Expert: Pat G - 5/7/2010

Question
Hello, i had an abortion on April 3, 2010.  On that day i began to take Loestrin 24 Fe birth control pills.  I took the last pill on sunday and today is Thurday April 7th, my period is still not on. My question to you is, should i just wait for my period to come on and not take any more pills or should i start a new pack of pills this sunday even if my period is still not on?

Answer
Hello, keisha,

If you are going to take the pills and rely on them for contraception, you must take them exactly as instructed, which is to say, one a day (this medication seems to have placebos for the time of a woman's period, so you would be taking one a day all the time). Any deviation from that could make you vulnerable to pregnancy. I wouldn't guarantee that you won't get pregnant anyway, but I will tell you that failure to take them as instructed increases the chances of pregnancy.

According to the information about Loestrin 24, it is supposed to give you shorter and lighter periods anyway. Here is a web site about it, and it will tell you what kind of risks you are running by taking it, and under what conditions it will fail:

http://www.drugs.com/loestrin_24_fe.html

Please also notice that this medication can cause you to have a very early abortion. Please also notice that it gives instructions on what to do if you miss a pill. DO NOT try that! You could get pregnant! If you miss a pill, keep on taking them (yes, and take a double dose) and don't have any sex until the next period. You are still at risk, however. Also, the advice to use a condom to protect you from getting a sexually transmitted disease is wrong. Condoms will NOT protect you from some STDs, including HIV. Whoever wrote those instructions is either woefully ignorant, or likes to do abortions. Take your pick.

Birth control pills sometimes will stop a woman's period. Everyone's body is different. Some women just respond more to the pills than others. If it worries you, it would be better to try something else. If you aren't married, the safest and most reliable method for avoiding pregnancy is not to have sex. There is no logical reason why you should be taking these kinds of chances with your body and life. You have already taken a horrible chance by having one abortion. Sometimes the consequences don't happen right away, but can happen in a future pregnancy, or years later.

The other thing is that abortion tends to disrupt a woman's hormonal balance, so it could be the fact you had a recent abortion that is interfering with your period.

Please take care of yourself, and stay safe. Feel free to write any time.