Female 18 straight
Hello! My question is about the pill. I am leaving for Italy for two weeks this summer and I take my pill at 9am everyday. To keep this consistent should I take my pill at 9am Italy time while I'm there or take it at whatever time happens to be 9am back home?? I want to keep it at its most effective:]
Thanks! And I love your blog you're awesome!

You need to take it at 9am in your home time zone. I don’t know the time difference from where you live, but if it means 3am Italy time, then that’s what you gotta do.

OK, so I'm currently sexually active so it's really important for me to be on birth control, for myself, and to prevent pregnancy. I've used the patch, didn't like it, switched to the pills, had a hell of a time remembering to take them, and then i tried the shot, and i bled immensely for 3 months. I'm currently on Tri-Sprintec, which are pills, but I'm still having a hell of a time remembering to take them every day. Do you have any suggestions of something else I could maybe take that has little chance that i'll bleed for ages, and that I'll have a better chance remembering to take? Thanks! :)

When I was in college and even more forgetful than I am now, I would keep my birth control pills and a bottle of water on my desk labelled “BABIES ARE BAD!” in thick Sharpie. This along with a cellphone alarm became a good reminder and made the daily pill popping a form of habit.

As you’ve experienced, all forms of hormonal birth control have side effects. You might want to look into the NuvaRing. It has a low dose of hormones, so that could prevent a heavy and infrequent flow. It’s a ring you insert in your vaginal canal every 3 weeks. On the fourth week, you menstruate just as you would with the pill, and then you insert a new ring when the week is done. However, the ring does emit hormones like the pill and the shot, so there is a possibility you could react poorly to it.

Another option is an intrauterine device (IUD). The Mirena IUD emits a small amount of progesterone to act as birth control and lasts for five years. The ParaGard IUD is not hormonal and releases a small amount of copper that acts as a spermicide. This one is good for up to ten years. These devices are only inserted into and removed from your uterus by a healthcare provider. Therefore, for five or ten years, you could be baby free without doing or taking anything. Unfortunately, they are a bit pricey, and I don’t know if your health insurance (if you have insurance) would cover part of the cost.

If you want to remain on the pill, I suggest backing it up with condoms until your daily pill popping becomes habit and regular. It’s hard to remember, but forcing yourself to conform to the habit is easier and more affordable than being pregnant for nine months.

Hi :)
Well I'm a 19 year old virgin and I currently have a boyfriend and he's 21.
I want to have sex, but not anytime soon because we've only been dating a short time and I don't wanna rush into anything. How soon is too soon? Also should I still use a condom if I'm on birth control?

I can’t tell you how soon is too soon or whether or not you’re ready. The average age for first sexual intercourse amongst women in the US is around 17 to 18. Therefore, statistically, it’s not “too soon” for you. But don’t listen to the numbers. Only you can know if you’re ready. For some people, it happens with they’re 16 and some when they’re 30.

I’m always going to recommend using a condom in addition to the pill. A friend of mine got pregnant even though she was on it, and it’s made me hesitant ever since. She wasn’t adhering to perfect usage, so it’s important to realize there is a risk (although small) of pregnancy while taking birth control. Your first time is already filled with enough anxiety and nervousness. If using a condom will put you more at ease during cherry popping and/or you aren’t taking your pill on a regular or consistent basis, then use one. They are cheap and easy to get. They also make prevent spooge spillage on your sheet and make cleanup easier.

Is there a way to tell if you are pregnant or not before you miss a period? I'm starting to feel anxious and honestly don't know that I can wait another week to see if my period comes.

(I would have gotten Plan B if I had a concrete reason to think I was pregnant. We were using a condom, but I had missed my pill that night and I'm feeling extremely bloated and it's making me paranoid.)

Unfortunately, the only way you can tell you’re pregnant is with a pregnancy test. Grab one at the drug store. If comes out negative and you’re still worried, then go to the doctor and get one there. I wish I could be of more help, but that’s all there is to it.

Depending on your brand of birth control, you may also be able to take a higher dosage and turn it into a homemade Plan B. Check out this chart and see if yours qualifies.

Female, 18, Straight

I was wondering what pregnancy symptoms would be discernable when you are on the pill. I've been on the pill for three years, getting my period every three months. So I'm constantly afraid I am pregnant because some symptoms are the same when you are on the pill (water retention, sleepiness, etc).

Are you on a type of birth control like Seasonale? It’s a kind that allows a woman to only menstruate four times a year during usage. If you aren’t, I would suggest consulting your doctor and switching brands. Getting a monthly period offers some women a sense of peace they are not pregnant, and it obviously does for you as well. However, if you are taking the pill regularly and at the same time everyday, then you have no reason to think you are pregnant.

And common symptoms of pregnancy can include breast tenderness, fatigue, morning sickness, mood swings, the constant need to pee, and weight gain.

after me n my boyfriend have sex n he cums in me, like the next day i get this really gloopy clearish discharge. could that be because i'm on the pill or something else?

It’s probably his remaining ejaculate eventually trickling its way out of you. The pill is an unlikely culprit unless you get the discharge everyday you’re taking it and even when you’re not having sex.

If it bothers you, use a condom. Those lovely latex inventions keep the semen in one place until disposal. You also don’t have to wash your sheets as often because there’s less chance of them getting crusty from dried sperm. I’m all for delaying house chores.

Female, straight.

I've been on the pill for six months now, and at the end of the month there's different colored pills to mark your period, and i was wondering if you have a higher chance of getting pregnant on those days then you do on the others? I get so confused on how that works..

The last week/row of pills in a 28-day birth control pack are just placebos. You don’t even have to take them. They do not have hormones in them, which is why you menstruate during that week. You are not more fertile or less protected during this week either.

They only way you can have a higher chance of becoming pregnant while on the pill is if you don’t take it at the same time everyday. Manufacturers actually put in the last week of placebo pills to keep women in the routine of popping the birth control continuously.

Read more on how the pill and its hormones work here.

If you're using a condom, is it always necessary to be on the pill too?
Female, bisexual

The pill is most effective against preventing unwanted pregnancy when you take it at the same time everyday. If you’re a forgetful person, then it’s best to use condoms as an additional backup. The pill also doesn’t protect you against STDs. Condoms are the best preventer of those nasty buggers if you want to be sexually active.

Soo ..Honestly , Ive' had about 20 partners & never really used a condom , I get checkedout every 3months to maake sure i dont haave anything . Im in a serious relationship at the moment , & We're not using condoms .. We have sex pretty much everyday , he usually pulls out ..
But ANYWAYS , I was just curious , Do you think I CAN get pregnant ? Ive' never been pregnant 7 most of my 20 partners have cam in me .. Is it weird ive' never been pregnant ?
female , bisexual

You’ve been lucky because there’s a very good chance you can get pregnant and contract an STD/STI. Start using a condom and get on some form of birth control immediately. Right now you’re being irresponsible, stupid, and careless because you are putting yourself and your sexual partners at risk.