Pregnancy & Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo

Overview

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is an oral contraceptive that contains ethinyl estradiol (synthetic estrogen) and norgestimate (synthetic progestin). Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is an effective method in preventing pregnancy, though it should not be taken if you are pregnant.

Mechanism

The influx of hormones from Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo works in three ways to prevent a pregnancy: suppressing ovulation, thickening the cervical mucus and thinning the uterine lining.

Effectiveness

Statistics provided by Drugs.com show that out of every 100 women who use Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, 2.36 women become pregnant.

Pregnancy Drug Category

EMedTV reports Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is classified as a category X pregnancy drug by the Food and Drug Administration. Use during pregnancy could cause risks to a fetus.

Dangers

Even though Ortho Tri-Cycle Lo is a category X drug, eMedTV notes if it is taken accidentally during a pregnancy, there were no increased risks of birth defects.

Recommendation

If you discover you are pregnant, stop taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo immediately.