Missed a combined pill near the end of the pack?

[archimage]

By how much has the protection decreased?

When I was up to the middle of the last week of my combined pill pack, I missed a pill. I took two pills at the same time the next day to "make up for it".

A few days into the sugar pill week, I got withdrawal bleeding as normal. In retrospect, I really should have just skipped the placebo pills completely and started a new pack, but I seldom have sex (like <5 times a year) and didn't think I'd be having sex in the following week... dumb move on my part.

I then had protected sex (with a condom) 2 days into a new pack. At the time I thought a condom would be enough, but now I'm freaking out. I really cannot risk getting pregnant at this stage in my life, which is why I like to use 2 forms of BC at the same time.

Considering that I missed a pill and then went on to the sugar pill week soon after, had protected sex at the beginning of a new pack, was I not protected at all by the BC? Was I only protected by the condom this time?


And I am aware that it may be a little paranoid of me to be worried so much about this. I get really anxious about pregnancy each time I have sex. It's mentally draining. I'm still in college, and I have huge dreams for my career. I don't think I ever want to have children. My parents would probably disown me too as they believe in "no sex until marriage". They haven't even given me the sex talk and I'm in my early 20s. At this point I don't think having sex is worth the anxiety I get over it, but I also don't want to disappoint my boyfriend and make him think I'm not attracted to him. Anyone have any advice please?

[Rose Mosse]

You'll probably be fine(not pregnant in this case). The only sure-fire way to make sure is to test yourself with a pregnancy test and give it at least 2 weeks into your next cycle. Ovulation happens at different times for different women (not always at the prescribed 14 day mark). Most young women don't know when they ovulate and that's normal. Usually women trying to have babies start checking when they ovulate. Did your boyfriend come in the the condom or did any of it leak out or did the condom break during sex? If no, I doubt you have anything to worry about.

Good for you for taking care of yourself and using birth control and working on your schooling and career. Book in and see your dr right away for your peace of mind and get a health care professional to go over again how your pills and the specific drugs and prescription works. I used to use a 21 day BC pill for several years. I haven't used BC in years though. Get the peace of mind you need from the right place(a clinic) and then free yourself up to worry about those other big plans and dreams you have. Don't stress out over this or agonize in silence.

[archimage]

Thank you so much for your reply, it is really reassuring.
He definitely came in the condom, I watched him take it off and checked to see if there was any leakage. There didn't seem to be any.
I guess if I thought about this logically, I am not pregnant unless he had superhuman sperm or something. There's still a part of me that is afraid of being part of the small percentage of people who get knocked up even after perfect use of the condom.

You're right. I'm going to take a pregnancy test in a couple of days (don't want to test too early to avoid a false negative reading). And I also just made a booking to see a doctor tomorrow. Thanks a lot for your advice!

[LotusBlack]

It's highly unlikely you're pregnant. A healthy couple only has a 25% change of conceiving a baby any given month when actually trying to conceive. Add on top of that that a woman really only is fertile about 5 days out of a month with her egg only being viable 24-48 hours once released (the other days mentioned in the 5 day window is due to sperm being able to survive inside the woman for several days).

Your boyfriend was wearing a condom and you were taking the pill (no idea how effective it was but I'd say it likely offered at least some level of protection even if only a very little).

Honestly, I think you're going to be fine. You can also take Plan B/the morning after pill up to several days after sex if you're that worried.

[Billie28]

After missing a pill , you have decreased protection for 7 days.
It sounds like you had sex well past the 7 day mark and it was using a condom that didn’t leak and is in the high 90’s percentage protection by itself alone.

There really is no chance of you becoming pregnant.

However , this comment worries me

“I also don't want to disappoint my boyfriend and make him think I'm not attracted to him”

Did you not discuss your missed pill with your bf? Because you should have.
A relationship can only work with good communication.
If you are worried you are not fully protected against pregnancy , don’t you think he has a right to decide to abstain from sex?

[Wiseman2]

You are having sex for all the wrong reasons. Don't have sex to puff up your bf's ego or keep anyone around, it never works. Tell romeo to wear condoms. Reconsider dating this guy. Have a long quiet reflection about your life and your choices.

Also you need to get to a doctor/clinic and get on more reliable and easier to use birth control. You live in fear of your parent's attitude and discoveries, you live in fear of your bf's attitude/ego and you live in fear of pregnancy. Why live this way?

Get to the doctor for your reproductive concerns. Keep in mind not using condoms can expose you to STDs. Also seek out some counselling so you stop living everyone else's life and stop living in chronic fear of everyone and everything.

I get really anxious about pregnancy each time I have sex. It's mentally draining.

My parents would probably disown me too as they believe in "no sex until marriage".

I also don't want to disappoint my boyfriend and make him think I'm not attracted to him.

[Billie28]

You are having sex for all the wrong reasons. Don't have sex to puff up your bf's ego or keep anyone around, it never works. Tell romeo to wear condoms. Reconsider dating this guy. Have a long quiet reflection about your life and your choices.

Also you need to get to a doctor/clinic and get on more reliable and easier to use birth control. You live in fear of your parent's attitude and discoveries, you live in fear of your bf's attitude/ego and you live in fear of pregnancy. Why live this way?

Get to the doctor for your reproductive concerns. Keep in mind not using condoms can expose you to STDs. Also seek out some counselling so you stop living everyone else's life and stop living in chronic fear of everyone and everything.

I 100% agree she is having sex for the wrong reasons.

No offence meant but I think you missed the part where “Romeo” IS wearing condoms.

The OP is on an easy to use birth control but it does rely on routine. However she ALSO uses condoms.
She is actually responsible with respect to birth control.

I do agree with you that she lives in fear of disappointing her parents and lives in fear of disappointing her bf.
However her actions go against her parents and for her boyfriend.
Yet only disappointing herself.

[Wiseman2]

My response/advice is intended for the OP, not whether you agree or not nor submitted for your approval/disapproval. Have you considered responding to the OP directly and her particular dilemma instead of talking around, repeatedly recapping, repeatedly insinuating other posters can't read, etc?

The OP is on an easy to use birth control but it does rely on routine. However she ALSO uses condoms.

[RayofLighten]

Why you only have sex 5 times a year?

[archimage]

After missing a pill , you have decreased protection for 7 days.
It sounds like you had sex well past the 7 day mark and it was using a condom that didn’t leak and is in the high 90’s percentage protection by itself alone.

There really is no chance of you becoming pregnant.

However , this comment worries me

“I also don't want to disappoint my boyfriend and make him think I'm not attracted to him”

Did you not discuss your missed pill with your bf? Because you should have.
A relationship can only work with good communication.
If you are worried you are not fully protected against pregnancy , don’t you think he has a right to decide to abstain from sex?

Hi, thank you for your reply. Yes, I did discuss it with him but we came to the conclusion that a condom would do just fine. I started to deeply regret that decision when it was too late. Seriously considering getting an implant instead so this never happens again.

I'm going through the other comments here and it's true, a lot of my fears come from how others view me. I think i'm going to bring up abstaining sex to my boyfriend until my head and self-esteem are in a better place. It does sound like the best option right now (and it's not just pregnancy that I get anxious about). He'll definitely be understanding of me, but what's been holding me back is (as I said) disappointing him.

Thanks to everyone else for calling me out on me not really living for myself. I didn't even realise it was an issue because I always believed that it's just part of human nature to want to not disappoint others... I guess I'm wrong and I need to work on my own perspectives.