if you miss 2 birth control pills during week 2 and have sex on those days can you get pregnant?

Anon,

No, seriously, you're not protected if you miss 5 days. Usually when you miss 3 days even the pill information sheet itself tells you to use a second form of birth control for at least seven days to make sure you don't get pregnant during that vulnerable time.

What kind of pills are you on?

Jessica,

So really, there was only one day without any pill, right? Tuesday you had no pill, Wednesday you had one pill, Thursday you had a pill in the morning and a pill in the night. From what I read during my research, it seems like your body may react as though you had two missed pills.

Whenever you miss a pill, chances increase slightly for pregnancy. Here's what the Tri-Cyclen Lo site says about missed pills:

"Missing a pill increases your risk of becoming pregnant.

"If you miss one "active" pill, take two pills on the day that you remember. If you miss two "active" pills in a row in week one or two, take two pills per day for two days in a row. Then take one pill per day for the rest of the pack. Use back-up birth control for at least 7 days following the missed pills.

"If you miss two "active" pills in a row in week three, or if you miss three pills in a row during any of the first 3 weeks, throw out the rest of the pack and start a new one the same day if you are a Day 1 starter. If you are a Sunday starter, keep taking a pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw out the rest of the pack and start a new one that day."

If you miss two or more pills, you may not have a period during the month. If you miss a period for two months in a row, call your doctor because you might be pregnant. "

OK. I know that none of that is your exact situation, but it does sound like there were some days there when you were vulnerable to pregnancy. I am assuming you didn't use any backup birth control (like condoms) for the seven days after that?

It does say that if you missed two pills, you may not have a period at all this month. I know that doesn't do anything to ease your anxiety. If I were you, I might wait until I was a week late and take a HPT to see if it shows anything. If it's negative, perhaps you're just missing your period because of the missed pills. If it's positive, at least you'll know something.

If this is just a scare, I know you'll breathe deeply with relief when it's over. But I want you to know something. Birth control pills can be 97% effective, and that still means 3 women in 100 get pregnant while taking it perfectly. My sister did. When she was astonished, her gynecologist said this: "Think of the math. If 3 out of every 100 get pregnant on the pill, that's 30 out of every 1000. We have 1000 patients in just this office alone, so we see 30 women a year on the pill who get pregnant. And we're just one office. Every gynecologist's office sees the same thing." It seems like a larger number when you think that 30 women in every gynecologist's office could get pregnant on the pill! Since college and your boyfriend's high school education are so important right now, you might consider using two forms of birth control, so you just don't have to worry. And even if you don't use them all the time, keep condoms in your purse or the bedside drawer so that if you know you've missed a pill, you have a backup for 7 days that you don't have to worry about.

Write back and update us, ok? Tell us what's happening?

Trivora can be used as an emergency contraceptive. Here is the chart:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/morning-after-pill/emergency-contraception-pill-chart-19304.htm

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sex Sun, Mon, Tue of this week? (Today is Tuesday).

If your first episode of unprotected sex was Sunday the 21st, what dates did you miss your two pills? What dates did you double-up?

Hi Rebecca,

That's great that you "doubled-up" on your birth control pills, just as instructed. Am I right that the instructions also said something about, "after 2-missed pills in a row, double-up on pills for the next 2 days, and use another form of protection--like a condom--for the next 7 days..."?

If so, it is important to know when you had unprotected sex. Was it within this "7 day" window, after you missed the 2 pills?

If you have been taking birth control pill for a few months or more, it is usually not much to worry about. However, if you've only been on the pill for 4 weeks (actually 2.5 weeks, if you missed a few in week 3), then it's a little more concerning.

Hang in there--let us know when your unprotected intercourse was. Did this occur within the last 120 hours? If so, you can increase your odds of preventing an unwanted pregnancy by getting Plan B ("emergency contraceptive), and taking it immediately. Here is information about it, and where to find it: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill-4363.htm (I believe you need to be over 18 years of age to purchase?)