Timing of BC Pills

[millal12]

When on a low dose, combination birth control pill (my brand is called falmina) do you have to take it at the same time daily? i take it daily but not at the same time. i take it every evening but the time varies from about 6 or 7 pm to about 12 am. does this make my pill ineffective? also, even if you've been on the pill for a year and never had brown spotting, is it normal? for about 3-6 days after my bf fingered me i had brown discharge and was concerned that it may be implantation bleeding. Is this just from my pill, or from the fingering?

[Sam W]

Hi Millal12,

You have a 12 hour grace period before a pill is even considered late, so a few hours difference is not going to decrease the effectiveness. Spotting can be a side effect of the pill, and sometimes side effects can arise even when you've been on a medication for awhile. You can read lots more about the pill here: Combined Oral Contraceptives (The Pill)

We can't say for certain what is causing the spotting. This guide can help you determine if it's just normal discharge variation or if there is cause for concern: Honorably Discharged: A Guide to Vaginal Secretions

[millal12]

okay thank you, also, i've read all of the articles on dry humping that you have but i was wondering if i could have a bit of clarification. if the boy stays in his boxers and the girl is in a thong that's moved out of the way, so that the only thing between the penis and vagina is the boxers, pre ejaculate couldn't cause pregnancy this way, is that correct?

[Sam W]

Correct.

It sounds like engaging in this level of sexual activity is causing you stress. When that's the case, it's sound to dial back your sexual activity to a level where you do feel comfortable. Does that feel like something you and your partner can do?

[millal12]

yes, i plan on speaking to him about this. we have never had vaginal intercourse and i am on the pill, but find myself constantly overcome with pregnancy fears from things such as dry humping in underwear, fingering after touching penis, things that from what i understand, do not pose a risk of pregnancy and even less so because i'm on the pill. Is that correct?

[millal12]

also, after these activities occurred, i had brown discharge for about 3-5 days after, which i don't think was implantation bleeding. the day the spotting stopped, about a week after the encounter my doctor did a blood test and it was negative at <1. also, my period is due in 5 days and if i don't end up getting my withdrawal bleed, would it be a cause for concern?

[Sam W]

So, I'm not going to answer that question because while it can feel comforting in the short-term to ask for reassurance like that, it actually keeps you locked in the anxiety loop. That's not good for you or for us.

What I can give you is this article, which you can take a look through and see if any of the reasons given feel like they apply to you: You're Not Pregnant. Why Do You think You Are?

[millal12]

the activities i did are listed under what cannot cause pregnancy, which is helpful for me. regarding early detection pregnancy tests, how accurate is the test a few days before your period is due? also, if i didn't get my withdrawal bleed and the tests were negative, would that rule out pregnancy even without my bleed?

[millal12]

also, if i take my combination pill every night, but not at the same time, like i said in my first post, would i be a perfect or a typical user? also, does throwing up 4 hours after taking a pill make it ineffective?

[Mo]

For some more info on perfect v. typical use, take a look at the discussion here. In short, because these are terms used to describe someone's usage over an entire year it's hard for us to make a definitive statement based on your habits in general. If you want to know if you're sticking close to that "perfect use" standard, go ahead and double-check the instructions & info packet that comes with the pill; that's a good definitive source for what you need to be doing to be using the pill most effectively. But as Sam said above, a few hours' difference doesn't impact their effectiveness.

Four hours after you've taken a pill it's likely that it's been absorbed into your system already, but that's the sort of thing we really can't say for certain because digestion & absorption can rely on a lot of different factors.

Did anything in that article Sam linked feel familiar, in terms of why you're worrying so much about pregnancy when you've had negative test results?

[millal12]

the activities i did are listed under what cannot cause pregnancy, which is helpful for me. regarding early detection pregnancy tests, how accurate is the test a few days before your period is due? also, if i didn't get my withdrawal bleed and the tests were negative, would that rule out pregnancy even without my bleed?

[millal12]

oops i'm sorry i didn't mean to post that again

[millal12]

yes, i am just not sure whether i can trust the results yet and i'm also concerned about the spotting and symptoms i've been having. the night of the encounter i started on 20mg of an antidepressant so i'm wondering if maybe that has anything to do with my symptoms at all. Also i had a bunch of brown discharge the night he fingered me, and then it stopped and i had it again about 3,4, and 5 days after the encounter but that is not the typical time frame for implantation bleeding, is that right?

[millal12]

could the spotting have been from him fingering me?

[Karyn]

Spotting can happen for a few different reasons. Sometimes it can be a side effect of birth control pills; it can also be from a small cut or abrasion that happened during sex if your partner had a hangnail or something like that. Sometimes it's a sign of infection. If it keeps happening, then it's worth checking in with a doctor about it to see if there's something going on that needs treatment.

You mentioned that you've just started taking an antidepressant: do you have a therapist or a counsellor that you're seeing at all, on top of taking medication?

[millal12]

yes i do, i know that i'm going to talk to my partner once my scare is over, i just need to make sure i'm okay this month. regarding pregnancy, if i'm on the pill and have taken it daily but at different times, am i protected even if some pre ejaculate got into me? also could i trust a test about 10 days after the exposure?

[Karyn]

I'm glad you have someone you can talk to: have you spoken to them at all about strategies for managing your anxiety around pregnancy? If not, that's something they should be able to help you with. If you'd like some help figuring out how to talk to your partner about this, too, we can do some brainstorming with you.

I'm not going to answer your question about pill timing, because Sam already answered that for you, and because, like she mentioned, continuing to ask the same question actually keeps you stuck in your anxiety rather than helping you move past it.

Per the pregnancy test result, you can read more about when a test will be accurate here: Peeing on a Stick: All About Pregnancy Tests. The directions of the test that you used should also tell you when that particular test would have been accurate.

[millal12]

yes i am going to talk to a counselor regarding these worries, i know that realistically i cannot be pregnant because my doctor did a blood test, which from what i understand are really accurate and it was negative, so even if i don't get a period my test was negative. Also, could stress have an effect on my period even if i on the pill?

[Karyn]

Yep, all the same things that can affect your period off the pill can also have an effect while you're taking the pill, and that includes stress. Do you have some self-care strategies that you can use to reduce your feelings of worry until you can see your counselor? If not, this list is a good place to start: Self-Care a La Carte

[millal12]

i think i will, i've been not eating or sleeping due to my stress around this and my symptoms because i'm scared of the outcome within the next few days

[Karyn]

That's no fun. Hopefully you can take some time to do a few things that will help reduce some of that stress!

[millal12]

i'm going to! also, if i do end up pregnant and want to get an abortion, can i at 17? i live in south carolina but i would get my abortion in north carolina because i'm right on the border and the closest clinic to me is in charlotte, nc. would i be able to do this without parental involvement if i'm 17?

[Karyn]

It looks like North Carolina requires parental consent if you're under 18. However, thinking about that is really putting the cart before the horse. I know how easy it is to jump to worst case scenarios when you're stressed about something (so easy), but I would really encourage you to do what you can to focus on managing your stress levels over the next few days. If it helps, you can go over the information in the articles we've given you, but sometimes that can actually make things worse, so you might find the best thing you can do is take a break from reading things online for 24 hours or so, and doing things that help you keep your mind off your worries.

[millal12]

okay, i just don't understand what does and doesn't pose a risk sometimes. i've read the articles but sometimes i get confused and think irrationally. also i have trouble trusting my birth control

[millal12]

also i've been extremely tired lately and napping a lot. could that be because of the new antidepressant im on or pregnancy related?