Birth control pill times

[amandat12]

Hello,
I was at a wedding and had to take my birth control pill three hours earlier then I normally do. I normally take it at 9PM; and had to take it at 6PM tonight. Will this effect my pregnancy rate? I only use the oral contraceptives as my protection because I always take it perfectly (down to the minute). Should I take my birth control pill at 6 now instead of 9 for the rest of my pack? Or can I take it at 9 for tomorrow night and still be perfect-pill user covered?

[Sam W]

Hi amandat12,

No, taking the pill a few hours earlier than normal should not decrease it's effectiveness. Since there's a 12 hour grace period before the pill is even considered late, you could take it at 9 the next night (or continue taking it at 6, whichever feels best for your day to day life). Too, it helps to remember that because perfect vs typical use is factored over a year, most pill users will never quite hit perfect use (although they will still have a very, very high level of protection). Every now and then there will be something that causes them to take the pill late or make-up a pill.