On the Pill?

[secretlover]

Hi there.

 

I am currently in a stable relationship with my girlfriend. We have been together for nearly three months and are engaged in a sexual relationship. We have both been checked out and are both clean and she is on the Mini-Pill.

 

However, in an unusual situation, I'm the one that insists on condoms because I'm so nervous about getting her pregnant. She would rather not, and I do prefer it on the occasions we don't use them. What are the chances of her getting pregnant while on the Mini-Pill?

 

Thanks.

[Mercurial Girl]

She has to be very careful to take the pill at the exact same time every single day. Combo estrogen-progesterone pills are a little more forgiving about that, but the mini pill, I believe, only contains progesterone, as such she needs to be very routine about it. Missing her pill by only a few hours would require back-up birth control for 7 days.

 

Nothing wrong with using a condom as well, your future is a heck of a lot of trust to be placing in another person's hands.

[OptomisticGirl]

I know with regular birth control you don't have to take it the same time every day but the mini you do. Make sure that if she gets sick and takes antibotics you have to use a backup method bc the medication cancels the pill. Otherwise as long as she takes it right and watches out for meds she should be covered for the few times you do go no condom.

[secretlover]

I know she takes it every morning at around the same time so I am not too worried about that. Generally we use condoms but I know she prefers it when we don't so I am obviously rather worried about something going wrong...

[Timbertea]

The real world failure rate for POP is roughly 8-10% per annum. That is a pretty substantial risk. There are reasons for the higher failure rate. As mentioned, it has a very short (

 

Other things which can increase those odds:

 

While there aren't too many antibiotic interactions with POP, rifampicin is a notable exception; POP generally isn't as much of a problem as the combo pills in this regard, but because the hormone has to stay at a consistent level to be effective, anything which changes how it is metabolized can greatly reduce its effectiveness. Anything that is a CYP-450 inducer will tend to decrease its effectiveness, causing it to metabolize too quickly (which can create the same effect as a late, or missed dose). That is everything from: broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, cauliflower, charbroiled foods, smoking tobacco, St Johns Wort, many bipolar treatments, anticonsulants, to barbiturates ...etc

 

Maybe more than you want to know. The pill is not a golden ticket to not having to worry about pregnancy.

[secretlover]

Oh lovely...condom it is...