Contraception: progestin-only pill timing: practice question

A OBG question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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OBG · Contraception: progestin-only pill timing

Sample item

A woman on a traditional progestogen-only pill realises she took her usual pill 5 hours late yesterday and had unprotected sex since. What is the advice?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Take the missed pill now, use extra protection for 48 hours and consider emergency contraception

Traditional progestogen-only pills depend on a narrow window of 3 hours for the cervical mucus effect, so a delay of more than 3 hours is a missed pill. The woman should take the pill, use condoms or abstain for 48 hours, and consider emergency contraception if unprotected sex took place. Desogestrel pills have a 12-hour window.

Option by option

  • A. Stop the pill for one week

    Stopping the pill adds more risk.

  • B. Take the missed pill now, use extra protection for 48 hours and consider emergency contraception (correct)

    Correct. Late by more than 3 hours means a missed pill with 48 hours of extra protection.

  • C. Double the dose for 3 days only

    Doubling the dose is not the recommended rescue.

  • D. No action is needed

    A 5-hour delay exceeds the window and protection is reduced.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More OBG questions

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is B, Take the missed pill now, use extra protection for 48 hours and consider emergency contraception. Traditional progestogen-only pills depend on a narrow window of 3 hours for the cervical mucus effect, so a delay of more than 3 hours is a missed pill.

Why is "Stop the pill for one week" not the answer?

Stopping the pill adds more risk.

Why is "Double the dose for 3 days only" not the answer?

Doubling the dose is not the recommended rescue.

Why is "No action is needed" not the answer?

A 5-hour delay exceeds the window and protection is reduced.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Contraception: progestin-only pill timing in OBG. The woman should take the pill, use condoms or abstain for 48 hours, and consider emergency contraception if unprotected sex took place. Desogestrel pills have a 12-hour window.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Contraception: progestin-only pill timing?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.