Birth Control and Pregnancy Risk

[natcmau]

Hello!

I have been in a serious relationship for a while now and we've been sexually active for a few months. I started on birth control about a month and a half ago, Tri-Previfem, and I take it consistently every single day. I've never missed a pill and have taken it at the same time everyday. We also use spermicidal condoms when we have sex. With all of this said, what is the actual risk of me becoming pregnant? My boyfriend checks the condoms for leaks/ breakages after we finish every time and it's always been okay.
The reason I'm asking this is because my periods have always been somewhat irregular and I'm afraid that, since I'm kind of new to this birth control, my periods may be irregular and not come during the placebo week. For example, last cycle, my period came a few days before my placebo week and then lasted all the way through. This time, I'm on my last week of active pills and nothing has happened yet. I have felt somewhat bloated and emotional, but other than that, nothing. If I miss a period, is it any reason to be concerned? Thanks!!

Natalie

[Heather]

Condoms + your pill, both used properly, get you about as close to 100% protection as you can get from anything. The condoms being spermicidal doesn't change anything, as the effectiveness rate of spermicidal condoms isn't higher than non-spermicidal ones. But that's okay, because again, condoms + your pill used properly alone cover your bases extraordinarily well.

Your withdrawal bleeds matching up to the placebo week -- and it's typical for them not to for the first few pill packs, even for people who had had regular periods -- has no impact on the effectiveness of your pill.

[natcmau]

So even if my period is a little late or even skips, I should be okay? The condom has definitely been intact after every time we've had sex. He removes it properly. We watch our hands before touching one another's genitalia after sex. And I use my birth control pills just about to as perfectly as you can.

[Heather]

Yep. Again, this combination of these two methods gives you very close to 100% protection in one year when you use them properly, which it sounds like you are!

Since you already have a pattern of irregular periods and you are new to using the pill, I'd figure that you probably will have some wonkiness with that for the next pack or so. It may even continue after that, but that doesn't mean there is cause for concern, about pregnancy, or anything else, for that matter. But if you are concerned, you certainly can talk to a healthcare provider about looking into the why of your irregularity.