Expert: Lyndsay Mercier - 6/27/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Lyndsay,
I been taking a pills for almost 11 days already but their is an incedent happen on the 7th that i forgot to take the pill.The next evening I just took one pill and disregarded the forgotten pill. Is it possible for me to get pregnant if i had a sexual intercourse yesterday and we never used any contraceptives (like condom).Do i need to take the emergency pills? Thanks


ANSWER: Lucca,

Usually, when you start taking the pill, it takes to become effective. If you forget to take a pill and remember the next day,you should take the pill you missed and also take the one for that day (for a total of 2 pills, never take more than that unless told to do so by your doctor). Even after you do this, you need to use condoms or another backup method of birth control for the next 7 days or you can become pregnant.
Since you had unprotected intercourse 4 days after the forgotten pill, it is possible that you could become pregnant. I would recommend that you take emergency contraception just to be on the safe side. You have up to five days to take it, but the sooner the better. The sooner you take it, the more effective it is. You can get EC at most pharmacies, and at Planned Parenthood if you are 18 years or older and have proof such as a driver's license. If you are under 18, you will probably need to be prescribed it by a doctor.

For the future, if you're finding it hard to remember to take the pill every day at the same time, maybe you should look into a different form of birth control. I am currently on the patch, and you only have to change it once a week instead of thinking about it every day. There is also the injection method that you only need to get one time every 3 months. It can help ease your mind a little so you're not worrying about your pill all the time. There are many other methods, the trick is finding one that works best for you.

Thank you for your question; I hope I helped!
Lyndsay

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Lyndsay! Thank you so much for your propmt reply.
I already took the EC yesterday, now I am confused on when to start taking the pills again? Do i need to take it after i took my EC or do I need to see a doctor first? Shall i get a new pack of pills or continue the old one?
Thanks again.

ANSWER: Lucca,

Go ahead and keep taking your pill as normal. Just continue the pack you were on, unless its been longer than 48 hours since you've taken any, then you might have to wait until your next cycle to begin again. You should ask your doctor to be sure.

Hope I could help!
Lyndsay

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Lindsay! I had this very weird menstruation after i took the emergency pills and continue my pills. I got my menstrution at 25th of June but the very strange thing is it's not like my regular menstrution that's heavy.. It actually doesn't fill up the whole sanitary napkin like before. I had the same duration of menstrution which is 3 days. Could it be a possible effect of the pills i took or its spotting(for pregnancy).. I actually don't feel any morning sickness or dizziness. But 3 days ago i have this strange ache on my shoulder every night. How would you define or measure spotting? How would i know if I am pregnant? By the way I took 3 pills again. Is it possible to affect the baby if I am pregnant?

Thanks again
Lucca

Answer
Lucca,

As I've said before, it is still very unlikely that you are pregnant. And don't worry, its normal for your period to be a little different while your body is adjusting after taking emergency contraception.

An achy shoulder isn't a symptom of pregnancy, so don't worry. As for measuring spotting, spotting is simply a few drops of blood here and there instead of a full period. Since you had it for three continuous days, which is normal for you, then I don't think it was spotting. I think it was your period, just slightly lighter due to the EC.

If by some small chance you are pregnant, there is a very low risk of birth defects caused by taking birth control pills.

Hope I could help again,

Lyndsay