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How to Take Birth Control Pills

Table of Contents


Overview

Birth control pills come in packs. There are several ways you can start taking your first pack of pills. Talk with your doctor about when to start taking your pills.

The most common type of pack has 3 weeks of hormone pills. Some packs have sugar pills for the fourth week. During that fourth no-hormone week, you have your menstrual period. After the fourth week (28 days), you start a new pack.

Some birth control pills are packaged so that you take hormone pills continuously for a period of time. With pills packaged in this way, you may not have a monthly period or you may only have a period every couple of months.

Your daily pill routine

Take your birth control pills every day, at about the same time of day. To help yourself remember to take your pills and prevent pregnancy, try these easy tricks.


Credits for How to Take Birth Control Pills

Current as of: November 27, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
Clinical Review Board (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.


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