If you've never considered how your birth control and antidepressants might interact, you're not alone. It's a topic that's often overlooked in health discussions, yet understanding their relationship can help you make safer and more informed decisions.

Hormonal contraceptives like the pill, patch, implant, and vaginal ring may interact with certain medications for depression. However, non-hormonal options such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the contraceptive shot generally remain unaffected.

Fortunately, most commonly prescribed antidepressants — such as SSRIs (like fluoxetine, sertraline, and citalopram) and SNRIs (like venlafaxine and duloxetine) — do not reduce the effectiveness of birth control. The risk of an unplanned pregnancy due to drug interaction is low with these combinations.

However, older antidepressants like tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) may cause interactions, although they are rarely prescribed today. A bigger concern is St. John's Wort, a herbal remedy for depression. It increases liver enzyme activity, which can break down contraceptive hormones more quickly, potentially lowering their effectiveness and increasing the risk of pregnancy.