Expert: Brigid Kowalczyk - 7/28/2006

Question
What is the possibility that I can be pregnant while taking birth control pills.  I sometimes miss or am late when taking them.  My period is late and I took a pregnancy test and it came back positive.  I dont know how to explain this to my husband.  Neither one of us wanted any more children.  How do I explain to him that it can happen?

Answer
The only 100% effective birth control is abstinence.  Therefore, even on the pill you can get pregnant.  When you don't take it exactly as prescribed you increase the risk because the effectiveness is lowered when the artificial hormones in the pill are not at the proper level every single day.  

If you sometimes miss taking a pill or take it late, that is why you are now pregnant.  This is probably not the best method for you if you find it hard to be perfectly consistent with it.  I hope you will find that this little one who wants to join your family will be a wonderful blessing to you and your husband and your other children.  It usually is the case!