Planning on when and how many children to have is an important part of your life. No birth control method except abstinence is 100 percent effective, but if you opt to use birth control pills to control your fertility, you may rely on it to prevent pregnancy if you take your pills correctly. It has an effectiveness rate of 92 to 99.7 percent, according to the Feminist Women's Health Center. There are herbs you should avoid to ensure your birth control pills work as they should.
St. John's Wort
Reconsider taking St. John's wort while using birth control pills for contraception. MedlinePlus notes that St. John's wort can affect how well your birth control pills work by changing the way your body breaks down estrogen. Combination birth control pills, or contraception that contains both estrogen and progestin to prevent ovulation, are particularly susceptible to decreased effectiveness associated with taking St. John's wort. Drugs.com recommends using an additional form of birth control, perhaps a barrier method like the diaphragm or male or female condoms, if you take St. John's wort while relying on birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. As with starting any new treatment, consult your doctor first before taking St. John's wort.
Chasteberry
Taking chasteberry while you are on birth control pills may result in an unintended pregnancy. The Eclectic Physician notes that chasteberry, also known as vitex, can impact your levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, which may result in your body having more progesterone. This can encourage ovulation and make you more fertile. Chasteberry may also decrease the effectiveness of your birth control pill by acting as a phytoestrogen, releasing compounds into your body that react like estrogens. With your hormone levels on a roller coaster, it is difficult to rely on your birth control pill to effectively protect you from pregnancy. Before taking chasteberry, discuss it with your physician to make sure it doesn't interfere with your birth control pills or any other medications.
Red Clover
Like chasteberry, red clover contains plant hormones that can mimic estrogen when it enters your body, reports Drugs.com. It should be avoided while you're taking birth control pills to ensure your contraception works effectively. According to MedlinePlus, estrogen in birth control pills works in combination with progestin to stop your ovaries from releasing an egg, preventing pregnancy by removing anything for sperm to fertilize. These hormones also change your uterine lining to make it difficult for a fertilized egg to implant there in the event your body does produce an egg. Any variation in your hormone levels can interfere with your birth control pill, so taking red clover is not recommended. You should discuss red clover with your doctor before adding it to your daily diet.
