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Birth Control/Questions Answered by Expert Diana Archer
| Subject | Date Asked |
| I dont want birth control pills..... | 12/29/2009 |
| Q: My period is irregular and ive had it for almost 5 years now. And everytime its about 2-3 weeks late ... A: Hey, Yes, there are other options. First, you need to see your doctor. It sounds like you might ... | |
| Birth Control Pills | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: I am married and till now my husband was using condoms as protection as we do not want a baby yet. ... A: Hey, A fellow kiwi! That's exciting! I'm from the North Island too, so I can help you. Go to your ... | |
| How To Ask. . . | 9/23/2009 |
| Q: My friend's boyfriend asked her to start taking birth control and I've been thinking of taking it ... A: Hey, This is a very common situation. Parents can be very strict about this sort of thing because ... | |
| Starting Birth Control | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: I just started the combination pill this week (ortho tri cycle lo) and Im already noticing some ... A: Hey, This is totally normal. There are many side effects to be expected when first starting the ... | |
| Girlfriend took placebo pills twice | 9/17/2009 |
| Q: Archer, My girlfriend had just ended her pill cycle with the placebos, and accidentally started the ... A: Hey, Well, it is possible that she could have become pregnant, but taking the emergency ... | |
| estrogen dangers? | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: D Well for quite a few years now I've been on combined oral contraceptives (first the patch, then ... A: Hey, I think you should get to a doctor asap. Sounds like a blood clot, and if that moves to your ... | |
| having a period | 9/3/2009 |
| Q: Are you supposed to have a period while taking sprintec. It is my first month taking it after ... A: Hey Christy, Sprintec is a type of birth control pill (you know all this but I need to say it ... | |
| birth control | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: I just started taking birth control (as in I have only taken two pills) and I am a Sunday starter. ... A: Hey, Just keept taking your pills as normal, and see your doctor if you have any problems. It might ... | |
| pregnant/birthcontrol | 8/30/2009 |
| Q: I took a pregnancy test today, and it came up positive. I had a feeling that I was pregnant. I was ... A: Hey, Congrats on being pregnant! (That is, if you want to be). Taking birth control pills while ... | |
| Pregnancy. | 8/27/2009 |
| Q: I've been having on going sex with this guy for about 3 months now. At first we used condoms, but ... A: Hey, I'd say that you are probably pregnant. But the only way of telling is with a pregnancy test, ... | |
| Decisions... | 8/25/2009 |
| Q: Hey! & thanks for the help. Okay. Im 16 & have been on the pill (but it made me break out, and eat ... A: Hey, Well, due to your low weight, your body probably is having trouble adjusting to having a lot ... | |
| Coming off Loestrin 24 | 8/15/2009 |
| Q: I have been on Loestrin 24 for almost 4 years. I took my last "active" pill last Friday. I had my ... A: Hey, Yeah, that is totally normal to happen as your body is adjusting to this huge change in ... | |
| Three missed pills | 8/10/2009 |
| Q: I recently went out of town and missed three pills (Yasmin). I was supposed to start the 3rd week. ... A: Hey, I think you should stop taking the pill, and wait till you get your period, and on the first ... | |
| Confusion | 8/10/2009 |
| Q: Hey there :) When I was 16 I started taking "The Pill" and eventually at 17 years of age I decided ... A: Hey, That wasn't a long question, it's one of the shortest I've had lately! A form of contraception ... | |
| birth control pills | 8/9/2009 |
| Q: I came off the birth control pill micronor on the 19th of July I then had my period lasting 5 days ... A: Hey, No, it's not implantation bleeding. That is extremely light, so light that you would barely ... | |
| Nuvaring | 8/4/2009 |
| Q: I've been on the nuvering for about 18 days and I had heard some pretty interesting things about it. ... A: Hey, which birth control you use is a personal choice, and every option has it's benefits and ... | |
| Yasmin pill, pregnancy and periods | 8/2/2009 |
| Q: I've just started taking the pill this month, on the first day of my period. 8 days later, i had sex ... A: Hey, You sound like a typical first timer on the pill, worrying about pregnancy so much! I was ... | |
| Yasmin | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: When she was on loestrin she had no problems. When she switched to Desogen, her hair began to thin. ... A: Hey, From what I've read, Yasmine is supposed to help with hair loss, so this is a very unusual ... | |
| switched birth control pills wrong | 7/30/2009 |
| Q: My daughter was on Kariva and had problems with her skin breaking out, so her Dr. prescribed ... A: Hey, Wow, your daughter talks to you about stuff like that? That's amazing. I think it would be ... | |
| Help... | 7/29/2009 |
| Q: .. Ok yesterday was my last day on my period/menstrual cycle and me and my husband had sex and he ... A: Hey, Nope, I'd say you're safe. Well done with the timing! It's amazing! Nope, when you're on the ... | |
