Withdrawal bleeding

[Alester]

Hi there, I’m on the combined pill and get a regular withdrawal bleed on my pill free week that is reasonably heavy (I can tell it’s a proper bleed and not just spotting or anything) and it lasts about 5 days. Just like a normal heavy period. Does having this act as an indication that I am not pregnant?

[al]

Hi there Alester, and welcome to Scarleteen!

Yep, you can be sure that if you have a period on the week that you're not taking pills (or taking the blank pills), that you're not pregnant! The lack of hormones created when your body becomes pregnant is the thing that starts period or withdrawal bleed. You can read all about that cycle and those hormones over at On the Rag: A Guide to Menstruation, and about the fertilization/pregnancy process over at Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide.

Are you currently having sex that has a risk of pregnancy? If so, how do you feel about the combo pill? Do you back it up with any other methods?

[Alester]

Hi thanks so much!
And I shouldn’t technically have much risk of pregnancy as I use the combo pill (I take it religiously, I have never missed on or been late) and also use a condom just incase.(I just don’t want to risk that 1% chance) However I saw somewhere online that a withdrawal bleed didn’t mean you weren’t pregnant so I was terrified! Thanks so much for the answer.

[al]

You're welcome! I'm glad to hear that you're backing up your BC with condoms just in case. That's about as effective as pregnancy prevention gets!

In general, we like to recommend to folks to stay away from the internet if they're feeling anxious or worried about sexual health topics, because a lot of stuff out there that isn't put out by a public health authority (the CDC, for example) is comprised of extreme examples and "what ifs" and worst-case-scenarios, which ultimately ends up making things feel worse. :/

Feel free to come back if you have other questions about sex, sexuality, or relationships in the future!