being paranoid....input?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-03-2003
being paranoid....input?
2
Tue, 06-29-2004 - 10:26pm
hey, i'm an active poster on ivillage, but haven't ever posted on this board before. i've been on BC for years, and the patch since september. i never took my pills on time, but i wasn't sexually active then so to be honest i wasn't concerned about that. i became sexually active about 3-4 months ago and we use condoms w/ spermicide as well as me being on BC. we're now in a long distance relationship, and wen he came up 2 wks ago i decided to push my period back at least a day bc the next time he came up i wuld have my period. so i know for a wk wen u change it u shuld use a backup method. so instead of thursdays, i changed it on friday, and the next friday he came up and we had sex. so i waited my one week. im just paranoid i guess like is that really one wk? i mean i put on my 2nd patch to start week 2 so i guess it is (this is why i decided not to change it on saturday thinking of that one day where i guess i wuldnt b protected). well the condom started coming off wen he pulled out, the end part was out of my body, spermicide was on the condom...this happ twice, must b just this type of condom (same brand). the 2nd time it still was mostly on by the time he pulled off then obviously he held it wen pulled out, but its just that annoying type of condom... but im soo paranoid. my sister had a child unexpectedly last year and was on BC, but she didnt take her pills regularly enuf (according to my mom). my bf said not to worry since we use 3 methods, etc. and doubts nething came out of the condom but o/c is still supportive of my paranoia... im not due for my period until sat-sun-mon, somewhere in there, since it varies to be honest and since i just pushed it back a day since last time it came 2 days earlier then usual... weird... so can neone calm my nerves?
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 06-29-2004 - 11:31pm
Hi cari1683, welcome!

As I understood your post you kept your week 1 patch on for 8 days rather than 7. That is ok and no back-up is necessary, see the second bullet point below.

This is from the prescribing information on the Ortho Evra website: http://www.orthoevra.com/about_ortho_evra/full.html

“If you forget to change your patch…

• at the start of any patch cycle,

Week one (Day 1): If you forget to apply your patch, YOU COULD BECOME PREGNANT – you must use back-up contraception for one week. Apply the first patch of your new cycle as soon as you remember. You now have a new ‘Patch Change Day’ and new Day 1.

• in the middle of your patch cycle,

Week two or week three: If you forget to change your patch for one or two days, apply a new patch as soon as you remember. Apply your next patch on your normal ‘Patch Change Day.’ No back-up contraception is needed.

Week two or week three: If you forget to change your patch for more than two days, YOU COULD BECOME PREGNANT – start a new four week cycle as soon as you remember by putting on a new patch. You now have a different ‘Patch Change Day’ and a new Day 1. You must use back-up contraception for the first week of your new cycle.

• at the end of your patch cycle,

Week four: If you forget to remove your patch, take it off as soon as you remember. Start your next cycle on your normal ‘Patch Change Day,’ the day after Day 28. No back-up contraception is needed.

• at the start of your next patch cycle,

Day 1 (week one): If you forget to apply your patch, YOU COULD BECOME PREGNANT – apply the first patch of your new cycle as soon as you remember. You now have a new ‘Patch Change Day’ and new Day

1. You must use back-up contraception for the first week of your new cycle.

• you should never have the patch off for more than seven days.”

Even though the condom slipped off you were still using spermicide and the hormones from your patch so you should be quite safe. If he wasn’t withdrawing while still erect he should start doing that and always hold the condom so that it doesn’t slide off as he withdraws. And you probably should get some better fitting condoms. Let us know when AF shows, ok?

Good luck,

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-03-2003
Wed, 06-30-2004 - 6:34am
no it was still 7 days, changed my patch day to friday, and it was the beginning of my cycle. so technically i kept it OFF for 8 days (shuld have put it on thursday not friday), but i didnt have sex during that time, so thats y i made sure i had it on for 7 days wen i would see him. i put it on friday then took it off the next friday to put a new one on. thanks for calming me down tho....



cari