BC pill

[omnomnonny]

hi there!

should i be worried about some spotting while on birth control? ive had some super mild spotting for about 3 days (as in its a slight bit of pink or red brown discharge) while still on my active pills (its my last week of active pills)

i’ve been taking these pills for a little more than a year. i’m not sure if its something to be concerned about or if my pills are not as effective? im thinking what might have caused it is because i took one pill late the week before and then accidentally took two pills at the start of this week (i’m not usually this scatterbrained haha i normally take it pretty religiously)

but yeah i was just wondering if it was something i need to be cautious about since its not usual for me. thank you in advance!

[Sofi]

Hi! What you're describing seems like a common side effect of birth control/the pill. Something as small as taking it at different days might cause spotting, but also it could just...happen. Also, 3 days and the color you're describing sounds normal too! Keep an eye on it if it gets too long or heavy, but otherwise it sounds typical. Here's an article with more info and side effects of the pill: Birth Control Bingo: The Combination Pill

[omnomnonny]

oh thank you! thats good to know.

it also doesn’t necessarily mean that my birth control is any less effective right? i’m still going to be using condoms as a back up for my own peace of mind, but essentially my birth control is still protecting me as normal?

[Elise]

Hi omnomnonny, it is pretty likely that your pill is back to providing its contraceptive effects after the missed day, however do check the information leaflet that comes in the box for your particular one to see their instructions on how to handle a missed pill for the kind you take, and how long the manufacturers recommend using a backup method of contraception for after that.

This is because the different brands of pill have different levels of synthetic hormone in each dose and it is a medicine that works from it's cumulative effects (being taken on successive days). This is why you are still protected on the "inactive pill" days, why it's important to take them as regularly as possible, and why the different kinds will have different instructions to follow for a missed day. You can read more about this here: How do birth control pills really work, even during the placebo period? and here: Quick Hits: Questions and Answers on The Pill.

As Sofi said, spotting is a common pill side effect. People can often get extra side effects like this temporarily when something about the dosage fluctuates a bit, like a pill being missed or an extra dose from taking two in a day, like you had. As you are back to your usual timing taking the pill, you should likely see the spotting clear up soon and will likely find after reading the information leaflet that you are already covered for hormonal contraception again.

Using condoms as a back up is a good idea in any case for their STI protection, and when used together with the Pill gives you 98.7% effective protection from unintended pregnancy with typical use, so it's a great combo. You can read more about this here: The Buddy System: Effectiveness Rates for Backing Up Your Birth Control With a Second Method.