Scarleteen

Hi guys,

I just wanted to check under what circumstances (if any) you would need to take emergency contraception after a missed pill. My pill packet has plenty on what to do for a missed pill and how to proceed moving forward, but I noticed it didn't say anything about any action needed if you've had sex prior to missing the pill.

So, are there any circumstances, e.g. having sex a few days before a missed pill that would necessitate emergency contraception, or is that not necessary because the protection doesn't drop to 0%, just to the 'regular use' percentage?

Does this change with missing more than one pill?

Hi aj2234,

EC wouldn't likely be necessary in this situation, as one missed pill is unlikely to decrease your effectiveness (possible, but not likely). If more pills are missed, then that does pose a risk of decreased effectiveness (although given that sperm can only live 2-5 days inside your body, sex prior to missing those pills poses much less of a risk than sex that was had after missing multiple pills).

Hey Sam, thanks very much for the info.