THE PROGESTOGEN-ONLY PILL: QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MINIPILL
Q. I am on the minipill and I often forget to take my pill when I am supposed to. I haven’t got pregnant though, so does it really matter?
A. If you really don’t want to be pregnant it does matter. Even though you have not become pregnant so far, you could get pregnant any time that you are late taking the pill if you have sex around that time. Perhaps you could choose another time of day to take your pill when you are most likely to remember it.
If you are often late taking your pills or you miss a pill at least once every month you are at a much higher risk of getting pregnant It would be best to consider changing to another method of contraception that will be more reliable for you.
Q. I only missed one minipill and now my period is overdue.
Should I have a pregnancy test, or am I worrying too much? A. Even though you only missed one pill it is possible you could be pregnant if you have had sex since you missed the pill.
Irregular periods are very common on the minipill even if you’re not pregnant but it’s probably better to know for certain if there’s any chance at all. A urine pregnancy test is simple and accurate.
Q. If I got pregnant when I missed one of my minipills, but I didn’t know I was pregnant so I kept taking the pills, would that affect the baby?
A. There is no evidence that the minipill has any bad effects on an unborn baby.
Q. Do I need to have regular check ups if I take the minipill?
A. You should check your own breasts every month after your period. If you don’t know how to do it, ask your doctor or a nurse to show you, or ask for a pamphlet on how to do it.
It’s a good idea to have your blood pressure taken, and your breasts checked for lumps when you go for a new prescription for the minipill. You should also have a Pap test every two years, or more often sometimes, if you have had an abnormal Pap test in the past.
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