Will Antibiotics Interfere with my Birth Control?

 Four facts that may surprise you!

As a dermatologist, prescribing oral antibiotics is common for skin disease and acne.  One of the most frequent questions I receive is – Will the antibiotics interfere with my Birth Control Pills?

The simple answer is NO.  Wait, did I get that wrong?  NO, the answer is NO.  Shocker right.  Let’s look at this scientifically, not based on what google or the package inserts say.

There is only one antibiotic  – RIFAMPIN – that interferes with oral contraceptives pills (OCP) known as birth control pills (OCP).  This is one that is rarely prescribed and almost never prescribed in dermatology.  It is used to treat Tuberculosis and Leprosy.  Unless you have Tuberculosis or Leprosy, you are in good shape with taking the antibiotic.

This is a very common medical misbelief, but Google is actually getting it right this time.  In the Google search below with 6 MILLION hits, all the articles on the first page indicate that only Rifampin is a problem.

“But I know someone who got pregnant when an antibiotic
interfered with their birth control pills!”

CONSIDER THESE FACTS!

1-Birth control pills are at best 99% effective when taken
exactly as prescribed. 

2-There is a 9% failure rate of birth control pills during the
first year of use due to non-compliance.

Teens and young adults are not
compliant with taking their medication as directed.  In one survey of 175 college women,  73.5% did not take the pill at the same time daily; 52% of
respondents skipped at least one dose of the pill within the month preceding
the survey; and of these women, 19% skipped two or more doses.  (Wiltjer
et al., 2015).

3-Patients are LESS
compliant with everyday medications when they are sick.

4-The only way to avoid pregnancy 100% is ABSTINENCE!  Did you know that teens who are sexually active are 2-3x more likely to be depressed and 3-8x more likely to attempt suicide than those who are abstinent? ( Just a shameless plug for abstinence for any teens who are reading!)

Although it is extremely rare, I have encountered patients who report abnormalities in their menstrual cycle while combining oral antibiotics and birth control pills.  If you are experiencing any abnormalities in your cycle, we recommend you see your gynecologist and use two methods of contraception until resolved.

Supporting articles /Further Reading

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