Expert: Diane Cheryl - 6/23/2007

Question
hi. my girlfriend and i never had a problem using condoms in the year we've been sleeping together, except the 1 day/month after she stops bleeding, when, i'm told, it's safe.problem is,we had sex today, and it's the third day since she stopped. i didnt ejaculate inside her, but i did a second after pulling out.she told me that we were still ok time wise, but i've got a bad feeling about it. i need to know what the chances are that shes pregnant, or if we should get a morning after pill or something.

Answer
Hello Kyle,
Thanks for your question. I'm not a medical professional so you should always check with a physician about health questions. About the chances of pregnancy, there is no birth control method (even condoms) that guarantees 100% of no pregnancy. So you're actually probably lucky that you haven't experienced a pregnancy within a year with only using condoms. Unless you are also using Natural Family Planning method with the use of condoms for added protection. There is a chance of pregnancy, but I have read articles that it isn't wise to jump to the morning after pill just because you are worried. I'm going to add part of an article I just read about that. Let me know what you think. There really isn't anything healthy, in my opinion, to do right now except wait until you can have her get a pregnancy test. Would like to talk to you more if you want to email me. The portion of the article will be below:
Diane Cheryl
DCHERYL51@yahoo.com

<<Here's excerpts:
The Morning-After Pill (MAP)
Plan B® is an extremely high dosage of chemical hormones.  
It contains the same chemical hormones found in some types of birth control.


Plus, you may not even need it.  You can only get pregnant on certain days of the month – around the time that you ovulate.  Typically, there are only about three to five days a month in which a woman can get pregnant.  Unfortunately, most women looking for the morning-after pill are panicked because they think (or perceive) the clock is ticking, and as a result they don’t take the time to evaluate their situation.  If you weren’t fertile when you had sex because you were nowhere near ovulation, it is senseless to take the drug.  It will only subject you to the possible side effects of nausea and vomiting and put a bunch of unnecessary hormones in your body.

Women who are considering Plan B® do not always know where they are in their cycle or if they are fertile, so they rush and spend money on a drug that they don’t need and that may harm their bodies.   

Women who have a known or suspected pregnancy should not take the pills, according to the manufacturers of Plan B®.  Have you taken a pregnancy test?  Our consultants are available 24/7 to talk to you about your concerns.  Email us or call us at 1-800-395-HELP.

Plan B® is a relatively new drug, and as a result there has not been much testing on its effect on the body.  Some of the commonly reported side effects are nausea, abdominal pain, tiredness, headache, menstrual changes, dizziness, breast tenderness, and vomiting.ii  After taking Plan B® it is not uncommon to have an irregular period.iii  This could mean heavier bleeding, lighter bleeding, or a delayed period.iv  It can take time before your body will go back to normal and stabilize itself.>>