Posted: December 3, 2015 Contributor: PRJKT RUBY

5 Ways To Get the Most Out of Your Birth Control

Most of us love birth control for its ease of use and high rate of efficacy but if you aren’t taking your pill exactly as intended each day you might not be as safe as you think! Doesn’t it make you feel queasy when a friend says the dreaded words “I got pregnant WHILE on the pill”? Nothing is 100%, however, birth control pills are 98% effective when taken as directed. Typically human error is the cause of birth control failure.

Here are 5 ways you can make sure that your birth control pills are effective as possible: 

1. Set an Alarm for the Same Time Every Day
   If you aren’t taking your pills at the same time each day, you raise your risk of becoming pregnant and also facing the dreaded breakthrough bleeding (bleeding that occurs between periods). If you have a hard time remembering, set an alarm on your phone. Can you ever really think of a time that you don’t have your phone within earshot? 
2. Start the Pill Pack on the Recommended Day
   You’ll notice your birth control pill pack is labeled with the days of the week. This is great for making sure you have taken all your doses for the week. When you first start taking the pill, take it on the recommended day. Often this is a Sunday start (the Sunday following the beginning of your period) but make sure you know for certain what do you should begin and stick with it.
3. Carry Your Pills With You
   Life happens…sometimes a short happy hour turns in to a longer night or you are on a day trip and you get a flat tire. Basically, by carrying your pills with you, you will be ready for whatever happens. If they are in your medicine cabinet at home, however, you could be thrown off your normal schedule. 
4. Have Extra Packs On Hand
   Nothing is worse than going to take your pill only to see an empty pill pack. Our lives are busy and sometimes we forget to get to the pharmacy. Running out on a weekend is aggravating because pharmacies have shortened hours and chances are that your doctor isn’t available if you are in need of a refill. This is why having extra packs on hand is the perfect solution. 
5. Don’t Skip Any Days 
   Many combination birth control pills have sugar pills or placebos that are placed on the days you will have your period. It may be tempting to skip these pills but doctors agree this is a bad idea. It basically can take you right out of your normal routine making it much easier to forgot to take a dose.