Ethinyl Estradiol; Levonorgestrel (Triphasil) Administration

NOTE: OCs containing 50 mcg estrogen should be used only when medically indicated. Examples of potential medical indications for products containing 50 mcg of estrogen include a history of known contraceptive failure on the 50 mcg products, or increased hepatic metabolism of OCs, such as occurs with some anticonvulsant medications.

NOTE: Some contraceptive packs contain 28 tablets. For most of these, 21 tablets contain active hormone and 7 contain either iron or inert ingredients, so that the daily dosage cycle can be continuous. This reduces the chance of missed doses. The 7 extra tablets are taken at the end of the cycle. One product, Seasonale®, consists of 3 trays containing a total of 91 tablets. For this product, 84 tablets contain active hormone and 7 contain inert ingredients; Seasonale® was designed to allow women to have only 4 withdrawal bleeds per year.

NOTE: Products vary in the amount of estrogen and/or progestin; formulations of different hormonal content are not interchangeable.

NOTE: If oral contraceptives are first taken postpartum or later than the fifth day of the menstrual cycle, the contraceptive effect should not be relied on until after 7 consecutive days of drug administration.

Oral Administration