The synthetic hormones in the pill don't exactly "wear off" after a specific time; the synthetic hormones work with your body to do a number of things to help prevent pregnancy during the course of your cycle (alter lining of uterus, change cervical mucus and prevent ovulation), and are effective because you take another dose daily to keep the hormone levels at the proper amount in your body to keep these processes working (or the processes altered/prevented, however you want to look at it).
What you have probably heard is that after you stop taking the pill, it can take a few months for your body to return to a regular menstrual cycle (in the meantime, it will likely be irregular), as while you are on the pill you do not actually menstruate (you need to ovulate in order to menstruate; the bleeding that occurs during the non-hormone pills is called withdrawal bleeding).
When you stop taking the pill abruptly, then all of these changes also stop. Your friend is right: sperm can live inside a woman's body for up to 3-5 days (typically the 5 days is reserved for women not on the pill, when she is most fertile), and the absence of your pill will lead your body to begin its regular processes.
I'm curious why you decided to stop taking the pill after you had sex, as many women are still concerned with pregnancy even when they are on the pill! It is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, but is not 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. Women can still become pregnant even when taking the pill (very, very small chance), they can become pregnancy when missing a few pills, or they can become pregnant after stopping the pill.
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The synthetic hormones in the pill don't exactly "wear off" after a specific time; the synthetic hormones work with your body to do a number of things to help prevent pregnancy during the course of your cycle (alter lining of uterus, change cervical mucus and prevent ovulation), and are effective because you take another dose daily to keep the hormone levels at the proper amount in your body to keep these processes working (or the processes altered/prevented, however you want to look at it).
What you have probably heard is that after you stop taking the pill, it can take a few months for your body to return to a regular menstrual cycle (in the meantime, it will likely be irregular), as while you are on the pill you do not actually menstruate (you need to ovulate in order to menstruate; the bleeding that occurs during the non-hormone pills is called withdrawal bleeding).
When you stop taking the pill abruptly, then all of these changes also stop. Your friend is right: sperm can live inside a woman's body for up to 3-5 days (typically the 5 days is reserved for women not on the pill, when she is most fertile), and the absence of your pill will lead your body to begin its regular processes.
I'm curious why you decided to stop taking the pill after you had sex, as many women are still concerned with pregnancy even when they are on the pill! It is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, but is not 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. Women can still become pregnant even when taking the pill (very, very small chance), they can become pregnancy when missing a few pills, or they can become pregnant after stopping the pill.
How long ago did you stop taking the pill?
January 5, 2010 - 3:42pmThis Comment
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