It’s National Women’s Health Week. Make your health a priority and schedule a well-woman checkup today.
Ask us anything. No judgments.
Should I take emergency contraception?
Someone asked us:
I had sex on the 28th and used protection but after, he pulled out and the condom was still inside me. I went to PP the next day for plan b, but they told me that I am already protected because of the birth control I’m on, Lo loestrin. Because they said it would just mess up my bleeding cycle and not benefit me, I didnt take it. However, I have spotted light brown a few times, my breasts are sore, occasional sharp lower stomach pain (left), gas, tired all the time and peeing more often.
Condom scares can be really stressful. One way to keep that from happening in the future is to always make sure you hold onto the base of the condom when pulling out.
If you’re on the pill and you’ve been taking it correctly and consistently, you’re protected from pregnancy and don’t need to take emergency contraception. Taking EC when you’re on the pill isn’t harmful, but it’s not necessary. If something like this happened after you forgot a pill or two, emergency contraception would be a good idea. Learn more about how EC works.
By the way, it’s great that you’re using condoms with your birth control pills. That way you’re protected against pregnancy and STDs. But given the issue you just had with the condom, you might want to think about getting tested for STDs.
- Alex at Planned Parenthood
Should I stop my birth control since I’m no longer in a relationship?
Someone asked us:
I broke up with my boyfriend. Should I go off birth control?
As for going off birth control: it’s totally up to you. It’s worth keeping in mind that there are plenty of good reasons to stay on birth control, even if you aren’t having sex. Many hormonal methods of birth control can make your periods shorter, lighter, and more regular, and can relieve cramps and some other premenstrual symptoms, and even help with acne. Some hormonal methods can also help reduce your risk of ovarian cysts and cancer.
If you do decide to go off (or back on) birth control, your body might need a little adjustment period. It can take about three months for your body to get used to it again, and during those first few months you might experience some side effects, including spotting or irregular periods. The same is true when you go off birth control – you might notice that your menstrual cycle is irregular for a couple months.
Staying on birth control even after your relationship ends (or you stop having sex regularly for whatever reason) is often a really good idea, because then you won’t have to worry about getting back on birth control when you start having sex again – you’ll already be protected for any planned or unplanned sex that might come your way in the future. In fact studies show that the “gap” between using birth control for those who do go off and on again is a really risky time for unintended pregnancy. It’s always a good idea to be prepared for future (and possibly unplanned) sex.
- Nina at Planned Parenthood
What does “birth control failure” mean?
Someone asked us:
What does it mean when people say “birth control failure” ? How do u know when if fails?
“Birth control failure” can refer to a number of things, but in general it means that the birth control method two people were using didn’t work the way they planned. This might be because the method itself failed — for instance, the condom broke. But more often it’s because the method was somehow used incorrectly. Some common examples of birth control failure include:
• Forgetting to take the birth control pill every day
• Putting a condom on incorrectly
• Forgetting to replace the birth control patch or ring.
• Not pulling out before ejaculation (when using the withdrawal method)
• Waiting to put a condom on until mid-sex
The only 100 percent effective way to not get pregnant is to not have vaginal sex.. But some methods of birth control are nearly impossible to mess up – like the IUD and the implant – because they’re placed in your body by a health care provider and stay there for years. Others, like the pill, patch or ring, are more prone to failure because there’s the potential for human error involved.
Using a condom along with another form of birth control is an excellent way to prevent pregnancy, and it has the added bonus of reducing the risk of giving or getting an STD. Visit our website to read up on birth control method(s) and how to use them correctly.
If you think your birth control method failed, you may want to take emergency contraception (the morning-after pill). Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy if taken within five days after unprotected sex.
- Alex at Planned Parenthood
Great news! A federal judge has ruled that emergency contraception be made available over the counter without age restrictions! Read more from Think Progress: http://bit.ly/16BHTmc.
Like/reblog if you agree, and tell us why in your reblog.
Shine up that gine…with Nuva Bling!
Is it safe for me to use emergency contraception while I’m on my period?
Someone asked us:
Hey, is emergency contraception safe to use when you’re on your period? Thanks!
Hey, is emergency contraception safe to use when you’re on your period? Thanks!
It’s perfectly safe to use emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill) while you’re having your period, or at any point during your menstrual cycle.
Emergency contraception works to delay the onset of ovulation. If you’re having your period that means that you’re not ovulating at the moment, but will sometime within the next couple of weeks. If you don’t have a regular cycle it can be hard to figure out when exactly that will happen. And since sperm can live in the body up to six days after sex, it’s a good idea to use emergency contraception like Plan B One Step, Next Choice, or ella anytime you have unprotected sex, a broken condom, or any other birth control failure, to delay ovulation while sperm is still alive in your body.
-Emily at Planned Parenthood
Less than 1% of people who use birth control use the cervical cap. Have you ever tried it? Give us your review.
What’s your birth control timeline?
Some people stick to one birth control method their entire lives, and some people switch it up until they find what works best for them in their current life stage. These choices can be influenced by health changes, relationship changes, financial changes, technological changes, if or when you want children, or just your experience or reaction to a particular method.
Here’s my birth control timeline:
When I started having sex, my boyfriend and I used condoms. We hoarded free ones from clinics and first sheepishly, then more confidently, bought them at drugstores. After a few months, I decided I wanted to try hormonal birth control pills for menstrual symptoms and pregnancy protection. I made an appointment with my awesome pediatrician (who I still call for medical advice), and she wrote me a prescription. I started out using a brand name pill, and my partner and I split the cost of the pills every month.
I stayed on the pill after the relationship ended — but switched to generic. I’ve been a loyal pill user ever since. I don’t have trouble remembering to take it, as long as it’s within sight, and the whole just-take-a-pill-and-not-get-pregnant thing has always felt a little magical to me, as well as the ability to skip periods whenever I want. I still use condoms— with a new partner, for STD protection, or just to feel even safer about preventing pregnancy.
But lately I’ve been thinking about getting an IUD. I don’t want to have children in the next five-plus years, and the prospect of never having to remember a pill or deal with a last-minute scramble to get a refill sounds pretty great. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, reblog and tell us about your birth control timeline. What’s influenced your birth control choices over the years? Where’d you start, where have you ended up, and how’d you get there?
- Nina at Planned Parenthood
