BIRTH CONTROL QUESTION...serious answers only?!
Question: i've just decided to go on the pill...a little nervous about it but i decided to because i wanted to make sure i didn't get my period on a cruise im going on next month....and also because of my boyfriend and i getting more serious in that way...
i was just wondering because my mom doesnt know about the part with my boyfriend, and she said you do realize that if you tweak ur period and go say 4 weeks on the pill instead of the three and then get ur period the week after, this won't help against pregnancy, only regulating your period....
is this true?? i just have sooo many questions about it all because it's soooo new to me. serious answers only please!!
Answers: i've just decided to go on the pill...a little nervous about it but i decided to because i wanted to make sure i didn't get my period on a cruise im going on next month....and also because of my boyfriend and i getting more serious in that way...
i was just wondering because my mom doesnt know about the part with my boyfriend, and she said you do realize that if you tweak ur period and go say 4 weeks on the pill instead of the three and then get ur period the week after, this won't help against pregnancy, only regulating your period....
is this true?? i just have sooo many questions about it all because it's soooo new to me. serious answers only please!!
I don't know how old you are, but it's clear that you need plenty of information. I'm a registered nurse and am more than happy to share information with you that you can trust.
First off, you need to call the provider who prescribed the pill for you since you obviously don't understand what you are taking. You need to ask the provider about what's in the pill, how the pill works (each brand is a little different), the side effects-and what side effects you need to be aware of to call back and say that you're having a problem, versus which side effects are normal. Many times a girl has to change pills once or twice until she finds the brand that suits her.
Having said that, let me tell you a few general things about the pill:
1) as long as you take the pill every day and don't miss any chances of having a pregnancy are only about 2%.
2) you need to have been on the pill for at least two months before you can consider yourself 'totally' protected against an unwanted pregnancy (no system is 100% effective). During this break in perriod you need to be on some alternate form of birth control if you plan to "go all the way".
Oh, and I should mention, that you can get pregnant without your boyfriend inserting his penis into your vagina-all it takes is for the sperm to get close enough to the vaginal opening to swim in.
3) remember that the pill DOES NOT PREVENT STDS! You cannot tell if a person has a sexually transmitted disease by looking at them, by smell, or by anything other than a doctor's certificate freshly signed.[ which expires as soon as they're out of your line of sight]
That means you have the risk of contracting AIDS, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, HPV, genital warts, and several other unpleasant diseases. This adds up to the fact that even if you're on the pill, it's still a good idea to use a condom [and learn how to use it correctly!- your school nurse/doctor/nurse practitioner will be only too happy to demonstrate the correct technique]because you DO NOT KNOW If your boyfriend is or is not carrying an STD (he may not know it himself).
Sexually transmitted diseases can be contracted with or without protection- gonorrhea for example, can be contracted through oral sex and grow in your throat and airways. A condom does help, but most boys don't bring flavored condoms and most girls dislike the taste of the condoms & therefore skip using protection. BAD IDEA! If you must, buy your own condoms - there is NO age limit on purchasing them- and carry them everywhere. Most birthcontrol and condom failures happen because you were going out for a few minutes for a burger..be right back..and left your condoms/diaphragm/foam whatever home in your other purse.
Herpes & genital warts are contracted through skin to skin contact- & once you catch these there is NO cure.
4) it sounds like you have not been sexually active i.e.' going all the way', and this is a BIG step in a woman's life. Having sex does not mean you're going to keep your boyfriend, doesn't mean that he's going to love you more because you had sex with him (usually it's just the contrary) or that you are somehow going to feel better about yourself because you "went all the way". I counsel many many girls who wish they hadn't gotten started with sex until they were older, more informed, and understood better what they were getting themselves into. Virtually every one of them said their boyfriends left without even a look back after a short time (after an argument, or after he found another girl he liked better, etc.) & they felt cheated, used, and their self-esteem was seriously hurt.
That being said, just because a girl has had full intercourse in the past doesn't mean she can't choose to stop and then draw the line at just heavy cuddling/petting from that point on: it's all about feeling good about yourself as a person. The right to say 'NO' is always your prerogative!
When it comes to your boyfriend, make sure you both know your ground rules-how far you're going to go, how far do each one of you plan to go; that you have the right to say NO at any stage of intimacy without being forced to go further-because many times a girl gets to a certain point and wants to stop...but feels she's gotten this far & 'can't back out now'- WRONG! You always have the right to say STOP and be respected for it.
Back to the pill: do you smoke? If so, the risk of a blood clot in your legs causing a pulmonary embolism (this is a clot lodges in your lungs and hurts your breathing & can be dangerous or even fatal) is very high. Therefore, if you're going to be on the pill DON'T SMOKE.
Here's how the pill works: you take the active pills for three weeks and then, for the last five days you take the blue 'dummy' pills... and this is when you have your period. As soon as you take the last dummy pill, you start the new pack. If you missed any regular pills during the month, there is a risk of pregnancy until your estrogen levels are re-regulated. During that time, you MUST use another form of contraception (condoms, contraceptive sponge or foam, or a diaphragm-or a combination of these).
Just because you took the dummy pills however does not mean you're going to get pregnant during the time you're on the dummy pills or shortly thereafter. As long as you restart your next month's pack on time, you're covered as far as pregnancy goes (but remember, NOT against STD's)
There are some newer forms of the pill where you only get a period once every three or four months- and this is absolutely safe! Women were never intended to have periods continuously year after year-we were built to get pregnant and not have periods. For many women, having period after period is the reason they get endometriosis.
Using the pill to regulate cycles is actually helpful to women not harmful. It's also a lot cheaper & a lot easier on us (& our friends and families) not to have to go through tampons and pads much less the cramps & PMS every month :-)
I hope this answers some of your questions. Please don't be afraid to talk to your mother about your boyfriend, either. Your mother was a young once, too... and believe me, she has been where you are now. She may get a little upset at first thinking about her baby wanting to go off and have sex, but she has your best interests at heart.
If you're worried about talking to her, tried bringing up the subject (when she's not busy or too tired) as a hypothetical situation-that is "mom, could you talk to me about something? I have questions about sex, but I don't want you to get mad or yell, I just want to talk about 'what if'. " I think you'll find her a lot more understanding if you bring it up to her before you go and have sex with your boyfriend that she finds out about it afterwards. And she will... mothers always find out sooner or later.
Good luck to you!
Marlyn RN,C
lol no, not true. because i have migraines, my doctor makes me skip the period week every month!
Why don't you go into the doctor's without your mum and ask all these questions...or ask the pharmacist?
XXxxXX
i know this is not what you want to hear but it would be a lot easier if you would just tell your mom the truth and tell her you want to use the pill!
When you ask for it they usually start you on regular Apri which does protect you against pregnancy. When you get your pills it will come with information you need. And You can talk about this with your doctor, they won't tell her.
On most pills if you skip the placebo pills (to skip the bleeding) you are still protected against pregnancy. This assumes you take the first active pill of the new back the day after the last active pill of the old pack.
So this means your mother is wrong. Maybe she's trying to scare you into thinking you won't be protected, when you probably will be.
You might get spotting though because some people find this happens when they skip their bleed especially for their first months on the pill.
You should also speak to the doctor and the pharmacist about all your questions because they have the best info.