emergency contraceptive?

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2004
emergency contraceptive?
1
Wed, 05-19-2004 - 8:39pm
Hey, I was wondering if anyone could offer me some advice. I've been off the pill for about a year, and I just started up a different brand- alesse, this month. I've had a lot of problems with my periods over the past year- I get horrible ovulation cramping and even some bleeding and my last period actually lasted 2 weeks. So, we're hoping that the pill will take care of some of it. Ok, now, here's where my dilemma comes in. Sunday night, my boyfriend and I were fooling around and he had a condom on. He was part way in, but not the whole way at any one time and kept pulling out. At the time, I was about one week into my first month of pills. I was also having the same kind of pains I usually get around ovulation- some bleeding, but not a whole lot- mostly dark brown and very sore breasts. I don't know if this was due to ovulation or just starting the pill. Well, while he was down there, the condom broke. We don't know if he was in at all, if he was it was just a little bit at the edge. The hole was on the upper left side of the condom, but he said that he thought it came up over the top. He hadn't finished yet, so what would have been there would have been precum. Right now, it's almost 72 hours after the incident (the cut-off for EC) and most places are closed, so I if I were to get it, I would probably have to get it either at Statcare, or wait until tomorrow morning. Does anyone have some advice for me? Please, I've been making myself sick with worry. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks so much!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 05-20-2004 - 8:11am
If you've been taking your pills on time and haven't missed any, they are effective at preventing pregnancy either immediately if you started them on the first day of your period or after seven days if you start anytime after that. If you were somewhere around 7-8 days, you should be okay, but if you were under that it could be iffy. Sore breasts and breakthrough bleeding are common side effects of starting the pill, but if it was before the 7 days were up, you could have been ovulating and emergency contraception might be warranted (I take no chances with any condom issues!). Studies have shown that emergency contraception is still effective up to 5 days after unprotected sex, though the effectiveness drops every day (not to zero, though, but to something like 70%). You'd have to take it prior to implantation, because once an embryo implants, EC isn't going to do anything.

Good luck, you might be worrying over nothing, but it's better safe than sorry, you know? I hope things go well!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control