If you are not familiar with oral hormonal contraceptives, the best thing to do before using them is to consult with your doctor.

There are many types and brands of oral contraceptives but what is common for all of them is that they usually include 21 pills in one package and they also have the number of days and weeks starting from 1 to 21 marked next to the pills. The birth control pills should be taken on the first day of menstruation in case the menstruation before where regular and proper. In this way the women will be protected from unwanted pregnancy starting from day one. In cases of heavy menstrual bleeding, the best thing is to start using these pills starting from the fifth day of menstruation. The fact is that birth control pills can increase the level of bleeding and intensify the menstruation and that is why it is better to be cautious in these cases. If the pills are taken from day 5 for the first time, full contraceptive protection will be present starting from the second cycle of taking of these oral contraceptives.

If the birth control pills are marked with days of the week, then try to balance the intake from the day you’ve got your period. Let’s explain this with an example. If the first day of your menstruation started on Thursday, start the process by taking the pill that is labeled as Thursday (usually it is shorten to Thu). In case the pills are marked with numbers take the pill marked with number one. Keep taking pills daily and remember to respect the instructions until you reach number 21. When you are out of pills, it is necessary to take a break that lasts for one week. In this period you will notice bleeding that usually appears a couple of days after you have stopped taking the pills. After these break, start using the pills once again starting from the same day as previously. In our example this means Thursday. Disregard the bleeding and remember that if you want this to work you have to start again after one week exactly. It is highly recommended to take the pills in the same period of the day, so you can take them after 24 hours exactly. If you stick to the instructions, the protection from unwanted pregnancy applies even for the period when you are making a break.

However there are two factors that can make these sex pills less effective no matter how regular you take these pills.

Diarrhea and strong vomiting in the first hours after taking a pill can certainly lower the effectiveness.

Mixing these pills with antibiotics can also make them less effective. So try to avoid antibiotics whenever it is possible.

If you have forgotten to take a pill and there are less than 12 hours from the time when you had to take it, the pill should be taken as soon as possible. The next pill should be taken as scheduled before.

If you have missed to take a pill for more than 12 hours, the effects of the pills will be reduced, but you should however take the pill as soon as possible and continue with the schedule.