T O P I C R E V I E W
pamplemousse
Member # 96224
posted 07-09-2012 06:45 AM
Hi there, I PROMISE this is not a pregnancy risk assessment - I've read your resources, but I do have one slightly specific question about EC, so please bear with the background info I had vaginal intercourse for the first time last Friday night and again Saturday morning (so roughly 9 days ago). We used condoms and had absolutely no discernible issues. There was VERY brief genital-to-genital contact before he put the condom on, but I don't think there was any fluid. I was right around my ovulation time when this occurred, which I only realized after the fact. I took EC (Next Choice) about 21 hours after the first encounter, just in case I hadn't ovulated yet. For the first few days, I had no side effects. I've spent all week irrationally worried that I'm pregnant - so much so that my friends think I'm creating symptoms out of my worry. Anyway, I should be getting my period anytime in the next week or so. The past two or three days, I've been experiencing lower ab cramping and occasional, slight nausea. These symptoms worsen the more worried I get about a very unlikely pregnancy, but even when I'm calm, they remain. I don't normally have PMS symptoms at all, but I know EC can do weird things to your cycle. Is it possible that EC would give me PMS symptoms when I haven't experienced them in the past? I find it bizarre that I would experience EC side effects after several days, rather than immediately after taking the pills. Thank you!
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 07-09-2012 07:59 AM
HI There pamplemousse and welcome to Scarleteen. EC can actually have an effect on your menstrual cycles for a couple of months after taken it, so experiencing side effects a few days after rather than right away is not unexpected or unusual. Also, for what it's worth, you would not be experiencing pregnancy symptoms this soon anyway. Pregnancy does not occur right away, hence the recommendation that pregnancy testing, in order to be accurate, should be conducted 14 or more days after the suspected risk. Have you had intercourse before? If so, what do you think is making you worry about pregnancy so much this time? Also, can I check in with you about whether you and your partner are up-to-date with your STI testing?
pamplemousse
Member # 96224
posted 07-09-2012 01:07 PM
Thanks for the quick response! Okay - so you're saying that cramping and other symptoms that are usually associated with menstruation are much more likely to be a result of the EC than a pregnancy, at least 9 or 10 days after sex? This was my first time, so I think the paranoia is a combination of general first-time fear that something will go horribly wrong and a giant heap of guilt from being brought up to believe that sex before marriage is wrong. I'm also a worrier by nature, so I can't stop being worried that I'll be the incredibly rare exception to the rule. We didn't have in-depth dialogue about STIs...oops. I'll definitely make sure we do before anything continues.
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 07-09-2012 01:54 PM
Combatting those guilt messages would for sure make anyone anxious. How are you feeling about it now? Would you like to talk about birth control options so you feel can feel more secure the next time you and your partner choose to have intercourse? WE can also talk about how to broach the STI discussion if you would find that helpful. Here's a handy rundown on how different STIs can be transmitted.STI Risk Assessment: The Cliff's Notes
pamplemousse
Member # 96224
posted 07-09-2012 06:42 PM
Thanks Honestly, I can't really shake the paranoia. I'm moving through my daily life fine, but I can't stop going through the what-if scenarios in my head. I'm mainly worried because I feel that if there was any problem with either condom that was somehow not visible, AND I had just ovulated, that it'd be way too easy for me to be pregnant. But I rationally know that it's unlikely. I think I'm familiar enough with other birth control options - you guys have really great resources here. If I end up in a relationship where I'm having sex consistently, I'd like to combine the pill and condoms - that'd cut out a lot of the paranoia. I'd just have to make sure my insurance would cover it. Thanks for the link! I think I'll be comfortable bringing it up. Right now my main fear is the phantom pregnancy symptoms, but I do feel more at ease now.
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 07-09-2012 07:05 PM
Hi, When a condom malfunctions, it *really* malfunctions. It either falls off wholly or partially, or it splits or shreds. Unless it was tampered with in the package (and you would see that the package had been tampered with) a condom won't just spring a microscopic (not visible to the naked eye) leak. Sometimes, this kind of anxiety and paranoid thinking can be a sign that something else is going on, like a discomfort with or a not-quite-readiness for the sexual activity, or anxiety over the relationship with the sexual partner.
pamplemousse
Member # 96224
posted 07-09-2012 07:22 PM
Haha yeah, that's essentially what my partner said when I asked him if he was positive nothing had gone wrong, even though I already knew the answer. It's just reassuring to hear it from others. I would definitely buy that. Being a little older and one of the only virgins in my friend group, I felt very ready to almost get it out of the way (not the best attitude, but it's true), but I would have preferred it to be with someone I was already in an established relationship with. We're on that path, but still, this is definitely bringing up a lot of those unresolved fears, so thank you :)I'm home for a month off of work and this happened right before I left, so I have time before I'll see him again to sort these things out with myself and make those decisions.
Robin Lee
Member # 90293
posted 07-09-2012 07:26 PM
...and we're happy to support you through that sorting out process at any point you would like.