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How Effective Is Birth Control After Two Weeks?
My doctor says birth control is fully effective after a month. I've been on it for 2 weeks, how effective should it be right now? I usually use 2 methods for birth control (condoms and spermicide) because it makes me feel more comfortable. I just want to know when i can just use just one.
thanks.
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Maybe give some free advice about: Birth Control Pills?
Realistically, you should always use two. Even if your second one is 'Knowing where and how to get Plan B if you are concerned your first one failed'.
You need to listen to your doctor. Your birth control simply isn't effective enough yet to trust it alone. Your doctor said a month (some doctors suggest three months, although my understanding is that that is really erroring on the side of caution and one month is sufficent for pretty much everyone).
Just take your doctors advice, consider continuing to use multiple methods and this is a great time (if you haven't already) to consider some worst case senarios with your partner. What if pregnancy DOES happen or even if you just have a month where you feel insecure with your birth control for some reason, maybe you missed it a few days, or your are taking antibiotics that could interfere with it... Do you go back to condoms for that time? Can you get PlanB? If abortion is an option for you, learn the rules in your state and look up the closest clinic.
While contraception and health is on your mind this month go the whole nine yards and get ALL information you can. Because you can never be truly 100% safe, that planning is part of being truly prepared and responsible for your sexual health.
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It's not.
It varies by pill brand, your weight, and where you begin the pill on your cycle.
The pill changes the mucus within your vagina so that it makes it difficult for sperm to survive in while trying to travel to an egg to be fertilized.
It also stops the release of eggs from the ovaries so that if sperm are able to reach the uterus then they cannot fertilize anything.
We're human though and sometimes it doesn't work.
Your doctor is absolutely right. You are not protected after only 2 weeks of taking the pill. Your egg could have already been released and it is entirely too early for your cervical mucus to have altered enough in your body to slow down sperm movement.
After two weeks, it's likely that very little has changed enough to merit unprotected sex.
Wait a month before going without condoms or spermicide. You should still use a back-up method because, again, we're human and these sorts of things are not 100% effective as it is.
Listen to your doctor. He/she has been doing this for years. They know what they're talking about. When they say it'll be 1 full month to fully effective then it means before that you are not protected. Don't risk it. Use your head. If you cannot use condoms and spermicide for just 1 more month (now less if it's already been 2 weeks) then you might want to reevaluate where you're going in your life. If you aren't ready for a baby right then have self-respect and do what is necessary so that you don't put yourself in such a situation.
1 month will pass in no time and then you are safe to cut down on your methods if you so choose. You will never be 100% protected though so keep that in mind.
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TECHNICALLY, it's a week to a month depending on what day you start it and what sort of pill you're on. Most doctors recommend at least a month or two. Mine told me three, to err on the side of caution.
-LM
-[18/f]
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