URGENT! Spotting .. What do I do?

[vennisa65]

Hi there!
So I've been on Junel fe 1/20 for about 5 months. A few days ago I started lightly spotting, and then I had sex and it stopped. But then it started again! I have no missed any pills this month or anything, and I've never spotted before THIS much. The pill has always been my only form of protection because it has never failed me. But, does this spotting mean it is ineffective? It's now Sunday and I'm still spotting. Today I either start my placebo pills or I can start a new pack. Should I start my placebos and wait for my period, or start a new pack? Will I still be covered if I start my placebos? (Side note: I took my pill 2 hours late last night, but every other day this month it's been right at 10pm, no misses) So, why am I all of a sudden spotting? I have been under a lot of stress as I have a court case coming up. What should I do? And do I need plan B?


Thanks for all your help.

[Redskies]

This spotting doesn't sound like any cause for concern.

Spotting is a fairly common side effect of the pill. It doesn't say anything about the effectiveness of your pill - it's just a side effect which may or may not happen. Too, if you're due to start your placebo pills today, your withdrawal bleed will be due around now. Some people sometimes get some spotting at the start of their withdrawal bleed including while they're still on active pills, or have a withdrawal bleed that's so light it's just a few days of spotting.

There's no reason not to start your placebo pills. If you've been taking your pill as directed - and it sounds like you have - you can expect to have the pill's usual protection from pregnancy. Taking a pill two hours later than usual is still within proper pill usage: with a combined pill, you actually have a window of 12 hours before a pill becomes late. (It's best to stick well to a schedule, though, because otherwise it's really hard to keep track and way too easy to make mistakes!)

Are you up-to-date with your sexual healthcare, including STI testing?

[vennisa65]

Okay, my mom says otherwise, that that spotting was in fact my period and I won't be protected this week...

Thank you for your help, I'm just worried somethings going to happen even though I took all my pills on time

And yes I had a pap exam last week and they tested for chlamyida and Gonnoreha and I don't have either because my partner and I are mongnamous because we were both virgins before hand

[Redskies]

Your mom was wrong about this. (Plenty of people are: there's too much false information about contraception floating around, and sometimes healthcare providers don't explain clearly enough.) With the pill, if you take it as directed, you'll have its proper protection from pregnancy, no matter if your body spots mid-cycle. Think of it this way: the hormones in the pill do their thing in your body so that you're not going to become pregnant. If you've still been taking those hormones, you still have that protection. If you'd like more info on how this actually works, have a look at
How do birth control pills really work, even during the placebo period?
Three questions about taking the birth control pill (and plenty of answers)

It doesn't matter when or if someone gets their withdrawal bleed or spots, per contraceptive protection. Some people start their withdrawal bleed while they're still taking active pills because that's just how their body works, and that's fine. The thing to do is simply to keep taking the pill as directed, including the correct placebo days.

Glad to hear you're up-to-date with your sexual healthcare! I asked about that because sometimes mid-cycle spotting is a symptom of an infection. In your case, it sounded much more likely to be related to other things, but it's always good to rule it out with negative test results!