Sprintec

What is Sprintec?

Sprintec is a combined birth control pill. When you take it exactly right, your chances of getting pregnant are less than 1%. If you take Sprintec and make the occasional mistake by missing a pill, it’s not quite as effective. It still gives you a good level of protection (around 91% on average).

There are two active ingredients in Sprintec pills, which are synthetic versions of the natural hormones estrogen and progesterone.

How does Sprintec work?

Sprintec works in three ways to stop you becoming pregnant.

Firstly, it prevents ovulation. This is the process where the body releases an egg ready to be fertilized. If no egg is released, pregnancy can’t happen.

Sprintec also changes the lining of the womb. So if an egg did happen to be released and become fertilized, it wouldn’t be able to attach itself to the uterus. This uterine lining builds up and then sheds when you have your period.

The “period” you have when you’re using hormonal birth control isn’t the same as a normal period, because the lining doesn’t build up in the same way. It’s technically a withdrawal bleed, which is usually lighter than a true period.

The hormones in the pill also thicken the mucus in your cervix. This makes it harder for a sperm to reach and fertilize the egg.

Is Sprintec a generic pill?

Yes. Sprintec is the generic for the Ortho-Cyclen pill, a FDA-approved combined birth control pill. So there shouldn’t be any difference in how well they work or their side effect profile. The only real difference between the two is branding, which means the packaging and name.

Another important aspect about generic and branded versions is price. Generic products tend to be cheaper, despite the fact they do exactly the same thing as their brand-name counterparts. So it pays to always see if there is a brand-name version you can use.

How to take Sprintec

Sprintec comes in packs of 28 pills. The blister pack of Sprintec contains both active and inactive pills. The active pills are blue; the inactive are white. The blue pills are taken for 21 days, the white pills are taken for 7 days. To be protected right away when you start taking Sprintec, you should start taking active pills on the first day of your period. It’s also important to take the pill at regular intervals to help you get into the habit of taking it every day. This might be first thing in the morning or with a meal you have at the same time each day. You don’t need to take the pill with food, but if you do have an upset stomach while you’re using hormonal birth control, taking it with a meal might help.

Is Sprintec an effective birth control method?

Sprintec is around 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, which is as effective as reversible methods get. This means that out of 100 women taking it over one year, exactly right, only one will get pregnant. This level of effectiveness relies on the pill being taken as directed, at the same time, every day. If you forget to take it occasionally, it’s still highly effective. “Typical use” effectiveness for the combined pill is 91% (so nine out of every 100 women taking it over a year in this way will become pregnant).

What if I forget to take it on time?

If you do take your pill late, or miss a pill, Sprintec’s effectiveness will be reduced. How much it will drop will depend on a number of factors. For example, if you start your pack late, that reduces the effectiveness more than if you miss one single pill. If you miss one pill, simply take it as soon as you remember, even if this means taking two pills within one day. If you miss two or more pills in a cycle, you should take it as soon as you remember. You should then use an extra contraceptive, such as a condom, for at least seven days so the pill can “catch up.”