Vaginal moisture

[Mariefrance]

Hey!

I started the contraceptive pill on the 15th September (yasminelle) and since then I had a withdrawal bleeding on the 8th October which lasted for about 4 days. I started the second strip on the 13th October. Last week (18th October) I met the guy whom I had dated back in August and he fingered me. Since then my vagina feels moist and damp. Is the pill working? I'm scared that the pill is not effective enough ('cause I'm not sure if he had any traces of pre-cum / cum on his fingers).

[Sam W]

Hi Mariefrance,

What you're feeling could be normal variation in your vaginal discharge and you can read more about when discharge is (and is not) cause for concern in this article: Honorably Discharged: A Guide to Vaginal Secretions

Since you've been on the pill for over a month, as long as you're taking it correctly you can assume you're protected by it. Given that you have some concerns about it's effectiveness, can I ask why you chose it as your preferred method of birth control?

[Mariefrance]

I've never missed a pill. I take it daily at exactly 6 am. I've been worrying for the past week about the possible presence of pre-cum or even cum on his finger. I'm scared he might have fingered me after ejaculation (after a handjob). My gynaecologist recommended the above-mentioned pill. My sister has been on the same pill (yasminelle) for the past 5 years and has never become pregnant (my sister is sexually active and has vaginal intercourse on regular basis).

[Heather]

Right, but why are YOU choosing to use the pill? Sam asked that because if it's a method you don't actually feel comfortable with or confident in, you might want to consider different methods. There may be another one you feel better about. Just because this is right for your sister doesn't mean it is for you. You may be someone, for example, who feels more confident with a more effective method, like an implant or IUD.

However, you're voicing concerns here that also aren't based in fact when it comes to how conception actually happens (when it does). It doesn't happen from fingers. In case you need to brush up on all the specific conditions it requires and how it does happen: Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide.

[Mariefrance]

I don't have any issues with this pill. It's just I'm being paranoid. I'm just scared that any hormonal method wouldn't work on me for some reason or another. I have never had any vaginal intercourse. I'm just worried I won't have the withdrawal bleeding (which is due on the 5th/6th November) because of the fingering and the possible presence of semen (the actual ejaculation fluid, the white one) on his fingers when he fingered me. Hope I'm sufficiently protected against that (the pill is supposed to suppress ovulation). Yesterday I inserted a speculum in my vaginal canal to examine my cervix and its position but all that I could see was thick cervical mucus (sry for being gross) (I should hope it's cervical mucus not semen). Is that due to the contraceptive pill?

[Sam W]

When you're worried to the point of not believing facts or data (like how pregnancy happens or how effective the pill is) that's often a sign that it's time to check in with a mental healthcare provider. Anxiety that can't be shaken is no fun to deal with, and it often helps to have someone to give you tools on how to manage that anxiety.

As to your question in the other thread about what interacts with the pill, you can find the answer to that here: Something You Can Worry About Less: Interference and Hormonal Birth Control
If you think it would be helpful to understand why the pill is able to protect you, you can also read up on how the pill does what it does: Three questions about taking the birth control pill (and plenty of answers)