Birth Control: Getting Started and Best Practices

When can I start taking birth control? How long after I start birth control am I fully protected against pregnancy?

How effective are birth control pills? The patch? The ring?

Do I need to take the ring out for sexual activity?

How does birth control prevent pregnancy?

How do I insert the vaginal ring?

Will I have more regular periods on birth control?

What are the placebo pills in my birth control pack?

Can I get pregnant during the placebo break?

If I started taking the pill at one time but want to change the time I take it every day, can I do that?

Can I use birth control to skip my periods?

What do I do if I miss a pill?

What do I do if my ring falls out or my patch falls off?

If I don’t take my pills at the exact same time every day, will they still be effective?

How should I store my birth control? What if it was shipped during extreme cold or hot weather, will it still be effective?

Why did I receive a generic? Are generics any less safe or effective than name-brand?

How will I know if the medications I am taking will interfere with the effectiveness of my birth control?

Do antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of my birth control?

Does drinking alcohol affect my birth control and its effectiveness?

Do any of the types of birth control SimpleHealth offers protect against STDs?

Can I take birth control if I smoke?

How soon can I take birth control after a pregnancy?

Can I take birth control if I'm breastfeeding?

If I want to stop taking birth control, what do I do? How soon after stopping does pregnancy prevention end?

What should I do with expired pills, or pills I just don’t want to take anymore?

How do I dispose of my used or expired ring or patch?

What's the difference between a combination pill and a progestin-only pill (mini-pill)?