What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel and ritonavir
Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel's FDA label of October 18, 2024 names ritonavir in its contraindications section; the ritonavir label PlainMeds reads does not name ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel. The ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel label: “… components Use of Hepatitis C drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, due to the potential for ALT elevations”
Check it at the source: the ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 18, 2024, Xiromed, LLC); the ritonavir FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 23, 2026, AbbVie Inc.).
What does the ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel label say about ritonavir?
Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel label, contraindications… Current diagnosis of, or history of, breast cancer, which may be hormone-sensitive [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] Hypersensitivity to any of the components Use of Hepatitis C drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, due to the potential for ALT elevations [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )]
Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel label, drug interactionsSignificant changes (increase or decrease) in the plasma concentrations of estrogen and/or progestin have been noted in some cases of co-administration with HIV/HCV protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (decrease [e.g., nelfinavir, ritonavir, darunavir/ritonavir, (fos)amprenavir/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, tipranavir/ritonavir, boceprevir, telaprevir, nevirapine and efavirenz] or increase [e.g., indinavir, atazanavir/ritonavir and etravirine]).
Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel label, warnings and precautionsElevations with Concomitant Hepatitis C Treatment During clinical trials with the Hepatitis C combination drug regimen that contains ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, ALT elevations greater than 5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), including some cases greater than 20 times the ULN, were significantly more frequent in women using ethinyl estradiol-containing medications, such as COCs.
Source: FDA drug label (Joyeaux), Xiromed, LLC, effective October 18, 2024 (SPL set 655b2c93-cfae-d44f-c128-c816bbd88e45), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the ritonavir label say about ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel?
Ritonavir's label (effective July 23, 2026) does not name ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Norvir), AbbVie Inc., effective July 23, 2026 (SPL set 2849298e-de6e-47bb-8194-56e075b33fc3), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel | Ritonavir | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Birth control | HIV |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $3.45 per tablet 28 tablet | $0.607 per tablet 100 mg tablet |
| Shortage now | No current entry | A presentation being discontinued |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once