| birthcontrol/pregnancy | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: I'm 16 years old and i started using the depo shot in March of 2009. I was due to take my shot at ... A: Hey, Sounds very possible that you're pregnant. Is the boy still around? It's important you let ... | |
| birthcontrol/pregnancy | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: I'm 16 years old and i started using the depo shot in March of 2009. I was due to take my shot at ... A: Hey, Yes it's possible you could be pregnant. Having unprotected sex can always cause pregnant, ... | |
| pregnancy on birth control | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: i started my period two weeks before my period pills and im still bleeding after three weeks its not ... A: Hey, I haven't heard of anyone bleeding when pregnant, because how would the baby survive all of ... | |
| contraceptive pill | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: hey, I have just started the 21 day pill (microgynon 30), and has followed all instructions by ... A: Hey, Yeah it's probably related to you starting the pill. Periods take a while to adjust to the ... | |
| when should i stop | 7/20/2009 |
| Q: my boyfriend and i have been using a condom everytime we have sex, simply because everytime we do ... A: Hey sweetie, At your age, you should ALWAYS use a condom, to prevent accidents from happening! You ... | |
| Changing Pills with a 7 day break | 7/18/2009 |
| Q: Hey. I used to be on microgyn but my doctor recently gave me Femodene to use instead. I was told to ... A: Hey, Just to be safe, because you didn't follow your doctors instructions, i think you should use a ... | |
| question | 7/17/2009 |
| Q: Ok, my gyno said that I could start B.c on sunday (lo estrin 24) but I didn't get my period yet, but ... A: Hey, Your period can change once on the pill. It isn't good, but it isn't bad either. I think you ... | |
| Pills and Pregnancy | 7/17/2009 |
| Q: I skipped my placebo pills and went straight into the next pack in order to delay my period for a ... A: Hey, This is a very interesting question. If you kept taking the active pills, you shouldn't have ... | |
| Birth control | 7/16/2009 |
| Q: Hey Diana, hope you are having a great day! My question pertains to birth control and their effects. ... A: Hey Joanne, It's rare that my questioner is so cheerful:) You made my day. It depends on your form ... | |
| Could I be PG? or is my anxiety kicking in? | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: Thnank you for taking the time to read my question. I had druken protected sex (at least I am 95% ... A: Hey, Sounds like you're very worried! I don't think you need to worry, it sounds like you are ... | |
| precum and pregnancy | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: like it was a little bit above my vagina. i checked to see if anything had gotten on me but i was ... A: Hey Alicia, Precum can get you pregnant, as it contains sperm. However, in your situation, it is ... | |
| regarding HPT testing | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: me & my GF are sexually active. her periods have been highly irregular for last 2 months ... A: Hey, Condoms are 99% effective when used correctly, that means: - Put on correctly. - Not torn - ... | |
| birth control and chances of pregnancy. | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: I take trinessa. I took it regularly for a couple months. I skipped taking it two days, so the nest ... A: Skipping those two days could definitely make you pregnant, as an egg could have been released ... | |
| Birth Control...help! | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: I’ve been on the low dosage birth control pill, Tri Sprintec. I’ve been taking it for at least ... A: Hey, Pregnancy tests are very accurate, so it is unlikely you are pregnant, however, it sounds like ... | |
| Birth Control Side Effects | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: I am 26 years old. I gave birth to my first child five months ago with no complications. I am ... A: Hey, It sounds like you are not pregnant, as you have followed the birth control instructions well. ... | |
| regarding HPT testing | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: me & my GF are sexually active. her periods have been highly irregular for last 2 months ... A: Hey, It sounds like you are very worried. Irregular periods can happen for a lot of reasons, ... | |
| birthcontrol | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: what are the wrong and right reasons for taking birthcontrol give your opinions A: Hey Sandra, Right and Wrong are opinions, not facts, but I'll give my own opinion. Right reasons: ... | |
| BC used for the morning after pill | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: I had sex with my girlfriend at 2am and realized after the fact the condom broke. I have read on ... A: Hey Andrew, You shouldn't mess around with birth control pills. Go to your local pharmacy, and get ... | |
| spotting birth control pills | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: i have been on my birth control pills for about 8 months now. i start pills on a thursday. i got ... A: Hey, It depends how safe you want to be. If you're, for example, married, and while birth control ... | |
| birth control | 7/9/2009 |
