Expert: Diane Cheryl - 1/8/2007

Question
Thank you very much for your quick response. I am going to contact my doctor and get a pregnancy test as soon as possible. I have another question regarding birth control... How common is it among women who are on birth control to skip periods. This is the first instance that I have had, but a few pieces of information that I have found online say that it is not uncommon. I have been fairly regular up until this point and I would like to know how common missed periods are. If they are common, what causes them? Could my missed period have been caused by irregularities in my pill taking pattern this past month?
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
I have been on Birth Control for over a year now. I am taking Brevicon. This past month I have been very busy with the holidays and also out of town, so I made more mistakes than usual in forgetting to take my pills. About 2 times I had to take three in one day, and a few other times I took 2 at once. My boyfriend and I were careful to use a condom each time we had sex, which we usually do anyway. It is now sunday and time for me to start my new pill pack, but I have not had my period this month. This past week during my placebos, I have felt very slight cramping which is what I usually feel right before I start my period, but it never came. I am very worried that I might be pregnant, even though I don't see how it could of happened. I have not yet taken a pregnancy test because I really would like some advice first.
-----Answer-----
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your question. I'm not a medical doctor but in my opinion, there is a slight chance that you could be pregnant. Whenever you don't take the pill exactly right, there is a chance. And it sounds like you missed or delayed quite a few. Condoms do not always work. I would recommend you go to this website. http://www.optionline.org
You can find a testing center in your area. Call and find out what they recommend. Please email me at DCHERYL51@yahoo.com and let me know what happens. Of course, you could not be pregnant at all, it just is hard to know.
Diane Cheryl

Answer
Thanks for the good rating. Keep in touch at DCHERYL51@yahoo.com
How are you doing?
Diane Cheryl

Hello again Mary,
Thanks for your followup. I'm glad that you are doing some research on your own. We, as women, need to take responsibility for our own health. It's not very common to skip periods but possible. I would agree with you, that it is possible that taking the pill not exactly correctly could cause irregularities in your cycle. I can't really tell you much else. I would recommend you check with your doctor. Please let me know what happens at DCHERYL51@yahoo.com
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Diane Cheryl
DCHERYL51@yahoo.com