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Contraception - Management
Vomiting or diarrhoea while on a combined oral contraceptive (COC): what should be done?
- A woman who vomits (for any reason) within 2 hours of taking a combined oral contraceptive (COC) should repeat the dose as soon as possible.
- If vomiting or severe diarrhoea persists for more than 24 hours, the instructions for missed pill should be followed (see Missed COC pills), counting each day of vomiting and/or severe diarrhoea as a missed pill:
- Additional contraceptive cover is required during the illness and for 7 days afterwards.
- If the illness occurs while taking the last 7 tablets, omit any pill-free period (or inactive tablets) and start the next cycle immediately.
In depth
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