| Q: hey i was wondering if ther is any way i can get a free moth of the pill....i dont have the money ... A: Hey, There is ways you can get the pill without money or permission. Do you have a family planning ... | |
| Birth Control | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: I recently stopped taking the pill about a month ago. My last period was 32 days ago, and it doesn't ... A: When the pill is stopped, periods can sometimes become irregular for a while. When did you do the ... | |
| The Pill | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: this month i am half way through my pack but i have ben missing some of my pills by mistake whilst ... A: Hey Danielle, The blood sounds like spotting ,it can happen when on the pill as the uterus lining ... | |
| switching birth control brands | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: Its possible but I am 16 years old and don't trust my doctor as much as the health center I go to ... A: Hey, I remember being 16. I snuck out to my local family planning clinic, do you do the same? It's ... | |
| switching birth control brands | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: I have been using Yasmine for a year now and when I went to my check up they changed my brand to ... A: Hey, No you shouldn't be too worried if you haven't used back up, because back up is just ... | |
| Changing pill | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: I have just changed pill from marvelon to microgynon. My Dr advised me to start the new pill at the ... A: Hey Jen, Taking it a day late increases your chances of pregnancy. I think that you should stop ... | |
| Birth control and Plan B | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: I started my period on Thursday 6/25/09 and started my Sunday start pack of Orth tri-cyclen lo as ... A: Hey, No I think you shouldn't take it, cause with most pills it's okay to take it a few hours late, ... | |
| switching birth control brands | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: I have been using Yasmine for a year now and when I went to my check up they changed my brand to ... A: I think that for the first week of your new pill, you should use condoms just to be safe. On a lower ... | |
| birth control pill and diarrhea | 7/3/2009 |
| Q: I take my pill everyday at 10PM. Last night at around 11:45PM I had diarrhea. I heard that if you ... A: Hey Lauren, How severe was the diarrhea? I think that you should use definitly use back up to be ... | |
| silly but important question | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: anyways my GF asked me to do "it" again so i just thrusted my pelvis on her vagina{sort of like we ... A: Hey, it's nice to have a fan = ) Nope, you're totally safe. You definitly can't get her pregnant ... | |
| weight gain after stelilization | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: i had tubes clamp sterilization on the 3rd November 2008. its now 8 months. I gained 10kg to be ... A: Hey emma, I did some research, and it seems that sterilization does not cause weight gain. Have ... | |
| can i get pregnant on the pill? | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: I'm 17 and i have been on the pill for 2 months now. My boyfriend and i have had unprotected sex ... A: Hey, you must be very scared. If you're on the pill, you only have a 1% chance of being pregnant, ... | |
| birth control failure | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: my GF has a menstrual cycle varying from 26-33 days. so there is some confusion as to when she ... A: Hey, It is very unlikely she can become pregnant from this, but what part of her vagina did she ... | |
| Morning-after pills | 6/28/2009 |
| Q: i would like to know after taking the morning-after pills,when you the girl's period come? From what ... A: Hey Keef, It is very unlikely that she will get pregnant from fingering, sounds like you're pretty ... | |
| ortho evera patch | 6/23/2009 |
| Q: Right now i am in my second month of ortho evera. THe patches seem to be generally sticking well ... A: I think that this is very unusual for it to come off, so i think you should see your doctor, but ... | |
| Am I Pregnant | 6/22/2009 |
| Q: Ok, i ended my period on May 30, ever since i ended i have been having unprotected sex like 4 times ... A: Hmmm, it sounds like you are pregnant, but it is very early in the pregnancy to be having so many ... | |
Diana Archer
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I love questions on condoms, the pill, what to do if contraception fails, if you could be pregnant, obtaining contraception (Even without parental permission). I have a lot of experience with teenagers. One thing I don't know too much about is the IUD, but I'm working on it. I really do care about the people that ask me questions! I don't mind lots of follow up, and I like to know if things turned out okay. I'll be with you every step of the way!
Experience
I'm a sexual health nurse at a Family Planning clinic.
Have many qualifications and much experience.
Am currrently studying to upgrade to a gynocologist.
Organizations
Family planning clinic, Youth Help, Teenage Pregnancy Association.
Education/Credentials
Studied at University of Auckland. Have also trained in counselling.
Awards and Honors
Nurse of The Year from the National Health Organisation.
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