Minocycline is an antibiotic used to treat many different bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, skin infections, severe acne, gonorrhea, tick fever, chlamydia, and others. Many people take this medicine while taking birth control pills.

However, like most antibiotics, minocycline can potentially reduce the action of birth control pills, making it (birth control) less effective, which can then result in unwanted pregnancy. Therefore, it is recommended to use a second reliable method of birth control when taking minocycline. It is also important to avoid a pregnancy because minocycline has been shown to cause harm to the fetus. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormonal method of birth control (such as condom, diaphragm, or spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while using minocycline.