Does drinking alcohol, using cannabis, or other drugs reduce the effectiveness of birth control?

Drinking alcohol, using cannabis, or other drugs doesn’t change the effectiveness of birth control, but it can impact your ability to use your method correctly, especially if you’re using a method you have to remember to take, like the pill, or a method that requires set up right before sex, like condoms, spermicide, or a diaphragm. There is always a chance of human error, and if you’re drunk or high, the chance of using these methods incorrectly goes up.

Still not working?

If you’re worried about messing up your birth control when you’re under the influence, you may want to look into methods you don’t need to deal with in the moment.