| It is a little known fact that birth control medications rely | | | | most doctors, while waiting for further studies to be |
| heavily on the body's natural biochemistry. A large | | | | concluded and the findings made public knowledge, are |
| number of pharmaceutical birth control products work | | | | keen on advising couples to use backup methods, |
| by affecting the chemical or hormonal balance of the | | | | such as condoms, in conjunction with the pills. |
| body to prevent pregnancy. While most of these | | | | Most doctors believe that certain medications can |
| medications are designed to be able to work despite | | | | lower the effectiveness of birth control, though the list |
| the multitude of variables that cannot be fully | | | | is mercifully short at the moment. Most medications |
| accounted for in the body, that doesn't mean that they | | | | found to have an effect are noted to cause minimal |
| work no matter what. In particular, the drug interaction | | | | increases in risk, usually within a certain margin of error. |
| between antibiotics and birth control pills has been | | | | However, some medications are believed to cause a |
| noted to be rather antagonistic towards one another. | | | | more noticeable increase in risk, such as rifampin, |
| A number of antibiotics have been noted to interfere | | | | amoxicillin, penicillin, tetracycline, and minocycline. Other |
| with how some birth control methods work, though | | | | medications that might have an effect, depending on |
| other types of contraceptive pills work just fine. It is | | | | the circumstances and some physiological variables in |
| currently believed that something about the way | | | | the body, are phenobarbitol, nitrofurantoin, sulfonamide, |
| antibiotics and birth control medications work is making | | | | and cotrimoxazole. Griseofulvin is sometimes believed |
| them incompatible with one another on a chemical | | | | to have an effect, though the possibilitiy of such is not |
| level, though it is still unknown what. | | | | widely accepted by the medical community. |
| It should be noted that only one antibiotic has been | | | | Doctors might advise their patients to lean towards |
| definitively proven to reduce the effective abilities of | | | | caution when dealing with antibiotics and birth control |
| birth control medication. Though this declaration was | | | | medications. It is advisable to have a second birth |
| made by the Mayo Clinic, one of the most respected | | | | control method on hand, such as a condom or |
| health care institutions in the world, it should be noted | | | | diaphragm to minimize the risk of unwanted pregnancy. |
| that long-term studies have not been conducted into | | | | This is considered good advice whether or not the |
| the interaction between antibiotics and birth control | | | | female is taking an antibiotic, since no single |
| medications either. This implies that while only one | | | | pharmaceutical or blocking birth control method is 100% |
| antibiotic has been found to have an effect, it is | | | | effective. A pharmacist may also be consulted to |
| possible that the others may have an effect and | | | | have a better idea of how drugs interact, to provide a |
| simply have not yet been explored fully by the medical | | | | better idea of whether or not risks would be reduced |
| community. This blank spot has been recognized and | | | | by using more than one method of contraception. |