Expert: Bob Kambic - 5/28/2007

Question
Well heres the story; I recently started birth control again, the same thing I was on before. I'm bad at getting in the swing of taking pills so I missed the whole last week of birth control pills, but still started when the first placebo should have been. Second pack I took religiously. I was suppose to start not last Friday but the Friday before and I didnt. A few days later on Tuesday I started spotting and continued VERY lightly spotting until Friday (just to give you an idea of how light --- I wouldnt have filled a whole tampon the WHOLE time added together). I don't understand why? And should I take a pregnancy test or should I be fine?

Answer
Like any medicine the pill is meant to be used according to specific directions. Perhaps you need some other kind of contraception if you can't keep track of your pill use. I suggest you discuss this with your provider. Sometimes the kind of behavior that you outline, not really paying attention to when you should take your pill, is actually a desire to become pregnant. Have you thought about that?