Use of certain antibiotics while you are on contraceptive pills can affect hormonal birth control and increase your chance of getting pregnant. Antibiotics can affect the way oestrogen is absorbed into the body. As a result, you’ll need to use an additional form of contraception, such as condom, apart from birth control pills.
How can antibiotics weaken birth control?
Antibiotics can affect the function of the liver, which, in turn, may affect the performance of contraceptive pills. Certain enzymes present in the liver are involved with the breaking down of oestrogen. Antibiotics such as rifampicin and rifabutin can increase the breakdown of oestrogen and reduce the level of oestrogen in the body. The other way antibiotics can interfere with the effectiveness of contraceptive pills is by affecting the re-circulation of oestrogen within the body. Ethinyl estradiol, the active ingredient in Yasmin pill is broken down and converted into other chemicals in the body. These chemicals are then secreted into the intestine, where they are converted back into active oestrogen by certain bacteria present in the intestine and reabsorbed into the body. Antibiotics can kill these bacteria and disrupt the reabsorption of oestrogen in the body.
Be wise to take medical advice
If you are on a 28-day pill pack and also taking antibiotics, skip the seven-day pill-free period, as you get to the end of your active pills. You can rather start with the new pack of active pills to get immediate protection against unplanned pregnancy. Also, if you are taking antibiotics and had sex during the first 7 days of your new pill pack, you should seek medical advice for emergency contraception. Yasmin and Cerazette are two popular oral contraceptive pills that can be taken for an effective birth control under the guidance of a doctor to get positive results.