What should I do if I missed my second dose of emergency contraceptive pills?

Doctor's Answers 1

There are 2 types of emergency oral contraceptives available. The one that you are on involves you taking 2 tablets 12 hours apart. Since you have missed your second dose, you cannot rely on this method anymore so you will need to restart the whole regime again (in that you need to take 1 pill immediately and make sure this time you remember to take the second pill 12 hours later) in order for this to be effective. If it has been more than 3 days since your last act of unprotected sexual intercourse, this method will also not work.

Alternatively, you can take the newer emergency contraceptive pill which involves taking only 1 pill and this will be effective up to 5 days since your last unprotected intercourse.

Finally, there is the copper IUCD that you can get inserted into your uterine cavity and you have up to 5 days from your last unprotected sexual intercourse to get this inserted in order for this to be effective.

If your really cannot afford to get pregnant, then I suggest you see a gynaecologist immediately for more emergency contraception and advice.

Similar Questions

Will switching contraceptive pills help with heavy spotting between periods?

It may be helpful if we explore some of the causes for this intermittent bleeding - sometimes termed as "breakthrough bleeding". If the pill is not taken on a daily/regular basis, the temporary drop in the level of hormones can lead to intermittent bleeding. If you are on any long term medication (eg some antibiotics or anti-epilepsy medication) that increases hormonal metabolism/ breakdown, this can lead to a lowered level of the contraceptive hormone and this can also lead to bleeding.

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Human

Can I safely resume taking my contraceptive pills if I have stopped taking it for a period of time?

I suggest to have a scan done by your gynae to check the lining of the endometrium. It is not uncommon after prolonged use that the lining thins out by quite a bit so there is nothing much to shed as a “period” as such after cessation of the pills. This situation is generally temporary, and the periods should come back soon. A second possibility is that you naturally had infrequent cycles (say every 3-4 months) due to irregular ovulation. The pill will mask this and make it seem like your periods come every month.

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Answered By

Dr Jasmine Mohd

Gynaecologist

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