Loretta is taking oral contraceptives and is placed on a 10-day course of an antibiotic. The nurse plans education to include:

A. Discontinuing oral contraceptives during antibiotic therapy is not recommended because abrupt cessation can disrupt hormonal regulation and does not reliably reduce interaction risk. Continuing the pills maintains cycle control, even if contraceptive effectiveness may be temporarily reduced. B. Increased hunger or fluid retention are known side effects of hormonal contraceptives related to estrogen and progesterone effects on appetite and fluid balance. These findings are not associated with antibiotic use and do not indicate a clinically significant interaction requiring provider notification. C. Some antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives by altering intestinal flora involved in estrogen reabsorption, leading to lower circulating hormone levels. Using a backup method such as condoms during antibiotic therapy and for the remainder of the cycle reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy. D. Separating the timing of antibiotic and oral contraceptive doses does not prevent the interaction because the effect is related to hormone metabolism and enterohepatic circulation rather than direct absorption competition in the gastrointestinal tract.