170,000 Packs Of Birth Control Have Been Recalled, So Check Yours ASAP

Recalls are never fun, especially when reproductive health is involved. Still, as much as people would like to avoid recalls altogether, mistakes do happen from time to time. And one of the more troubling mishaps of late involves the pharmaceutical industry company Allergan. In a stressful turn of events, Allergan recalled 170,000 packs of its Taytulla birth control on Tuesday, according to CNN. Allergan did not immediately respond to Romper’s request for comment. Unfortunately, the company's packaging department accidentally put the placebo pills in the wrong order, a mistake that could lead to unintended pregnancies. Considering each person out there has the right to make informed choices about their reproductive health, it's important that all of the information about this recall reaches the public. That being said, here's how to check if your Taytulla birth control is included in the recall.

Before you freak about this news, it's important to note that this nationwide recall only affects sample packs of Taytulla, according to CBS News. So, if you didn't receive a sample of Taytulla from your physician, there's a good chance you're not affected by this recall. Still, it's always better to be safe than sorry — especially if you don't want to conceive at this time.

As for how you can tell if your sample pack is included in the recall, the good news is the process is pretty simple. All you have to do is look at the color-coded order of your sample to figure out what's going on. If the first four pills in the 28-day cycle are maroon colored, then you are affected by the recall, according to Newsweek. The maroon colored pills are actually placebo capsules for the end of the 28-day cycle, and these pills do not contain contraceptive hormones. The other 24 capsules in the package are pink and these pill do contain hormones to prevent pregnancy. If you are still unsure about the correct order of colors, there are plenty of side-by-side images on Twitter and Google of Taytulla packages to help you out.

Another way to figure out if your birth control is included in the recall is to check the packaging. If the package reads "lot #5620706 Exp. May 2019," then the order of your pills are likely incorrect, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website.

Obviously, this re-ordering poses a lot of risks for people who take Taytulla. If you're a busy person or someone who doesn't pay attention to the color of your birth control very closely (no judgment there — it's reasonable to assume your contraceptives are correctly packaged), an easy mistake can be made. And it goes without saying that taking your birth control pills out of order can mess with your reproductive health.

The FDA said in statement about the error, according to The Hill:

As a result of this packaging error, oral contraceptive capsules, that are taken out of sequence, may place the user at risk for contraceptive failure and unintended pregnancyThe reversing of the order may not be apparent to either new users or previous users of the product, increasing the likelihood of taking the capsules out of order. If patients have concerns regarding the possibility of an unintended pregnancy they should consult their physician.

The FDA brings up a good point that concerned consumers should contact their physician or trusted health professional following this recall. Even if your birth control isn't apart of the recall, it might be best for you to chat with your doctor about Taytulla and it's manufacturer, Allergan, to figure out if this product is best for you going forward. As I mentioned earlier, every person has the right to make informed decisions about their health care.