Because I am a Woman

fuckyeahsexeducation:

littlesexfacts:

The birth control pill is an immensely effective and relatively cheap method of contraception, and it is also wildly popular.  In fact, it is the most popular form of hormonal birth control.  For good reason!  When taken correctly (that is, exactly according to directions), it is over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.  Most people, however, do not take the pill correctly; its average user rate effectiveness is 91% — which is still pretty damn good!  But if you want the full effectiveness that the pill offers, then you gotta take the thing correctly!  So let’s talk about how.

Before I say anything though, I need to say this: READ THE DAMN PACKET.  Most of the questions that I get on this blog about how to use the pill are answered right in the informational packet that comes with the pill.  Just like with any prescription, it’s there for a reason!  It’s important that you read up on any medication that you’re taking so that you know how it works, how to use it, what happens if you miss doses, what to do if you miss doses, to be prepared for any side effects, and to know which side effects require medical attention.  YOU ARE PUTTING CHEMICALS INTO YOUR BODY.  Please be responsible and educate yourself about what you’re taking.

In simplest terms, the birth control pill works by providing your body with extra doses of hormones that already exist naturally in your body.  Combination pills (which are more common) contain both estrogen and progestin.  There are also progestin-only pills, but they are less common.  More than likely, you take combination pills.  If you’re unsure, please ask your doctor.  When you are pregnant, your body produces more of these hormones than usual.  This triggers a change in your menstrual cycle.  The presence of extra hormones tells your body, “I’m pregnant!  Please do not flush out my uterus by giving me my period; I need what’s in there!  Oh, and hey!  By the way!  No more ovulation!”  This is why you miss your period when you’re pregnant.  It’s also how the pill works: it essentially tricks your body into thinking it’s pregnant so that you stop ovulating (the process by which your ovaries release ovum into the Fallopian tubes).  In order to conceive, there has to be both ovum (egg) and sperm present.  If you’re not ovulating, then you essentially can’t get pregnant.  When you take the birth control pill, you’re providing your body with small doses of these hormones every single day, keeping your body in a perpetual state of “pregnancy.”

Does that make sense?

So!  When you miss a pill, then you miss a dose of hormones.  Depending on how many pills that you miss and when in the pack you miss them, you could greatly increase your chance of pregnancy.  If you miss a dose, you need to make up for that dose to stay protected!  In other words, if you miss a pill on Thursday, you need to take two pills on Friday.  You can’t just forget about that pill and just keep going along in the pack like nothing ever happened.  Your body needs the hormones for you to stay protected, so you need to take all of the pills in the pack (except for the placebo pills, of course; you can skip those if you fancy).

Here is a general how-to for what to do when you miss pills, via Planned Parenthood:

1-2 pills

• If you miss one or two pills in the beginning of the pack, then take the missed pill as soon as you remember, and then take the next pill at your usual time.  This might mean taking two pills in one day.  It might mean taking two pills at once.  In this case, you need to use a seven-day back-up method of birth control, like condoms or withdrawal.  You are not protected.
• If you miss one of two pills any other time during the pack (days 3-21), then take the missed pill as soon as you remember, and then take the next pill at your usual time.   This might mean taking two pills in one day.  It might mean taking two pills at once.   You do not need a back-up method of birth control.  You are still protected.

3+ pills

• If you miss three or more pills in the first two weeks of the pack,  then take the missed pill as soon as you remember, and then take the next pill at your usual time.   This might mean taking two pills in one day.  It might mean taking two pills at once.  In this case, you need to use a seven-day back-up method of birth control, like condoms or withdrawal.  You are not protected.
• If you miss three or more pills in the third week of the pack, then don’t finish the pack.  Throw it away.  Start your next pack.  In this case, you need to use a seven-day back-up method of birth control, like condoms or withdrawal.  You are not protected.

If this is too complicated to remember, then a simpler way to think about it is this:

If you miss one pill at your regular time, take it as soon as you remember.  If you don’t realize it until you go to take your pill the next day, that’s fine.  Just take two at once.  Use a back-up method of birth control if it’s the first pill in the pack.

If you miss two pills in a row, take them as soon as you remember.  If you don’t realize it until you go to take your pill the next day, that’s fine.  Take two that day, and then two the next day.  Use a back-up method of birth control if they’re the first two pills in the pack.

If you miss three or more pills, take them as soon as you remember.  Or, take two a day until you’re caught up again.  Use a back-up method of birth control.

Or, the most fool-proof, easy-to-remember rule: Take two pills at a time until you’re caught up, and use a back-up method of birth control for a week.

Okay?

And there you have it!

Any questions or concerns?  Holler at me.

of course, it DOES depend on the type and brand of pill what you should do. When in doubt internet search the brand name and you should find a PDF of the packet if you’ve thrown it away.

(via livingwithendo)