Ask a doctor on the topic of Gynecology

Forgot pill on the first day

January 3, 2017 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello, yesterday I forgot to take the 1st pill (micro pill Leona Hexal) from the new blister pack for contraception. I took it tonight, but it was about 22 hours late. I also took the normal pill for today. However, I had unprotected intercourse yesterday. How likely is it now that I will become pregnant? Or that despite continued pill intake, ovulation occurs at exactly the time when the sperm are still alive? Can we rely on the studies of the WHO that a delayed intake of up to 24 hours does not affect the protection? Because pharmaceutical companies try to cover themselves as well as possible. With correct intake, there is a protection of 7 days during the intake break. This does not end exactly on the minute. Therefore, a break of 8 days probably should not lead to pregnancy with high probability, right? Also, I had my period until Sunday, so the lining should not be ready yet. Is the morning-after pill still recommended or is the likelihood of pregnancy so low that it is not necessary, especially since some time has already passed?

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,

You have not received a response so far because we are legally treading on very thin ice.

In fact, you can usually rely on still having protection up to 24 hours later. But we do rely on your information. So if I advise you here to forego the "morning-after pill" because it is an unnecessary hormone intake, and you do end up pregnant (for example, because the timing was not exact, or because a previous case of diarrhea or the intake of medication like St. John's Wort reduced the pill's effectiveness), then I have a real problem.

That is why I must advise you to take the "morning-after pill," even if a pregnancy is very unlikely. You have up to 3 days after sex to do so; please also consult with your gynecologist.

Best regards, Dr. Höllering