It has long been the idea that antibiotics reduce the effect of the birth control pill, which has led many women to be alerted by health professionals, advising them to use condoms during treatment.
However, recent studies show that most antibiotics do not interfere with the effect of these hormones, as long as they are taken correctly, every day and at the same time.
- Recent studies show that rifampicin and rifabutin are the only antibiotics that interfere with contraceptive action.
These antibiotics are commonly used to fight tuberculosis, leprosy and meningitis, these drugs can be enzyme inducers, increasing the rate of metabolism of contraceptive cells, reducing the amount of these hormones in the bloodstream, committing their therapeutic effect.
While these are the only antibiotics with proven pharmacological interactions, there are others that can alter intestinal flora and cause diarrhea, and there is also a risk of reducing contraceptive absorption and is not effective; However, this only reduces the effect of the medicine if diarrhea occurs within 4 hours of taking the contraceptive.
In addition, although this may not be conclusive and no study understands it, it is also believed that tetracycline and ampicillin can interfere with the contraceptive, reducing its effect.
If you are being treated with rifampicin or rifabutin, to avoid disease-related embarrassment, an additional method of contraception should be used, for example, during the period during which the woman takes treatment and has 7 days after stopping treatment.
In addition, if there are episodes of diarrhea during treatment, condoms should also be used, provided that diarrhea lasts up to 7 days later.
In the event that sex occurs unprotected in any of these situations, it may be necessary to take the morning-after pill. Learn how to take this medicine.