Expert: Diana Archer - 7/12/2009

Question
QUESTION: hello,i have been on my birth control pills for about 8 months now.  i start pills on a thursday.  i got my period on sunday, it stopped on wednesday, but friday, when i took my second active pill i noticed brown in my underwear.  is that spotting or is that just the end of my period? i took active pills so i feel that my period should have stopped right away.  i had sex with my boyfriend but did not use a condom because i was told that back up was not needed if light spotting occurs.  is this true? im scared!

ANSWER: Hey,

That's normal, sometimes periods can carry on for a little while when you've started the active pills, it's nothing to worry about. In fact, I'm suprised this is the first time it has happened to you. You'll be fine :)

Diana

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

QUESTION: thanks so much!  and i know back up should always be used, but with my situation, do you think backup is needed?

and also, is that spotting? or do you think it is just the end of my period? thanks again!

Answer
Hey,

It depends how safe you want to be. If you're, for example, married, and while birth control is important, but not essential, then back up isn't really an issue, because your chances of pregnancy are small. If you are in a relationship, then it is really your own opinion about what would happen if the small chance of an unwanted pregnancy occured. If you have casual sex, then a condom should ALWAYS be used, to not only ensure that an unwanted pregnancy doesn't occur, but so you don't pick up an STD. You know 50% of sexually active people have an STD, and most don't know it.

Spotting usually is the bleeding that occurs randomly, but this sounds like your period finishing.

Diana