Took your pill late and wondering if it’s safe to get it on with your boo? We got you.
It depends on the type of pill you’re taking. Other variables like how late you take it and where you are in the pack matter, too.
| Last pill taken <24 hours ago | Last pill taken 24–48 hours ago | Last pill taken 48+ hours ago | |
|---|---|---|---|
| During the first week of the pack | Combo pill: You’re protected! Continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Take a pill as soon as you remember — only one pill, even if you missed more than one. Take the next pill at the usual time, even if it means taking two the same day. Use a backup birth control method for the next 48 hours. | Combo pill: Take your next pill ASAP, and continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). | Combo pill: Take the most recent missed pill. Toss any other missed pills. Continue taking the rest of your pack as usual, even if it means taking two the same day. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). |
| During the second week of the pack | Combo pill: You’re protected! Continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). | Combo pill: Take your next pill ASAP, and continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). | Combo pill: Take the most recent missed pill. Toss any other missed pills. Continue taking the rest of your pack as usual, even if it means taking two the same day. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). |
| During the third week of the pack | Combo pill: You’re protected! Continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). | Combo pill: Take your next pill ASAP, and continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). | Combo pill: Skip the inactive pills by finishing the hormonal pills in your current pack. Start a new pack the next day. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). |
| During the fourth week of the pack | Combo pill: You’re protected! Continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). | Combo pill: You’re protected! Continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). | Combo pill: You’re protected! Continue taking your pills as usual. Minipill: Follow the same instructions as for the first week of the pack (in top left square of this table). |
That depends on the type, too. If you take combination birth control pills, a pill that’s taken more than 24 hours after your last pill is considered late.
With progestin-only pills (aka the minipill), taking it more than 3 hours after the usual time counts as late.
To confirm your pill’s protection window, read the information on the packaging, or check with your local pharmacist or other healthcare professional.
Different pills have different protection windows.
Combination pills, which have both estrogen and progesterone, offer longer protection, because they maintain the therapeutic drug level needed to stop ovulation. No ovulation means no pregnancy.
Combination pills also include inactive pills, which are the last week of the pack. If you’re late taking one of these or miss one entirely, it’s NBD, because they don’t contain any hormones.
The minipill works differently. Without estrogen, the minipill doesn’t consistently stop ovulation.
It mainly works by thickening your cervical mucus to keep sperm from reaching an egg. It also thins the uterine lining to prevent implantation if sperm somehow manages to get through.
These effects don’t last as long, so being late means a drop in protection.
It comes down to the hormone levels in your body, which fluctuate depending on where you are in your pack of pills.
For instance, with combination pills, if you miss a pill in the first week of your pack your risk of pregnancy is higher, because you’ll have just come off a week of inactive (aka hormone-free) pills.
Depending on how late you take your pill and how many pills you miss during that time — if any — you might need to skip your inactive week and start a new pack ASAP.
It depends on how late.
If you’re still within your pill’s protection window (less than 3 hours for the minipill and less than 24 hours for combo pills), take your missed pill as soon as you remember and take the next pill as usual — even if it means taking two the same day.
If you passed the protection window and missed a pill, the next steps depend on the pill type and how many pills you’ve missed.
Combination pill
As long as you’ve been consistent otherwise, you should still be protected if you’re late by 24 to 48 hours. Take your next pill ASAP, and continue taking your pills as usual.
If more than 48 hours have passed since the missed pill(s):
- Take the most recent missed pill.
- Toss any other missed pills.
- Continue taking the rest of your pack as usual, even if it means taking two the same day.
If you missed pills in the last week of hormonal pills:
- Finish the hormonal pills in your current pack.
- Skip the placebo pills, and start a new pack the next day.
Minipill
If more than 3 hours have passed since the missed pill(s):
- Take a pill as soon as you remember — only one pill, even if you’ve missed more than one.
- Take the next pill at the usual time, even if it means taking two the same day (one when you remember, and the other at the usual time).
- Use a backup birth control method for the next 48 hours after you take your missed pill if you have penis-in-vagina (P-in-V) sex. It takes that long for the minipill to build up your cervical mucus again.
If you’re waiting on a refill and not able to get back on track right away, use a backup method of birth control if you plan on having P-in-V sex.
The general rule of thumb is to use backup birth control until you’ve taken:
- combination pills for 7 consecutive days
- minipills for 2 consecutive days
Unless you already have a diaphragm to fall back on, condoms are the best way to go, because they’re accessible (as in easy to get and don’t require a doctor’s appointment) and effective when used correctly.
You can use external or internal condoms and beef up pregnancy protection by also using a spermicide gel or foam.
The sponge is another backup method.
Maybe.
If you’re on combination birth control pills and missed pills early in the cycle or late in your previous cycle, taking emergency contraception (EC), like the morning-after pill, might be a good idea. If you can, reach out to your local clinic or another healthcare professional for advice.
If you had P-in-V sex (without a backup method) after being more than 48 hours late or missing two pills and don’t want to become pregnant, you’ll definitely want to go to a clinic or pharmacy for EC, pronto.
If you had P-in-V sex (without a backup method) within the 48 hours of being late taking a minipill, get EC.
Try these tips if you need a little help remembering to take your birth control pill on time:
- Download a birth control reminder app.
- Set a timer on your phone.
- Keep your pills next to your toothbrush or something else you use every day.
- Put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror.
If these don’t cut it, and you still forget to take your pill on the regular, you might want to consider another birth control method that you don’t need to take every day.
If you’re able, reach out to a healthcare professional to talk about your other options for contraception.
Taking your birth control at the same time every day is recommended, but you do have some leeway.
How long birth control pills remain effective (when you forget a pill) varies between pill types, so be sure to read the information provided in the pack or by your healthcare professional.
If you’re already late — even very late — you still have options.
Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a Canada-based freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and lifestyle for more than a decade. When she’s not holed-up in her writing shed researching an article or off interviewing health professionals, she can be found frolicking around her beach town with husband and dogs in tow or splashing about the lake trying to master the stand-up paddle board.