Antibiotics and BC

[KristyG5]

Hello! I have been on kariva for about 6 months now. Take the pill roughly the same time every day but sometimes skip the last few placebo pills. I had my period 8/12-8/17 as normal and had protected sex during that time. I was on antibiotics 8/21-8/25 and had protected sex 8/22-8/24. He wore a condom and pulled out. I'm a worry wart and want to know if I'm freaking out for nothing.

[Sam W]

Hi Kristy,

So, this type of sex will always pose some risk. However, you used three birth control methods, which means that your odds of pregnancy are really, really low. Even if your pill had been compromised somewhat (and the best person to ask about the chances of that is your healthcare provider), you still had the protection from withdrawl and the condom. You can read about the effectiveness of combining those two methods here, to give you a sense of just how low you chances of pregnancy are:
The Buddy System: Effectiveness Rates for Backing Up Your Birth Control With a Second Method