not wanting to get pregnant

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2004
not wanting to get pregnant
2
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 10:42am
I've been with my boyfriend for almost two years. I'm on the pill (ortho-tri-cyclen lo) and we use protection. My question is, should I still try to refrain from sex when it's my high fertility days to avoid pregnancy or am I pretty protected from becoming pregnant. I know there is no straight yes or no answer. I'm just wondering what the likely hood would be.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2004
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 10:49am
The only way you would have "high fertility days" is if you missed a pill and ovulated. You can't look at a calendar and decide that day 14 is a high fertility day, since the pill keeps you from ovulating. If you were going to have breakthrough ovulation, or if you missed a pill and it triggered ovulation, it could happen at any time in your cycle. If you're on the pill and taking them properly, and you're using condoms, then it's almost impossible for you to get pregnant.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2004
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 10:50am

Actually, hon, there is a pretty straight answer.

When you`re on a contraceptive like your OTC-Lo, your body doesn`t ovulate. The normal ideas about "safe days" and "fertile days" don`t apply. Your body doesn`t ovulate, so you`re "safe" all month, unless you miss a pill, take antibiotics, vomit one/have diarrhea, or something like that. The only times that your body has "high fertility days" is when it`s uncontrolled by synthetic hormones and is operating on its own natural cycle - ie, producing an egg. So don`t worry about abstaining on certain days because you are continuously protected against pregnancy ALL month.

By "we use protection", I`m assuming that means that you all also use condoms. Birth control pills and condoms are a great combination for preventing pregnancies, as well as STDs. Birth control pills, when taken correctly, are 98-99% effective or better, and condoms add in an extra 85%ish effectiveness, which pretty much makes up for the 1-2% the pill is lacking.

Your chances of pregnancy are extremely low to pretty darned unlikely. In fact, it`s so unlikely that it`s pretty unthinkable that you would get pregnant while employing both methods correctly and consistently. I hope this helps.