No one's perfect, and if you're on the birth control pill, you've probably had to face the gruesome reality that is forgetting to take your birth control pill for the day. The birth control pill is basically the greatest invention since sliced bread, but that doesn't mean it can't be a little frustrating at times. If you're on the pill, you might have wondered more than once why it feels so difficult to figure out how to remember to take your birth control.
Because the pill is so easy to take, it's just as easy to forget to take it. We've all been there (I've personally been there several times, which is why I switched to the IUD), when you realize in a, shall we say, inopportune moment, that you forgot to take your pill a few times this month and might not be as protected as you thought you were.
Being aware of your own sexual health and safety is one of the most important things you can do for your well-being, especially when you're sexually active. The birth control pill can be up to 99 percent effective, but oftentimes, the effectiveness drops to around 91 percent, for one main reason: People don't take it consistently, every day, at the same time.
If you're on the pill, it's absolutely vital that you take it every day at the same time. Here are six ideas for how to never forget your birth control pill again.
The obvious, but important one: Set a reminder on your phone! Try to pick the alarm for a time when you're guaranteed going to be near your birth control, like early in the morning or later at night.
If you tend to reflexively hit "snooze" on your alarm without actually doing what it's telling you to do (i.e. take your damn pill already), consider subscribing to or downloading a service or app that will remind you to take your pill. Lady Pill is one such app that works to keep you aware of where you are in your packet, how successful you've been in taking it on time, and when you can expect to get your period.
If you're more of a tactile learner, try writing your reminders down in your planner, or on your calendar. I personally like to write everything important down. Sometimes technology can get inundated with social interaction, professional obligations, and more, and putting all of your personal reminders in the same notebook can do wonders for your success rate.
If you have a friend who's also on the pill, try to become each other's pill buddies (yeah, I know, that sounds weird, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN). Sync your pills up so that you're taking them at the same time every day together, and that way, if one of you forgets, the other will remember (hopefully, anyway).
I consider post-it notes to be God's gift to frazzled humans like myself. There's a reason why they come in so many amazing neon colors: They're the perfect last-ditch attempt to remember something that you know you'd forget otherwise.
Put up an all-caps "TAKE THE PILL" hot pink sticky note against your apartment door, so you always see it before you leave the house.
Place your packet of birth control pills right next to your toothbrush, or your coffee machine, or your phone charger, or any other place that you know you go to every day, without fail. That way, you quite literally cannot avoid it, even if you are kind of sort of the most forgetful person on the planet.
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