Emergency Contraceptive

[niallujah]

I know taking it often is bad but I have taken it three times these past five months. I'm not going to take it again but will that make my periods completely go away? I have read that if taken too many times it will make your period completely stop.

[Sam W]

Taking it a number of times is not bad, but it can indeed throw off your cycle. So if you've taken it multiple times in the recent past, then your cycle is likely to be weird.

More importantly, if you're taking it that often, it's a sign that you need to rethink either the contraception method you're using or scale back the type of sex you're having to one with no pregnancy risks.

[niallujah]

The times I have taken it I got my period around the same week, should I not expect my next period in that same week?

[Sam W]

It's hard to say. Our bodies will react to the same thing in different ways at different times.

What kind of contraception do you normally use?

[niallujah]

We always use condoms but I recently had a pregnancy scare about precum and fingering and people told me theirs a high risk so I took EC and later on I ran into this website which told me otherwise.

[Heather]

Okay, so I'm glad you found us, because it sounds like the sources of information you have been referencing aren't good ones.

The easy shorthand for what does and does not present realistic risks of pregnancy is this:

If there IS direct -- as in, no stops in between the penis and vagina, like fingers -- contact between your genitals and the genitals of someone with a penis OR direct (again, no stops) contact between your genitals and ejaculate, then there will be real risks of pregnancy. Otherwise, nope.

[niallujah]

I got my period today. I have a question about birth control. I don't have any type of insurance and I'd like to get birth control. How much would it be?

[Sam W]

Hi niallujah,

To be clear, we're talking about hormonal birth control (as condoms are pretty cheaply available)? If so, then one approach is to find a sexual health clinic near you and ask them about there pricing and if they offer a sliding scale. Do you know of a clinic that's nearby?

[niallujah]

I'm talking about pills. We already use condoms but I want to be extra safe. There's a Planned Parenthood nearby.

[Sam W]

Okay, that's what I thought. Then the next step would be to call them up and ask them about their pricing for birth control. And, I would also suggest looking through our BC Bingo page, to see if there's any option that you like better than the pill, or that's a better fit for your needs:
Birth Control Bingo!