What happens when you miss a Pill or use a condom that's expired? Check out these common birth-control blunders — and what to do next if you do slip up.
You take the Pill without fail, always have condoms on hand, or sport your birth control patch every day. Still, with just a few missteps, it’s easy to unwittingly sabotage the effectiveness of your birth control method.
From storing your contraception in the wrong place to neglecting a backup method, these birth control mistakes are extremely common — so read up and stay accident-free.
You skipped a pill.
What happens if you miss a pill? Taking two pills the next day can help you avoid getting pregnant — but it could upset your stomach, and some women aren’t able to keep it down, Dr. Armstrong says.
If you’ve missed pills and had sex, consider emergency contraception. You can buy morning-after pills over the counter (as long as you’re 17), or you can see your doctor and have a copper intrauterine device (IUD) placed to avoid getting pregnant. Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy for up to five days after having sex, but it’s most effective when it’s taken within 24 hours of sex.
You had sex without a backup method after just starting the Pill.
The condoms were expired or damaged.worst
You stored your birth control in the wrong place.is
The NuvaRing, however, should be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. At room temperature, the ring will last about three or four months, Armstrong says. But if you put it in the fridge at 27 to 37 degrees, it will last until the expiration date on the package. If you forget it in your car in the summertime or somewhere else that’s warm, it’s probably best to throw it away and use another one.
You’re on a medication that lowers birth control’s effectiveness.
You relied on the “withdrawal method.”
Fertility-awareness-based methods such as the rhythm method require tracking a woman’s cycle — and making sure to avoid sex or use a back-up method around the time of ovulation. The method can be effective when women ovulate regularly and are able to track their fertility correctly, Armstrong says. However, if you don’t ovulate regularly, it will be hard to find that window when you could get pregnant. And when women don’t track their fertility signs correctly, 24 in 100 end up pregnant.
If you want to use the withdrawal or rhythm method, it’s better to use both together than either method alone, Armstrong advises.
You assumed your partner was on top of birth control.
When it comes to avoiding these common birth control mistakes, taking on the responsibility of birth control and being sure to avoid boo-boos are the best ways to go.