Antibiotics and Birth Control: Does Medication Affect Hormonal Contraceptives?

    Published 16 September 2021
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    Medically reviewed by Dr. Anna Targonskaya, Obstetrician and gynecologist
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    You’ve probably heard that some medications may affect the way birth control works. But what about antibiotics? Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, and it’s important to take the full course when they’re prescribed. Dive into this article to find out how birth control and antibiotics work together and what to do about it.

    Do antibiotics affect birth control?

    In short, some antibiotics affect hormonal birth control, and some don’t. There are lots of different kinds of antibiotics, and like all prescription drugs, they have to pass rigorous tests and trials. Figuring out how common drugs interact with each other is an important part of ongoing drug safety assessment, so we have good evidence to show which medications work well — or poorly — with each other. 

    Clinical trials on most common antibiotics have shown that the risk of getting pregnant while taking hormonal contraceptives and antibiotics is no different than the risk of getting pregnant while using the hormonal contraceptive without antibiotics. 

    A large epidemiological U.S. study involving more than 43,000 women concluded that there is no connection between antibiotic use and a decrease in the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives. Additionally, a systematic review in 2016 based on 29 studies showed no difference in the occurrence of suppressed ovulation (the main effect of hormonal contraceptives) and breakthrough bleeding while taking non-rifamycin antibiotics and hormonal contraceptives.

    Here are some of the types of antibiotics which do not seem to affect hormonal contraceptives: 

    • Ampicillin
    • Ciprofloxacin
    • Clarithromycin
    • Doxycycline
    • Metronidazole
    • Ofloxacin
    • Roxithromycin
    • Temafloxacin
    • Tetracycline

    Which antibiotics affect hormonal birth control?

    The only antibiotic that affects hormonal birth control is called rifampicin. It’s a medication used for certain bacterial infections, including tuberculosis and some forms of meningitis. 

    The main reason why rifampicin is not compatible with hormonal contraceptives is that it affects the way the body metabolizes them. It speeds up the processing of contraceptives in the body and reduces the levels of the main components of birth control (ethinyl estradiol and progestin) in the blood.

    A systematic review published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology in 2017 shows rifampicin increases the frequency of spontaneous ovulation in women taking hormonal contraceptives. 

    Rifampicin is the accepted international generic name for the drug across most of the world, but it is also known as rifampin in the U.S. Some manufacturers use specific brand names that can vary from country to country. The generic name should still be clear from the packaging. Rifampicin can sometimes come as part of a combined medication, a tablet that contains a mix of two or more drugs. 

    Contraceptives that are affected by rifampicin: 

    • Oral hormonal contraceptives: These include the combined pill and the “minipill” or progestogen-only pill.
    • The contraceptive implant: Usually in the upper arm, this small implant releases a gradual supply of hormones to prevent pregnancy. 
    • The vaginal ring: This is a ring that sits inside the vagina and releases hormones to prevent pregnancy.
    • Patches: Hormone-releasing patches that stick to the skin and are changed weekly are normally a good form of contraception, but they are affected by some medications.

    Сontraceptives that are not affected by rifampicin:

    • The progestogen-only injection: The contraceptive effect is achieved by a progestogen that suppresses ovulation and changes the composition of cervical mucus. Injections are given every eight or 13 weeks.
    • IUDs with progestin: This small device is placed in the uterus and secretes the hormone progestogen, which has a contraceptive effect. They’re effective for 3–5 years.

    Currently, hormonal contraceptives only work on female sex hormones, so there isn’t a male hormonal contraceptive that can be affected by antibiotics. And antibiotics don’t affect non-hormonal contraceptives like condoms or the copper IUD. 

    How do antibiotics affect birth control?

    Rifampicin affects the levels of contraceptive hormones present in the body, reducing the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives. 

    There are several ways pills can interact with each other, and affecting gut absorption is just one of them. Rifampicin also changes the levels of some of the liver enzymes — chemicals that can affect the way we use hormones — in the body. 

    What to do if you’re on a medication that might affect your contraception?

    If you’re on medication that can change how effective your hormonal contraceptive is, it’s important to take other steps to avoid an unintended pregnancy. This means using a barrier contraceptive like a condom or diaphragm. 

