It depends on when you started taking the pills.

If you started taking the pills on the first day of your period, you were protected immediately. If you started taking the pill at any other time, then you need to wait one week before you will be protected.

Once you have finished a whole month, you will have an off week. You will be protected during this week, and next month when you start the new pills you will be protected all the time!

You should start taking them during your period and it is my understanding that you need to give it one full cycle of birth control (1 full pack) before you are fully protected.


Hope this helps.

That's not true. She could start taking them any time she wants. With ortho-lo, they have two suggested ways to start. One is called "Sunday Start". In this way, she starts on any Sunday of the month. Sunday is picked just so it's easier to remember, but it could be any day you wanted so you can plan for your period to always fall on a weekend, or during the week, etc.

The other method is called "Day 1" start. In this way, she would have started the pills on the first day of her period, no matter what day of the week it was. There is a sticker or adjustable clicker that comes with the pill packs so you can adjust what day it says each of the pills are. The default is Sunday.

With Sunday Start, she would have to wait one week to be safe (unless the first day of her period just so happens to be a Sunday). After 7 days of properly taking the pill, she is safe.

With Day 1 Start, she would be safe immediately, and would not have to wait 7 days.

I have never taken ortho so I guess it is different. I do remember a "sunday start" with the pills I took but I was always told to wait one full cycle regardless of how you started. Maybe it just my doc being extra safe.

That's all it is, being extra safe.

so Eiri (btw i just recongized ur picture from death note. haha i just started watching it and i'm on episode 20 only:P) you're saying that for every woman on the pill, even for first timers, it takes 7 days to know that ur safe on the pill? or is it only for certain women with certain body types? i recently wrote a pregnant on pill entry even tho you others have taught me alot about the pill. i'm just being totally paranoid. i'm on it for 2 weeks and one day now and my bf came in me without a condom today . am i still safe? ( and yea i know it was stupid of me to not use a condom bc i'm usually the smart one when it comes to sex) please help! please and thank you!

It's not a mathematical certainty, and it all depends on when you start the pills... If you start on any random day (NOT the first day of your period) then within 7 days, you will be protected. It all depends on whether or not you've' ovulated yet, or what time of the month it is, etc...

So the 7 day period is necessary for all women because people just don't know... You are totally fine, you were more than 7 days out!! You don't need a condom, it wasn't stupid!

yay i got it now:) ah thanks so much again! now i can stop worrying also bc its almost a month:) thanks again!!!