Pill effectiveness.

Can anyone give me some straight facts on the pill's effectiveness? My longtime girlfriend and I have been using both the pill and condoms together for a long time, have both been tested and are monogamous. She is fine with using the pill, but I have insisted on using condoms because of my fear of getting her pregnant, but I've been wondering lately if I'm just being silly and the pill is enough.

She never misses a pill and I trust her to tell me if she did, and there's no question it would be easier, cheaper, more fun, and of course feel a hell of a lot better to go without the jimmy hat. She tells me it's safe with just the pill and wants me to cum inside her, but I still feel uneducated and worry about getting her preggers.

Is the pill enough? If she takes it every single day, can we do away with the condom usage and just do the damn thing?

Calling it "the pill" kind of bothers me. It implies that we have to talk about sex in an oblique way.

From what I've read, taken properly, the pill is over 99% effective. I think the actual statistic is 5% of couples will get pregnant in a year of using the pill. Which is about half to a third of the efficacy of condoms.

I must clarify: the 95% efficacy means she has a 5% chance of getting pregnant in the course of one year using the pill.

To me, just saying it's 95% effective implies that you have a 5% chance of getting pregnant every time you have sex.

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1997/conceptbl.html

No such thing. If yr going to have sex, you have to be prepared for the possibility she's going to get pregnant.

Also, maybe look into things like Depo-Provera, which may be even more effective than pills.

I HATED Depo-Provera. If she's comfortable with the pill, and you trust her to take it at the same time every day, I don't think you also need condoms.

But Cigarette is right, if you're having sex you should be prepared for the possibility that she could get pregnant. Have you talked about what you would do if that happened?

Ok, so I have been taking the Pill for about a week now, and I was told that it takes 3 months before you are "fully-covered"...any truth to that, or is it effective immediately?

No that's not right, it should be seven days before you're 'safe'. It takes three months about for your body to get used to the pill, I've had sickness, mood swings and all those lovely side effects but I'm on my third month and they've pretty much gone by now.

Check though, on the leaflet that comes with your pill, 'cause different kinds are bound to be different.

xx

you've just gotta remember to be really strict as to when you take it. the only thing that can suck when you first go on it weight gain. some pills you can put weight on....some you dont. there are so many different types out there and you've got to find one that suits one perfectly. Talk things through with the Dr (or whoever you see) and be prepared for a trial run with a few kinds.

Took me 4 goes to find one that didnt royally fuck me up.

But 5 years on and im yet to produce any children. *touches wood*

I'm a dirty, sophomoric person.

It's true.

You kind of need to decide some other stuff first: How much do you not want a baby? How serious would it be if she became pregnant? How carefully can she be when she takes her meds?


It's easy to say "using both is safer" - but is it? If you're using a rubber she might not bas as careful taking her pill, and if she's on the pill you might not be as careful putting the rubber on, and the combined lack of care might add up to a greater risk. Not saying that's what does happen, but it is possible.

So far I have been on it over a week and I have had no side effects at all which I am realy happy about...my dr never told me how long it would be before I was safe enough on it, and there is nothing on the info that came with it...

look into depo-provera
it mess me up
and the shitty part its in your body for 3 months
the pill works very well
I just wanted to caution you about the shot (it sucked)
other women love it but......

As it hasn't been included in this talk yet.


get an IUD stuck in her love hole and go at it like rabbits

It's really amazing to me that so many people regularly have sex without condoms, pill or not.

It's really not a good idea, ever.

Unless condoms cause your dick to break out in massive and very painful zits.

Ever? I think my husband might disagree.

Have you tried polyurethane?

But then he'd have to stop telling chicks that he can't wear a condom.

My ex-girlfriend has been on the shot and it seems to work really well.

i was just going to say something about that...
IUDs are more effective than the pill, my doc told me mine is 99.9% effective, and you can forget about birth control for 5-10 years (depending on what kind you get)
i love mine.

should be stated, i guess, that IUDs are very bad for people who tend to have a lot of sexual partners as the string that hangs out can make it easier to get STIs...

Ummm Married couples and people in long term relationships who are both already clean as it were are perfectly safe also my last girlfriend was on the pill and we NEVER EVER used condoms and bare back rocks.