The safety of the contraceptive pill depends largely on regular intake. But what happens if you forget a pill once? If you take the pill within twelve hours, the contraceptive effect of combined pills is still given. However, if there is a total of more than 36 hours between taking two pills, this is no longer the case.
Time of forgetting is crucial
Depending on the week in which you forgot the pill, this can have different consequences. As a general rule, the pill must be taken for at least seven days at a time for there to be adequate protection against conception.
- Missed pill in the 1st week: If you have forgotten to take the pill during the first week, make up for it as soon as possible – even if you have to swallow two tablets at the same time to do so. Take the other tablets as normal.
Since you have not taken the pill for seven days in a row, you will not have sufficient contraceptive protection for the next seven days – you should therefore also use other contraceptive methods. If you had sexual intercourse in the week before the forgotten intake, there is a risk of pregnancy. - Forgotten pill in the 2nd week: If you have forgotten the pill during the second intake week, make up for the intake as soon as possible – even if you have to swallow two tablets at the same time for this. Take the other tablets as normal.
If you have previously taken all the pills regularly, it is not necessary to resort to additional contraceptive measures. - Missed pill in the 3rd week: If you have forgotten the pill during the third week of intake, make up for it as soon as possible – even if you have to swallow two tablets at the same time. Take the other tablets as normal. When the blister pack is finished, start the next pack without taking the seven-day break.
Alternatively, you can bring forward the seven-day break by stopping to take the pill. The day on which you forgot to take the pill counts as the first day of the break. After the seven days you continue to take the pill as usual.
If you are not taking a combination preparation and have forgotten a pill, please contact your doctor. This can tell you exactly what you should do best.
