If a woman forgets to take the oral contraceptive Yaz, its protective effect may decrease, especially in the first week of the pack.
Therefore, it is important to use another method of contraception, such as condoms, to prevent pregnancy from occurring.
Furthermore, an alternative for those who frequently forget to take the pill is to use another method in which daily use of the pill is not necessary. See: How to choose the best contraceptive method.
Forgetting up to 12 hours in any week
In any week, if the delay is up to 12 hours from the usual time, you must take the forgotten tablet as soon as you remember and take the next tablet at the usual time, even if you take 2 tablets on the same day.
In these cases, Yaz’s contraceptive protection is normally maintained and, therefore, there is no risk of becoming pregnant.
Forgetfulness for more than 12 hours
If there is a delay of more than 12 hours from the usual time, Yaz’s contraceptive protection may decrease, especially when forgetfulness occurs at the beginning or end of the pack. See below how to proceed in each specific case.
In the first week
- What to do: If you forget to take it between the 1st and 7th day, you should take the forgotten tablet when you remember and continue taking the remaining tablets at the usual time.
- Use another contraceptive method: Yes, as a condom, for 7 days.
- Risk of getting pregnant: There is a risk of pregnancy if you have had sexual intercourse in the week before forgetting.
In the second week
- What to do: If you forget to take the pill between the 8th and 14th day, take the forgotten pill as soon as you remember and continue taking the next pills at your usual time.
- Use another contraceptive method: It is not necessary to use another contraceptive, as Yaz’s contraceptive protection is maintained.
- Risk of getting pregnant: Generally, there is no risk of pregnancy.
In the third week
- What to do: If you forget to take the Yaz tablet, during the 15th and 24th day you can choose one of two options:
- Take the forgotten tablet as soon as you remember and continue taking the next tablets at the usual time, starting the new pack as soon as you finish the current one, without taking a break between packs. Generally, bleeding only occurs at the end of the second pack.
- Stop taking the pills from the current pack, take a 4-day break, including the day you forget the pill, and start a new pack. During the 4-day break from taking the pill, bleeding should occur.
- Use another contraceptive method: It is not necessary to use another barrier method of contraception.
- Risk of getting pregnant: There is a risk of pregnancy if bleeding does not occur within 4 days of taking a break from using the Yaz pill.
Missing more than 1 pill
If more than one pill from the same pack is forgotten, a doctor should be consulted, as the more pills in a row are forgotten, the lower the contraceptive effect will be.
In these cases, if there is no bleeding within 4 days before starting a new pack, you should consult your doctor before starting a new pack as the woman may be pregnant.
