Skip to content
← Back
Preparing for a Video Call

Can women who smoke take birth control pills?

Women who smoke may have heard that they shouldn’t be taking birth control pills that contain estrogen. But while doctors recommend that women either find different pregnancy prevention alternatives (i.e. pills/ birth control methods not containing estrogen) or quit smoking before taking estrogen- containing birth control pills, studies find that 80% of women will still continue to smoke while taking the pill.

Can smokers take a combined birth control pill containing estrogen?

Doctors strongly recommend against taking combined oral contraceptives containing estrogen especially in women 35 years of age and older when continuing to smoke due to the increased risk of serious side effects which we will explore below.

Why aren’t combined oral contraceptives recommended for smokers?

Smoking and the use of oral contraceptives featuring estrogen each have their own side effects, both relating to blood flow.

While normal blood vessels are softer and more pliable, smoking causes blood vessels to constrict, which overtime results in blood vessel walls becoming weaker and harder. Smoking also increases the development of plaque formations which further contributes to the restriction of blood flow.

On the other hand, birth control pills containing estrogen thicken the consistency of blood, making it easier for blood to clot.2 Combined, the effects of smoking and taking combined birth control pills may significantly increase the risk of serious heart and blood vessel problems, including death from heart attack, blood clots, or stroke. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes smoked.

For this reason, all birth control pills containing estrogen carry a boxed warning especially for women over the age of 35 who smoke (see below).

BOXED WARNING:

Do not use combined oral contraceptives if you smoke cigarettes and are over 35 years old. Smoking increases your risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from hormonal birth control methods, including death from heart attack, blood clots or stroke. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes you smoke.

What are the side effects for smokers when taking combined oral contraceptives?

The synergistic effect of smoking and taking combined pills may lead to an increased risk of adverse effects on a woman’s heart and blood vessels, leading to cardiovascular complications such as a heart attack, blood clots, and stroke.

Who is at risk of developing complications?

Women who smoke and are over 35 years old have the highest risk of experiencing cardiovascular side effects when also taking birth control pills with estrogen.3 They should speak to their doctor about alternative birth control methods.

What are some birth control alternatives for women who smoke?

For women who smoke over 15 cigarettes a day, in addition to the combined pill, doctors also do not recommend the patch or ring as these options all contain estrogen. Instead, ask about progestin-only pills or other birth control methods that are estrogen-free, like a copper IUD. Neither of these options contains estrogen.

Why are progestin-only birth control pills safer for smokers?

Progestin-only pills (or POPs) do not contain any estrogen and therefore may have a lower risk of side effects when compared to combined pills in women who smoke. Doctors typically recommend estrogen-free contraceptives for women who are smokers, have high blood pressure, are overweight, suffer from migraine headaches, or have a history of blood clots.

 

What is Slynd® birth control and how can it help women who smoke?

As a progestin-only (estrogen-free) oral contraceptive, Slynd® is a safer alternative to combined pills containing estrogen. It does not have a boxed warning pertaining female smokers 35 years of age and older, and in clinical studies there were no reports of blood clots while taking Slynd.

What makes Slynd® a unique progestin-only pill? It’s currently the only estrogen-free birth control pill available that features a 24-hour missed pill window. Other progestin-only pills feature a much tighter 3-hour window, which places more pressure on women to take their pill at the right time. In addition, with Slynd®, women can expect a more predicted and tolerable bleeding pattern with the 24 days of active hormone and 4 days of placebo dosing regimen.

Learn more about Slynd, by clicking here.

Exeltis Logo
© 2021 Exeltis USA, Inc. EXP-21-0028 R00
Slynd® is a registered trademark of Exeltis USA, Inc.

 

1. https://www.pandiahealth.com/resources/risks-of-smoking-and-birth-control/

2. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/1015/p1849.html

3. https://www.forhers.com/blog/smoking-and-birth-control-what-you-need-to-know

4. https://www.abingtonhealth.org/healthy-living/health-news/library/articles-related-to-womens-health-/the-pill-and-smoking-understanding-the-risks/

3

You're about to continue to the Slynd® website.

Learn more about how One POP May Fit MORE Women Like You!

