T O P I C R E V I E W
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-03-2011 07:46 PM
Please help me. This is my situation...I am on the birth control pill Zovia 1/35, and I have been taking it for about two years now. I recently started having sex with my boyfriend (we are both tested and free from STDs), and we always use condoms. The problem is that about 25 hours ago, we had sex, and the condom slipped off just as he pulled out to ejaculate. needless to say, all the semen landed on my private area. I was devastated. I normally take my pill between 10:45 pm and 12:30 am, so its always within a three hour window ( my pill time is at 11:00 PM, but sometimes i take it a little earlier or a little later, depending on when i get to bed). I have never missed a pill, neither have i taken it later than 3 hours late. Where im getting at is, do you think that the EC pill is necessary for me to purchase? I am in a bit of a panic, as i do not want to get pregnant any time soon. Do you think my Birth control's effectiveness has been comprimised? am i now considered a typical user? please help me, i know that the EC pill is most effective the sooner it is taken.
CoatRack
Member # 50455
posted 03-03-2011 07:51 PM
The birth control pill is up to 99.7% effective on it's own with perfect use, and around 93% effective with typical use. It sounds like you are closer to the perfect use percentage. Condoms are great because 1) the pill does not protect against STIs and 2) combining two methods is always more effective. You have a backup in case one method fails - in this case the condom did. Plenty of women use only the birth control pill as their contraception and are just fine. Emergency contraception doesn't sound necessary in your situation. Relax! You are doing all the right things.
Heather
Member # 3
posted 03-03-2011 07:52 PM
Typical use is not defined by how a method BESIDES you pill works or doesn't. It sounds like you have been taking your pill very well, so you can rest assured you have its full effectiveness, and Plan B, which is less effective than your pill, isn't needed here as it won't likely add any protection you don't already have from your pill.
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-03-2011 08:01 PM
Thank you very much for your fast reply! you guys are a lot of help, and have really made me feel a lot better. Just out of curiosity, while i was on my placebo pills about a week ago, I ended up eating dairy products (I am lactose intolerant). Could this have comprimised my effectiveness? It was during my period, so im assuming that it has no effect on this cycle of pills. Am i correct?
Heather
Member # 3
posted 03-03-2011 08:03 PM
Issues with absorption around digestion are only relevant when there are pills you're taking to absorb in the first place. So no, no need to worry about that.
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-03-2011 09:27 PM
Thank you very much, you guys are the greatest!
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-13-2011 06:00 PM
okay, just as i was barely starting to relax about my situation, i am now starting to really worry again. im an emotional wreck as of right now. so, it has been about 10 days since my incident occured. i have been taking my pills regularly. today it seems as if ive caught the stomach flu and now im worried that im at an increased risk of getting pregnant. i havent had any type of sexual interactions with my bf since. what do you suggest i do? am i doomed to get pregnant???
Heather
Member # 3
posted 03-13-2011 06:03 PM
No. Becoming ill now isn't going to have any impact on a risk of ten days ago. If you didn't become pregnant from that risk by now, you're not going to become so from that risk. But since you know you are throwing up and such now, you just want to make sure that if you have any intercourse for the rest of this cycle, that you back up with a second method, like condoms, which you already do, so that's a no-brainer.
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-13-2011 06:06 PM
okay, thank you. Im going to abstain from sex for a while. Do you think that it is likely that i am pregnant from ten days ago?
Heather
Member # 3
posted 03-13-2011 06:09 PM
Scroll back up to how CoatRack and I both replied to you: my opinion hasn't changed. I think that if and when you're using two methods that make your risk as close to zero as it can get and you still feel really freaked and worried, that's usually a very good cue that you probably just don't feel right having the kind of sex that presents those risks. Sometimes that's only about taking those risks and feeling unwilling or unable to deal with them, sometimes it's about more things on top of that. But either way, given how you've been feeling, I think stepping back from sex seems like a good call to take care of yourself to me.
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-13-2011 06:16 PM
okay, i understand... I just feel so irresponsible given that the condom broke and all the semen was spilled onto my vulva. i guess that i really dont have a high chance of being pregnant, that would just be the worst thing imaginable to happen to me.
CoatRack
Member # 50455
posted 03-13-2011 06:20 PM
It makes no sense to feel irresponsible because the condom broke - you were being responsible in that you were on the pill, taking it correctly, AND using a condom. That's why we back up our birth control methods - in case one fails, the other one is there to protect us. You didn't do anything wrong. Like I said above, you did everything right!
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-15-2011 12:36 AM
thank you sorry to be a bother, but since I didnt have any flu like symptoms until 12 hours after taking my pill, would it be safe to say that it was absorbed correctly?
Alice
Member # 28346
posted 03-15-2011 02:21 PM
Yes, it absolutely would have been absorbed correctly by then.
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-20-2011 08:07 PM
okay thats good to know. I was just wondering, if i do decide to have sex again sooner than later, is there any way that i can prevent this type of condom mishap from happening again? I feel very comfortable with having sex knowing that i have two forms of protection, and i just do not want to have this problem occur again if there is a way that i can prevent it. Im not planning on having sex again until after this cycle of pills. Im expecting to get my withdrawal bleed on tuesday, im keeping my fingers crossed, but I was just thinking, i guess the reason i have such a hard time trusting my birth control pills alone is because i cant SEE that they are working. In a way it feels like im not protected at all, but really i should know that i am. Do you guys have any advice for me? thanks.... and sorry if i am being a bother, i know you are all very busy.
Stephanie_1
Member # 36725
posted 03-20-2011 08:59 PM
quote: the condom slipped off just as he pulled out to ejaculate. needless to say, all the semen landed on my private area. Okay, so based on your comment there I can walk you through a few things. First of all, if you or your partner did NOT hold the base of the condom when he went to withdrawal, then that's part 1 of making sure they don't slip off. Holding at the ring helps to keep it from slipping off as the force is against the condom with withdrawing. Hand in hand with this, since you use condoms thereby having two methods, there's really no reason for your partner to withdrawal before ejaculation. Scrambling to withdrawal before ejaculating can often lead to either not holding the base firmly or forgetting altogether to do so (and let's be honest... that's a pretty darn hard time to remember to do anything). Condoms are designed to contain ejaculation. Thirdly, is making sure if you weren't to be using a good water based lubricant. That helps to lessen friction on the condom, can also help with keeping it in place during withdrawal, and is part of using condoms correctly. For a step-by-step of proper condom use and all this, have a look at this article here: Condom Basics: A User's Manual .
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-20-2011 09:05 PM
Okay thanks a lot i guess i never really realized that withdrawal could be doing more harm than good in this case. I have never used lube before, but i know we have some somewhere! ill make sure it is water based as well.
Stephanie_1
Member # 36725
posted 03-20-2011 09:08 PM
Awesome to hear . If you can't find any or it's not water based, astroglide, liquidsilk, and pink are all good brands (astroglide's pretty easy to find in most pharmacies).
sweetheart92
Member # 57856
posted 03-22-2011 12:29 AM
ok thank you!