Q: Does alcohol reduce the effectiveness of birth control?
A: Drinking doesn’t change the effectiveness of birth control, but it can impact your ability to use your method correctly. If you use condoms, spermicide, or a diaphragm—any method that requires set-up right before sex—there is always a chance of human error. When you’re drunk, the chance of using these methods improperly goes WAY up.
For more information and tips, visit Bedsider.
Dr. Diane Straub, Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine & Professor of Pediatrics, USF Health and Medical Director, Ybor Youth Clinic