← Stay on My Pill & More

Dr. Darya Blednova, M.D. is a board-certified internal medicine physician. Dr. Darya grew up in Krasnoyarsk, Russia; she graduated from medical school at Krasnoyarsk State Medical University and completed her internal medicine residency at Nassau University Medical Center. She is a first-generation immigrant and understands the struggles that others face when moving to the other side of the world. She uses real-life examples to make it easy for her patients to understand the root causes of their problems, which encourages them to stick with their new, healthy behaviors. Dr. Darya is greatly interested in optimizing women’s somatic and reproductive health during their reproductive cycles.

Josh Emdur D.O. is a board-certified family medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer at SteadyMD with a passion for providing personal, high-value medical care that embraces the use of technology. His friends and family have texted him their medical questions on a daily basis for years (despite having their own respective doctors). It is this concept that launched the idea to start a virtual primary care practice. With the ubiquity of smartphones, fitness trackers, and connected health devices he can gather important data to help coach his patients to live healthy lives.

Dr. Amanda Sadler was born in Enid, Oklahoma and fell in love with sports and medicine at a young age. She swam at Texas Christian University and then returned to Oklahoma for medical school. While in medical school, she found the sport of triathlon and had immediate success. She raced as a professional athlete on the ITU and Ironman World Circuit for 15 years. Throughout her journey as a professional athlete, she discovered functional medicine. Now she gets to combine all that she loves (functional, sports, and performance medicine) into her job. Her approach to helping patients optimize their health and performance is through root cause analysis and encouraging a healthy balanced lifestyle.

Dr. Lynn Buchanan is a family medicine physician who has years of experience in conventional and integrative medicine. She was born and raised in the inner city of Paterson, NJ. After growing up poor and quitting high school, Dr. Buchanan worked in a hospital as a pharmacy tech. There, the oncologist pushed her to attend college. She went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from William Paterson University. Then, she attended the UMDNJ School of Osteopathic Medicine and Nova Southeastern COM. Dr. Buchanan believes in aligning her medical approach with the needs and preferences of the patient. She takes cultural and individual needs into consideration, taking time with each individual patient to determine the best treatment method.

Dr. Leah Roberts is a board-certified physician who specializes in Emergency Medicine. Prior to medical school, she practiced as a personal trainer and nutritionist. Dr. Roberts completed her Emergency Medicine residency at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, NJ. She earned her Doctorate of Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine and M.S. Nutrition at Columbia University.  Additionally, Dr. Roberts proudly serves as a Commissioned Officer in the US Army Reserves. She has an interest in preventative medicine and helping patients find a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

Get your Vitafol® from the comfort of your own home

3 easy steps is all it takes to get your Vitafol® prenatal vitamins.

1.

Tell us about yourself

Let us get to know you better by filling out a questionnaire about your medical history and pregnancy details, and then book your video or chat appointment with a doctor or go with secure messaging instead*.
*Each consultation chat is $0.

2.

Connect with our doctors

At your virtual appointment, you can ask the doctor any questions you may have and discuss which Vitafol® prenatal vitamin may best serve your needs.

3.

Get your prescription your way

You can request your Vitafol® prescription to be filled at the pharmacy of your choice — whether it’s your local pharmacy or an online option.

Here’s how to get Slynd® without having to leave home

You see it, you like it, you want it? You got it. Getting Slynd® is as simple as 1-2-3.

1.

Tell us about yourself

Fill out a health questionnaire to tell us more about yourself, and book a virtual appointment to speak with a doctor over video or live chat*.

*Each video or chat consultation is $0.

2.

Connect with our doctors

At your virtual appointment, you can connect with a doctor to learn more about your oral contraceptive options and whether Slynd® is the right fit for you.

You may even be eligible for a free sample!

3.

Get your prescription your way

Select a local or online pharmacy to fill your prescription, all from the comfort of your own home. Getting birth control has never been easier.

10

You're about to enter a secured site to talk to our doctors.

You will be able to schedule a live virtual appointment with a doctor for $0—and receive a prescription—without leaving your home!

← Stay on My Pill & More

10

You're about to enter a secured site to talk to our doctors.

You will be able to schedule a live virtual appointment with a doctor for only $0—and receive a prescription—without leaving your home!

← Stay on My Pill & More

3

You’re about to continue to the Vitafol® website.

Get a free sample of Vitafol® prenatal vitamins online from the comfort of your own home.

← Stay on My Pill & More