Late period on the pill

[megan]

Help me!!!!

I had casual sex about four weeks ago, and my partner did not use any protection. I am on pills as part of birth control measures, but I am late by five days for my period. I have previously had sex while on pills but never missed my periods.

Am I pregnant or just freaking out? Either way, I would be grateful for any suggestions.

 

[ness]

I have a simple suggestion for you.

Take a home pregnancy test with two different brands and see if it is positive. If not, then you can relax. The reason for using two brands is because sometimes you might get a false positive. Taking tests on two brands can help you address that problem.

Take care.

 

[sarah]

If you are taking the active pills correctly, then you need not worry. These pills are highly effective when it comes to preventing pregnancy. The effectiveness of the combination of progestogen-only and contraceptive pills, if used regularly, is around 90 – 91%. Which in other words means that only one in every ten women will become pregnant on this pill. With perfect use, these pills are 99.9% effective. The stress here is on “perfect use” which means taking it every day at the same time without any fail. If not, the effectiveness decreases and you might fall pregnant even on the pill.

That being said, there are other things which might make the pill ineffective. If you are having diarrhea or vomiting for more than two days, then the effectiveness of the pill decreases. The pill might not be very effective for very obese women. Certain supplements like St. John’s Wort and medicines such as anti-seizure medicines, griseofulvin, and rifampicin can also play a major role in reducing the effectiveness of the anti-pregnancy pills.

As @ness said, the best way to determine pregnancy is taking a pregnancy test. Ideally, this should be taken the first or second day when you have missed your period.

That being said, being pregnant is not the only reason why you might have missed your period. It can also happen due to extreme dietary changes, excessive stress, and excessive exercise.

Sorry for such a long reply, but wanted to touch all the bases.

 

[Pammy]

I would like to answer you somewhat technically.

Birth control pills mainly work in three ways. They prevent ovulation, help in decreasing the uterine lining and in thickening the cervical mucosa. This essentially means that if the pill is taken roughly around the same time every day, you will not get pregnant. If you forget to take the pill, the chances of you getting pregnant increase a little bit, and if you are ending up forgetting more pills, then the chances of getting pregnant increases a lot.

When on pills, there is no need for plan B since chances of you getting pregnant while on it are next to zero. This is because OVULATION DOES NOT HAPPEN WHEN YOU ARE ON PILLS. You might get a delayed period or missed period now and then, but that is because of decreased uterine lining and nothing else. So missing a few days here and there does not matter.

The only time you need to take extra precaution is when you are starting on the first pack, and it is only for a week since the body takes time to get adjusted to the new drug. Once you start taking the pill, then there is no correlation between the pill and your periods. You just do not stop taking the pills. Take a week break in between if you need but under no circumstances do you stop taking the pills. Even if you have spotting or irregular period, just keep taking the pills, once you’ve started it.

However, I might suggest using some protection in case you have taken any antibiotic before indulging in intercourse because there are certain studies which show that the effectiveness of the pill decreases when antibiotics are taken. If that is not the case, then no need to worry.

Hope this answers all your queries.

 

[Fiona]

You need not worry as long as you have been taking the pills correctly and not missed any of them. Missing periods for five days is not a big deal. It would have most probably come in a day or two. It is not necessary that your period should happen on the same day every month and at the same time. If you are on the pill, then there are chances that you may have had only a light spotting or even missed a period.

However, if you are taking it correctly then you need not worry. They do not call it the best birth control measure after abstinence for nothing. You only need to worry if it happens twice in a row and you have had some fun in between.

 

[kate31]

Hello @megan

If you are taking the pill every day at the same time religiously (one or two hours here and other is okay), then there is nothing to worry. The pill is highly effective in preventing pregnancy if it is taken as instructed. Yes, there would always be a small chance of getting pregnant while on the pill, but it is only 0.01%.

If it makes you feel better, then go for a home pregnancy test! Some tests can detect your pregnancy even before you miss your period. Just follow the labels or ask the pharmacist if you do not feel shy about it.

I hope everything works out well!!!!

 

[whitebeach]

You are just freaking out nothing else!!!! Take a deep breath and relax and get on with your life…you are safe as long as you are taking the pills as instructed. And missing periods by five days is not a big thing. I once missed mine by a week, and I was not pregnant.

If you want to be doubly sure, then go for a home test and see if everything is right!!!!