Katie asked
Is it easy to switch birth control? I go to the health department and I don't know what I need to do to switch. I've been on it for 3 months. This was my 1st time taking birth control.
Answer
It is very easy to switch from your current birth control pill to a different one, although it is important to know the type of birth control pill you are switching from and what type of birth control pill you are switching to.
There are two different types of oral contraceptives (i.e. birth control pills):
- Progestin Only Pills (i.e. POPs)
- Combined Oral Contraceptives (COCs)
Combined oral contraceptives are the most common type of oral contraceptive pill. They contain both an estrogen (usually ethinyl estradiol) and a progestin. Combined oral contraceptives are know to be slightly more effective than progestin only pills, most likely due to the fact that there is a little more room for error in regard to administration time. While birth control pills should be taken at the same time everyday, a small deviation will not typically affect the contraceptive efficacy of COCs.
Progestin-only pills are less commonly used than COCs. They are a good choice for women with certain underlying conditions or in those that need to avoid estrogen. Unlike COCs, taking POPs inconsistently most likely will affect contraceptive efficacy.
As mentioned, it is important to understand which product you are currently taking and which you are switching to, as that will influence how to properly switch. Below, we discuss each situation in detail and how to safely switch birth control pills.
Switching From Combined Pill To A Different Combined Pill
In this situation, switching products is easy. Start your new pills the day after you take your last 'placebo' pill of your other product. In other words, simply start taking your new pills on the same day you would be starting another pack of your old pills. There is no need to use backup birth control on this method if you are sexually active.
Switching From A Combined Pill To Progestin-Only Pill
When switching from a COC product to a POP, it is important to take the first POP pill the day after you finish the last active combined pill. It is important to point out that you do not take any of the 7 inactive pills from the combined pill pack. Be aware that you may expect to have irregular periods after switching to a POP product. This is normal and will gradually subside over your next few cycles. There is no need to use backup birth control on this method if you are sexually active.
Switching From Progestin Pill To A Different Progestin Pill
You can start the new brand at anytime if you are simply switching between different progestin pills. There is no need to use backup birth control on this method if you are sexually active.
Switching From Progestin Pill To A Combined Pill
There are a few methods that can be utilized, but the safest in terms of pregnancy risk is to begin taking the new combined pill on the first day that you get your period. There is no need to use back-up birth control with this method.
If you want to switch to your combined pill immediately, you do not need to wait until menses but back-up contraception may be necessary. If it has been 7 or more days from your last 'active' birth control pill, you must use back-up contraception for 7 days if you are sexually active.
In conclusion, it is simple to switch from one birth control pill to another, but it is important to know which kind you are taking. Remember that combined pills will have two different hormones in them, an estrogen and progestin. Progestin only pills on the other hand only contain one, a progestin. For your reference, below are the available progestin only pills:
- Camila
- Errin
- Heather
- Jencycla
- Jolivette
- Lyza
- Nora-BE
- Norethindrone 0.35 mg
- Ortho Micronor
- Sharobel
