Scarleteen

Hi ! Last month I took my pill everyday. I finished it on a Sunday and my period came Thursday. I was meant to take my next pill on Sunday night but I completely forgot.
I remembered on Wednesday and started my new pack.
I have sex a fair bit during the week usually with a condom but sometimes without one.
Since I missed four pills does this mean that I should use condoms for the rest of the month because i started so late ?

Thanks X

Yes, you'll need to use condoms every time you have sex, as well as taking your pill, in order to protect yourself from pregnancy.

Because you missed pills for several days in a row, the levels of hormones in your body won't be what they would normally be with your pill. That means that you can't rely on your pill to protect you from pregnancy this month in the way that you normally could, so you'll need to use condoms as well (or not have the kinds of sex that can create a pregnancy).

Would you like any tips for remembering to start your new pack in the future? Do you need any help with using a condom every time?

yeah thanks that would be great

If you have a smartphone with a calendar app, that can be a great way to set any sort of reminder you need; I know plenty of people who have a daily alarm for their pills set up too. You can set up a reminder to take the first pill of a new pack and then, when you do take that pill, make sure you set the next reminder at the same time (or, calculate all the start dates for a year and put in a bunch in advance if that's easier). Marking the start date on a paper calendar or in a planner works too, but I have to admit I'm much better at remembering things I set an actual alarm for!

When it comes to condoms, I do think the more you practice using them the easier it gets. First off, I'd make sure you've told your partner explicitly that you want to use them every time you have intercourse for now, so they can be aware of this and get on board with the plan. If you don't tend to have your own supply of condoms on hand wherever you usually have sex, pick some up - even if your partner's usually the one who takes care of having condoms, if you have some too then you can be confident that there will be one at the ready when you need it. If your partner isn't automatically reaching for one at the right time, practice speaking up and grabbing one to offer it to him. The more you do these things, the easier it'll feel to seamlessly grab a condom without it feeling like an interruption.