    Don’t try to “cancel out” the antibiotics by doubling up on birth control pills; the way the medications interact in your body is complicated and unpredictable, so taking a bigger dose of contraceptives doesn’t work. 

    It isn’t always clear how long antibiotics continue to affect hormonal birth control, so doctors usually recommend continuing to use a barrier method or alternative to hormonal contraception to prevent pregnancy for at least seven days after the end of the antibiotic course. This can be a nice time to try other ways of having sex or being intimate. 

    Takeaway

    Most antibiotics don’t affect hormonal contraception — the one exception is rifampicin (rifampin). If you’re taking rifampicin, it’s essential to use a secondary, non-hormonal method of contraception during the course of antibiotics and for seven days afterward. 

    Antibiotics aren’t the only medications that can affect birth control, so ask your health care provider when they prescribe any new medications if you’re unsure of their impact on your birth control.

    References

    Helms, S. E., Bredle, D. L., Zajic, J., Jatjoura, D., Brodell, R. T., & Krishnarao, I. (1997). Oral contraceptive failure rates and oral antibiotics. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 36(5), 705-710. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0190-9622(97)80322-2 Zhanel, G. G., Siemens, S., Slayter, K., & Mandell, L. (1999). Antibiotic and oral contraceptive drug interactions: Is there a need for concern? The Canadian journal of infectious diseases = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses, 10(6), 429–433. https://doi.org/10.1155/1999/539376 Simmons, K. B., Haddad, L. B., Nanda, K., & Curtis, K. M. (2018). Drug interactions between non-rifamycin antibiotics and hormonal contraception: a systematic review. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 218(1), 88-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.07.003 Archer, J. S., & Archer, D. F. (2002). Oral contraceptive efficacy and antibiotic interaction: a myth debunked. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 46(6), 917-923. https://doi.org/10.1067/mjd.2002.120448 Bauer, K. L., & Wolf, D. G. (2005). Do antibiotics interfere with the efficacy of oral contraceptives?. Clinical Inquiries, 2005 (MU). http://hdl.handle.net/10355/3257 “Will Antibiotics Stop My Contraception Working?” Nhs Choices, NHS, 28 Jan. 2019, www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/antibiotics-contraception/. “Your Contraception Guide.” Nhs Choices, NHS, 17 Mar. 2021, www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/. Toh, Sengwee et al. “Antibiotics and oral contraceptive failure - a case-crossover study.” Contraception vol. 83,5 (2011): 418-25. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2010.08.020 Simmons, Katharine B et al. “Drug interactions between non-rifamycin antibiotics and hormonal contraception: a systematic review.” American journal of obstetrics and gynecology vol. 218,1 (2018): 88-97.e14. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2017.07.003 “Which medicines affect my contraception?” NHS, Crown, 29 January 2019, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/contraceptive-pill-interact-medicines/ KB Simmons et al. “Drug interactions between rifamycin antibiotics and hormonal contraception: a systematic review.” BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, vol.125, no.7, 2018, pp. 804-811. Obstetrics & Gynaecology, https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1471-0528.15027 Allen, Rebecca. ”Combined estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives: Patient selection, counseling, and use.” UpToDate, July 2021, https://www.uptodate.com/contents/combined-estrogen-progestin-oral-contraceptives-patient-selection-counseling-and-use “The contraceptive injection.” NHS, Crown, 7 February 2018, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/contraceptive-injection/ Britton, Laura E et al. “CE: An Evidence-Based Update on Contraception.” The American journal of nursing vol. 120,2 (2020): 22-33. doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000654304.29632.a7 Aronson JK and Ferner RE.”Analysis of reports of unintended pregnancies associated with the combined use of non-enzyme-inducing antibiotics and hormonal contraceptives.” BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine vol.26, no.3, 2021, pp. 112-113. BMJ Journals, https://ebm.bmj.com/content/26/3/112

    History of updates

    Current version (16 September 2021)

    Medically reviewed by Dr. Anna Targonskaya, Obstetrician and gynecologist

    Published (16 September 2021)

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