Starting date for birth control
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Starting date for birth control
| Mon, 05-24-2004 - 10:16pm |
My fiance and I have a long-distance relationship and after 7 years of living on different continents and only meeting 1-2 times a year, he's finally moving here to the States sometimes in the next 2-6 weeks. I've been on the pill on and off for the past 5 years, off usually when we're apart and because as a student, it's difficult for me to afford, especially when I know I'm not going to have sex for 4-5 months (we usually only met during the summer and at Christmas). Because I'm expecting his arrival anytime soon, I went and got some of what I usually take, Necon 1/35 or generic Ortho-Novum. I'm the kind who start taking it the Sunday after my period starts, which would have been 05/23, and I was going to, since my fiance said he would be here by 06/07, which now he says he can't be. Seeing as how I am financially strapped at the moment, I don't want to start this pack of pills when he's not going to be here with me anyway. But at the same time, he may come anytime in the next 4 weeks before I get my period again and I don't want to wait to have sex with him until I start the pill the last week of June. I guess what I'm asking then (and sorry to be long-winded) but is it possible for me to start my pack of pills any Sunday, and not just the first Sunday of my period or the first Sunday after my period? Wouldn't I just then skip my June period? Is this something that can be done? And is it safe and effective, as safe and effective as when one is normally on the pill? I would use condoms, but I'm allergic to them. Thanks for any help.

You can begin at any time during your cycle, but it is easier on your body to begin when your hormones are low, at the beginning of your period. If you start your pills on the first Sunday after your period then you should use back-up for the first 7 days. If you start your pills after the first Sunday you can’t be certain that you won’t ovulate that cycle and if you do you will have your period 2 weeks later regardless of where you are in your pack. And, if you do begin after the first Sunday I would use back-up for the entire first pack since you can’t be certain that you won’t ovulate. If your problem with condoms is an allergy to latex then you can use polyurethane condoms such as Avanti or Trojan Supra or the female condom, Reality. If you can’t use condoms then I would NOT start mid pack if you will have IC with your BF during that pack. Better to be safe that sorry, right?
Good luck
Jill