Am I protected?

[Angeldelight123]

Hi there,

Thank you guys for all your advice and help, I really appreciate what you do here on this website!

Anyway, I have a question.
I'm on the pill and after the 7 day break when I start my new pack of pills, am I protected from my first pill of the new pack or am I only protected after taking them for a week like you have to do the very first time you start taking the pill?

So if I were to start a new pack after my 7 day break, am I protected immediately after my first pill of the new pack?

Some people told me that I'll only be protected once I've taken 7 pills again from the new packet because the hormones have to "build up" again, but my pill leaflet says otherwise. Can someone please help?

[Angeldelight123]

Can someone please give me advice? I need reassurance on this topic because I can't find the info I'm looking for anywhere that's why I asked here.

[Heather]

Information provided by the maker of your pill is always what you want to believe, not "some people." I'm not sure who you are asking for this information, or why you're looking for it, but I'd suggest you do yourself a solid and not ask for advice about how to use a medication or what makes it work from people who aren't qualified to give that information. Better bet? You can always call your pharmacist if you want a second opinion or aren't sure if you are understanding the leaflet information correctly.

Here's a link to fill you in more on how this works, because yes, so long as a person is using each pack properly, including starting new ones on time, they are equally protected for the whole of pill cycles, including the placebo break: http://www.scarleteen.com/article/advic ... ebo_period

[Angeldelight123]

Hi heather! Thank you for your reply!

I actually called the pharmacy that I get my usual prescription from and the pharmacist surprisingly told me that I can't consider myself protected during the 7 day break and that I should use additional precautions during that time and a week after since I wasn't taking any pills, that's who I was referring to in my post, when she said that it really made me freak out!
Yet my pill leaflet said the complete opposite, which really annoyed me at the fact that my pharmacist gave me false information, what a way to lose trust with a client!

So does that mean I have no worries then?
Thanks again!

[Heather]

Oh, for crying out loud.

So, I'm afraid your pharmacist is misinformed or uninformed about how this medication works. They gave you incorrect information. (Personally, I'd be finding myself another pharmacy if I could if that had happened to me. I'm with you in feeling upset and uncomfortable with that.)

[Angeldelight123]

That's what my mum said when I told her about it, she said I've not to go to that pharmacy anymore.

Does that mean I can have sex at any time during my pill cycle and still have equal effectiveness every day, no matter if it's at the start of a new packet or whatever?

[Mo]

Yep! As long as you're taking your pill as directed, you're protected the same amount at all times during your pill pack.