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.”
