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Am I pregnant?! Help!

By Anonymous December 11, 2015 - 8:59am
 
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I have been taking birth control going on a year now. I'm supposed to start my new pack of birth control this Sunday but I won't be able to pick up my new pack till Monday. My boyfriend and I had unprotected sex on my period yesterday which was Thursday. I'm worried that I might get pregnant for being a day late on my pills because I know sperm can live in the body for up to 7 days. (By the way I started my period Wednesday night and my period usually last till Monday)

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Hello Anonymous,

Welcome to EmpowHER. Thank you for asking for help.

Relax. There was no risk for becoming pregnant when you had sex yesterday. You were having breakthrough bleeding. Birth control pills work to prevent pregnancy by preventing ovulation. When you have bleeding, that is really not a period but withdrawal or breakthrough bleeding.

With no released egg, there was no risk of pregnancy.

Sperm can live inside a woman's body for five days.

Starting your new pack one day late does extend the period of no active hormone pills to six days. Potentially, there is a slight risk the sperm could still be alive on Monday and Tuesday.

The highest risk of ovulation occurs when the hormone-free interval ,the time when inactive pills are taken or there is a break between active pills, is prolonged for than seven days.

This can occur by either delaying the start of your birth control pack or by missing active pills during the first or third weeks of birth control pill use.

Anonymous, I really think you should be okay and not likely to become pregnant. But, please have your partner use a condom should you have intercourse during the next seven days.

Regards,
Maryann

December 11, 2015 - 10:10am
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