Nordette and Pregnancy

Clinical studies on Nordette and pregnancy show that serious complications are not likely to occur if the birth control pill is accidentally taken in early pregnancy. However, Nordette is still considered a pregnancy Category X medicine, meaning it should never be used intentionally during pregnancy. If you are taking Nordette and pregnancy occurs, stop using the pill and contact your healthcare provider immediately.

 

An Overview of Nordette During Pregnancy

Nordette® (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol) is a prescription birth control pill. Just like any other birth control pill, Nordette should not be taken during pregnancy.
 
(Nordette is equivalent to Levora® and Portia® birth control pills. The information in this article also applies to both of these medications.)
 

Nordette and Pregnancy Category X

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category X is given to medications that should not be used during pregnancy, usually due to serious problems such as birth defects or miscarriages.
 
It is commonly believed that taking birth control pills during early pregnancy is very dangerous and causes birth defects. However, doing so is not likely to cause any serious problems, even though Nordette is a pregnancy Category X medication. Large studies have shown no increased risk of birth defects when birth control pills were accidentally taken in early pregnancy. Nordette should never be used in an attempt to prevent or cause a miscarriage, as it is not effective for such uses.
 
Keep in mind that if you take Nordette correctly (without missing any pills), the risk of pregnancy while taking Nordette is quite low. If you miss your period while taking Nordette, you may want to consider making sure you are not pregnant (an over-the-counter pregnancy test should be sufficient), especially if you have missed any of the pills. If you miss two periods in a row, you should definitely make sure you are not pregnant.
 
If you accidentally used Nordette for a while before you realized you were pregnant, this probably will not cause any problems (although you should discuss this with your healthcare provider). If you are pregnant, you should stop using Nordette right away. If you think you may be pregnant, you should contact your healthcare provider for further instructions.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;