm on your phone to go off each day at the time when you should take the pill. Or you may want to consider taking your pill at the same time as something else you do daily, such as when you brush your teeth in the morning. If you’re not already doing it, consider taking the inactive pills of your birth control, just to keep you in the habit of taking a pill every single day. If none of these suggestions help you remember to take the pill regularly, you may want to consider alternative forms of birth control.

A variety of birth control methods don’t require you to remember them every day. These birth control methods include relatively short-term methods such as NuvaRing, a small ring inserted into the vagina and left in place for weeks at a time, and the Depo-Provera shot which requires the injection of pregnancy-preventing hormones once every three months. Longer-term options, which require you to remember to do something even less frequently, are also available, including Implanon, a matchstick-sized implant placed under the skin in the upper arm that is effective at preventing pregnancy for up to three years. Another long-term method is the IUD, a small T-shaped device inserted by a medical professional into the uterus to prevent pregnancy that is left in place for either five or 10 years, depending on the type. Either of these longer-term options can be removed at any time.

If you would like to find out more about any of these alternative birth control options, I recommend that you make an appointment with Sexual Health and Wellness Services at McCosh Health Center, where they can talk to you more about the pros and cons of each method and help you decide if any of these alternative options are right for you.

— The Sexpert

Interested in Sexual Health? The Sexpert is always looking for passionate members of the community to join the team of sexual health educators who, along with fact-checking from University health professionals, help write these columns. Email sexpert@dailyprincetonian.com for more information, and of course as always with your questions about sexual health. Don’t be shy!