Birth Control Forum - Am I Right? Contraceptive Pill.

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Q: Am I Right? Contraceptive Pill.

asked by: Qwerty123 on July 11th, 2007

New User

The other day, my girlfriend and I met up after spending some time apart over the holidays. She told me that last month she had forgotten to take the pill a couple of times and after the second time she didn't continue to take the pill again (As I think you're supposed to). When we met up, she was coming off her period and had been taking the pill for three days. I was just wondering whether, during this time, the pill would have been working correctly. Does the whole process start afresh after a period or is it affected by events prior to her period?

Thanks for your time.

Replies(5)

Carifairy

replied on July 11th, 2007

Extremely eHealthy

She did compromise her protection!

You need to be on the pill for 7 full days in order to be protected fully. This is the rule if you stop taking the pill and re-start, or start the pill for the first time.

Qwerty123

replied on July 11th, 2007

New User

Carifairy wrote:

She's taking Cilest. I'm not sure, but if I remember correctly, it becomes effective immediately if you start taking it on the first day of your period. Hence the confusion.

Also, just to clarify, I'm interested in the time period after she started to take the pill again, not the time after she stopped taking it.

Anne123

replied on July 11th, 2007

Experienced User

Carifairy is right.

No matter what birth control pill she is on, when she starts a pack of pills having not completed the previous pack (just like if it was her first pack ever), she is not fully protected until after the first 7 days.

Backup is needed for the first 7 days. If it is not too late, the "morning-after" pill (aka plan b) would be a good idea.

Carifairy

replied on July 13th, 2007

Extremely eHealthy

YES, IN order to be fully protected each and every month, without a 7 day delay, you need to take the entire previous pack!!

Georgia59

replied on July 16th, 2007

Especially eHealthy

Qwerty123 wrote:

She's taking Cilest. I'm not sure, but if I remember correctly, it becomes effective immediately if you start taking it on the first day of your period. Hence the confusion.

You're right, but that only counts the first time. Because when she missed pills, she would ovulate at a different time than her normal period and the period she experiences may or may not be a real period, it doesn't really count to start taking the pill that day. Like the others have said, you have to take it for a full seven days before it is effective.

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