Expert: Diane Cheryl - 1/22/2007

Question
I have been reading many different forms of the pill and the different lengths of time between periods.  My doctor has me on the 28 day pills. Three weeks are the true pill and the last week is the white fake pill.  Where I am confused is, my period comes on that thur or fri of the white fake pill.  MY doctor told me not to start on my new pack until the next week.  Meaning, the day after I take the last white pill ( my period wont be gone till about tue or wed) I wait till the next sun to start my new pack.  Does this make sence??? I keep reading that I should start the day after the last white pill even if I am still on my period.  I have been doing this for 3 years now and it seems to be working.......hopefully

Answer
Hello..
Well, usually I would tell you to follow your doctor's advice but in this case, I'm not too sure. You might want to get a 2nd opinion. I don't personally recommend birth control pills anyway. I don't recommend hormonal methods, only non-hormonal methods such as condoms, Natural Family Planning and of course, abstinence.
I'm going to include an article below for your information aobut the risks and side effects of the pill. Please email me at DCHERYL51@yahoo.com and let me know what happens and what you think about the article below.
Diane Cheryl
DCHERYL51@yahoo.com
<<Here is some information about the pill because I want you to know the
side effects and how it works. How long have you been taking the pill?
I want to warn you on some of the risks of the pill.
<Progestins and the estrogen in the pill are artificial hormones that
make your body believe that it is pregnant month after month. All the
vital organs in your body are affected by the constant use of the pill.
It contains powerful steroids and artificial hormones.
This constant presence of powerful steroids is not healthy, and there
are side effects when using the pill. Here are the ways the pill can
work.
1. It can prevent ovulation (releasing an egg from the ovary)
  2. It can cause the mucus in the cervix to change so that if sperm
reach the cervix, they are not allowed to enter, and
  3. It can irritate the lining of the uterus so that if the first two
actions fail, and you do become pregnant, your body will reject the
fetus (baby) and he or she will die.
It's called a chemical abortion.

Here are some of the side effects of the pill:
-bacterial infections (because the pill weakens the immune system.)
-more susceptible to the AIDS virus (HIV) because the pill weakens the
immune system
-pelvic inflammatory disease-an infection of the fallopian tubes that
can cause sickness or sterility
-infertility-unable to ever bear children
-ectopic pregnancy
-shrinking of the womb (endometrial atrophy)
-mood swings and depression
-breast cancer
-blood clots
-birth defects in children conceived while women are on the pill
-tender breasts
-stroke
-cervical cancer
-weight gain >>