How do oral contraceptives interact with other medications?
Oral contraceptives can interact with several classes of medications. Antiepileptic drugs such as carbamazepine and phenytoin can decrease the contraceptive's effectiveness by inducing hepatic enzymes that increase the metabolism of estrogens and progestins. Additionally, antiretrovirals used for HIV treatment can also affect contraceptive efficacy, necessitating alternative or additional contraceptive methods.
