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How Long Does It Take for Birth Control to Expire?

does birth control expire

It tends to be young women who use birth control and people of either gender usually have good eyesight while they’re still very much in their youth at these ages. So, there’s no reason why a young woman wouldn’t be able to read the expiry date printed on the rear of their birth control medication packaging. Or wherever else it’s located, it’s probably legible. Does birth control expire? Yes, it does and when that will be a possibility will be clearly indicated with ‘EXP month / year’ printed there. In the unlikely chance it’s not, then generally how long does it take for birth control to expire?

The standard guideline for that is any birth control medication you still have after a year of it being dispensed to you should be considered expired. Meaning you shouldn’t use it anymore, and more importantly, you shouldn’t continue to think that if you do continue to take it you will be protected against becoming pregnant. Most young women using birth control will know that there’s no room for error with family planning and they don’t want to be in a situation where they have to make a difficult ethical decision.

So. asking does birth control expire is going to be a question for them, although it’s not common that women would need to ask that question. They’ll only receive a certain number of pills at any one time, and with birth control, you very much need to take them exactly as frequently as indicated for reliable pregnancy prevention. If there are leftovers from your supply you’re wondering about and it’s been more than one year, you likely haven’t been taking your oral contraceptives as you should have.

New Prescription Time

Women will know what happens when you stop taking birth control, and that can be part of why they might ask does birth control expire. If you’ve had pills for more than a year, they are to be considered expired and you should return them to the pharmacist for proper disposal. While you’re there, how about getting that prescription for birth control renewed so that you can have a new and known-potent supply of contraceptives that will allow to continue enjoying unprotected sex with your partner.

There’s no connection to does birth control expire, but surely, we can say that is a part of youth that should be celebrated. You may be long past the single years of your 20s, but surely you can remember how enjoyable it was to have spontaneity with that sort of amorousness and stuff. So, we think what birth control allows for women with regards to having complete control over their reproduction is a darn good thing.

Does birth control expire? It does, and you don’t want to run the risk of having your contraceptives ineffective because they’ve expired. If you don’t know exactly when they expire, you should still plan to not use them if it has been over 12 months since the prescription was filled.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.

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