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Question:
I have been taking tryphasic oral contraceptives for a 4 years now, and am usually pretty good about taking them on time. Recently though I have been under a minimal ammount of stress and have been off by no more than 8 hours for several of my pills. Carelessly I didn't take this into consideration when I had unprotected sex with my partner 1 day before my period (which was on time) I have experianced mild cramping and a deep brownish-red discharge since my period ended. I am curious what the odds are that I could be pregnant and if the symptoms I just described are an indication of pregnancy? I understand that the prime time to get pregnant is 14 days after you start your period, but I also understand that it is better to be safe than sorry. Please respond.

Answer:
by Megan Andelloux: (11/28/2005)
Well, being off by 8 hours isn't great, but it's not horrible either. You are correct that the supposedly easiest time to get pregnant is around day 14 of your cycle, which leads me to wonder, did you mess up your pills around day(s) 11-17? If so, there is a chance you could be pregnant. Sperm can live in the body for up to 7 days after you have had sex, so if you missed a pill and an egg popped out, some sperm could be just waiting to get at that egg. Usually women do not get their periods when they are pregnant, but some women do. Usually the period is lighter, shorter and more like spotting than having a period. The change in color could have been the your body readjusting to taking the pills on time. I would suggest you look into getting a new birth control method. The Pill works 98% of the time when you take it correctly and consistently every day. What about the Patch? Or Nuvaring? Look them up on www.ppfa.org to find out more info, but those methods are just like the pill, but you only have to remember them once a week or once a month. Women who are on Nuvaring tend to really love it. Check it out. At least that way you don't have to stress about taking it everyday ontime. Good Luck and thanks for writing in! Megan Andelloux

Reviewed by: Patricia Fawver Ph.D. in Sexology

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