Are condoms necessary or can you just rely on the pill?

[dakota1]

I've been on the pill for two months (taken it correctly) and had sex for the first time on the last days of that second month. We didn't use a condom but pulled out anyways. The second time i had sex was 2 days ago and we did use a condom, but we didn't find ourselves much comfortable with it. My question is, if taking the pill correctly (every day, not missing any) and only worrying about pregnancy risks, is it okay to dith condoms? I mean, is it safe to rely on the pill only?

[Ashleah]

Hi Dakota,

Can you tell me more about what you mean when you say it wasn't comfortable for y'all? If you are talking about physical discomfort, this is something we might be able to help with.

I would say that it is always "safer" to use condoms because they help provide protection against STIs, but it really is a personal decision! You and your partner get to decide what level of protection you all are comfortable with. No method is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy, but you get more protection when using two methods. When you combine the pill with a male condom it's pretty close to 100% (98.7% effective with typical use). The pill combined with withdrawal is is 97.6% effective with typical use. So it depends on how comfortable you are with that level of protection.

You can find more information about combining birth control here: http://www.scarleteen.com/birth_control ... withdrawal

And here is an advice piece for a user who had the same question:
http://www.scarleteen.com/article/advic ... se_condoms

Hope that helps

[dakota1]

By discomfort i meant mostly for him, because it was difficult for him to get an erection after putting it on, althought he wasn't mad about it. I also got a little concerned about it coming off or something so i had my mind focused partly on it, so if the pill still protects me i'd like to have the option to use condoms sometimes and sometimes not

[Mo]

One thing that can help a condom feel better while it's being worn is to put a drop or two of lubricant into it before putting it on; that might be something for your partner to try. Some folks have luck getting used to the feel of condoms by using a condom during masturbation.
Proper condom use, which hear involves using the right size and holding the base of the condom when withdrawing, will make it very unlikely to slip off; here's some more info on proper condom use that might help you feel more confident when using them in the future: Condom Basics: A User's Manual