Take Portia at the same time every day so it can be as effective as possible. Pick a time that’ll be easy to remember and that works for every day of the week. For example, early in the morning might not be a good idea if you’re an early bird on weekdays but sleep in on weekends. Lunch time, afternoon or evening might be a better idea — but it’s up to you. Portia comes in a pack of 28 pills. The first 21 pills are active pills, which means they contain hormones. The last week of pills doesn’t contain any hormones, and will be when you get your period.

Missed a pill? We’ve all been there. Here’s what you need to do to get back on track.

If you miss one active pill, just take it as soon as you remember and take the next pill at the normal time. It’s ok if you end up taking two pills in one day because of this.

If you miss two active pills in a row in Week One or Week Two, take two pills on the day you remember and two pills the next day. Then keep taking your pills like normal. When you miss two pills in a row, their effectiveness drops significantly. You should use condoms for seven days after you miss the pills to protect yourself from pregnancy.

If you miss two active pills in a row in Week Three, keep taking one pill a day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw the rest of the pack away and start a new pack. You should use condoms for seven days after you miss the pills. It’s also possible you won’t get your period that month, which is OK. If you miss your period two months in a row, though, you should take a pregnancy test.

If you miss three or more active pills in a row during any week, keep taking one pill a day until Sunday and then throw the pack away and start a new one. Use condoms for the next week and keep an eye on your period. You might not get it that month but if you don’t have your period for two months, you should take a pregnancy test.

When you take hormonal birth control like Portia, your period will likely become shorter and lighter. It’s possible that it could stop entirely, but that’s not a guarantee. Talk to the licensed doctor during your consultation if you want a birth control that’s known for stopping periods. Sometimes, this is more common with progestin-only methods of contraception like the mini pill or the Mirena IUD.

You can stop Portia to try for a baby any time. But after stopping Portia, it’s recommended that you wait until you’ve had one full menstrual cycle (and period) before trying to conceive.

It’s possible you’ll experience side effects while taking Portia. Most of the side effects associated with birth control aren’t serious, and many occur just after you start taking it and go away on their own as your body adjusts to the new hormone levels. The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, spotting, weight gain, breast tenderness and difficulty wearing contact lenses. 

Serious side effects can occur, but they’re pretty rare — especially if you don’t smoke and are generally healthy. However, it’s important to know what they are in case they do happen.

Serious side effects include:

• Blood clots
• Stroke or heart attack
• Liver tumors
• High blood pressure

If you experience any serious side effects, stop taking Portia and go to the hospital.

It depends on what they are. If you’re experiencing mild side effects like nausea or spotting, especially right after starting Portia, you can wait a few months and see if these go away on their own. They should.

However, if you experience any side effects that impact your quality of life and aren’t going away on their own (or you don’t want to wait for them to) you should talk to us. The licensed doctor will be able to advise you and switch you onto another birth control that might work better for you.

And if you experience any of the serious and rare side effects, we recommend that you go to the hospital immediately. You don’t need to talk to us first, though when you’re back home we can help you pick a different birth control.

You can chat with a licensed doctor any time through your EveAdam account. They can give you more info about side effects and whether it’s worth sticking it out or trying a different pill. Definitely let us know if you’re experiencing any side effects that are particularly frustrating or uncomfortable. If you notice any signs of a blood clot (swelling or heat in the thigh or calf), have difficulty breathing or are experiencing very irregular or heavy periods, go to the emergency room.

Whether you’ll gain or lose weight on Portia or another birth control is a complicated question. Studies have shown that there’s no association between hormonal birth control and weight changes, but that’s mostly because it’s so difficult to prove that a medication is responsible when there are so many factors that contribute to how much we weigh. And despite the studies, you’ll probably still see both “weight loss” and “weight gain” on the list of birth control side effects.

Here’s the deal: weight won’t magically appear or disappear when you take Portia. Your scale might show a higher number because of bloating, or a lower number if you’re going to the bathroom more often. It’s also possible that Portia will impact your appetite, which can lead to weight changes. If you’re worried about weight loss or weight gain, talk to the licensed doctor during your consultation. And after you’ve gotten a prescription, keep an eye on your body and appetite. If you experience any changes you don’t like, we can help you find a birth control that’ll work better for you.

Portia is the generic form of Nordette, both of which are combined birth control pills made by Teva. They have the same ingredients in the same amounts as Seasonale, Jolessa, Quasense, Introvale, Chateal EQ, Marlissa, Altavera, Levora, Lillow, Kurvelo, Levlen, Setlakin and Ayuna. These other medications may be made by other companies so they will have different packaging, pricing and inactive ingredients — but when it comes to effectiveness, they’re all equivalent.

Altavera is another generic medication with the same active ingredients, in the same amounts, as Portia. This means it works the same and has the same possible side effects and interactions with other medications. Because the inactive ingredients are different, it’s possible you’ll react better to one pill than the other. Talk to the licensed doctor during your consultation and they can help you choose.

Levora and Portia are both generic forms of Nordette. Nordette and Portia are made by Teva, and Levora is made by a different company. So they’ll have different prices, packaging and inactive ingredients but the same effectiveness, possible side effects, and interactions with other medications.