The sperm found in semen can only last up to 3 days (perhaps 5) in the "perfect" environment inside your vagina. The perfect environment is during your fertile time, when a woman is not taking birth control pills. The pill actually creates an unpleasant environment for sperm, so that's the good news for you.
It is safe to continue taking the hormone-containing pills from one pack to another (basically, skipping the non-hormone containing pills, during the week you get your "period"). However, this can cause irregular bleeding or breakthrough bleeding. There are pills on the market (Seasonale, for one) that you can take for 3-4 months at a time, and only have a few periods every year.
You can continue taking your next pills in the next pack, skipping the 7 days of non-hormone containing pills, and skip your period all together. This could cause breakthrough bleeding as I mentioned.
Delaying it...I'm not sure how that would be possible. You would take a week's worth of pills from your next pack (skipping the non-hormone containing pills in your current pack), then stop taking the pills for a week? I believe your doctor would suggest to just continue taking the remainder of the pack, and skip this period all together.
If you stop taking your pills a week early, you would probably have an early period, but would not be protected from pregnancy. You would need to use a backup method of birth control for at least 7 days.
Two things to remember:
- There is no medical need to have a "period" while you are taking birth control pills. You are not actually having a period (as you know, since you called it "withdrawal bleeding"). There is no harm in not bleeding.
- Changing the method in which you take your pills can cause them to not be as effective. You will need to use backup form of birth control (condom) for 7-14 days while you stop one pack, and start another pack.
- You might want to call your doctor's nurse and just confirm that this is OK to do for you, specifically. Many women are able to skip periods, but I don't know you or your medical history, and I think it's best just to double-check with your own doctor. Your doctor/N.P. may be able to write you another prescription for a different type of birth control pill, in which you only have a few periods every year.
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The sperm found in semen can only last up to 3 days (perhaps 5) in the "perfect" environment inside your vagina. The perfect environment is during your fertile time, when a woman is not taking birth control pills. The pill actually creates an unpleasant environment for sperm, so that's the good news for you.
It is safe to continue taking the hormone-containing pills from one pack to another (basically, skipping the non-hormone containing pills, during the week you get your "period"). However, this can cause irregular bleeding or breakthrough bleeding. There are pills on the market (Seasonale, for one) that you can take for 3-4 months at a time, and only have a few periods every year.
You can continue taking your next pills in the next pack, skipping the 7 days of non-hormone containing pills, and skip your period all together. This could cause breakthrough bleeding as I mentioned.
Delaying it...I'm not sure how that would be possible. You would take a week's worth of pills from your next pack (skipping the non-hormone containing pills in your current pack), then stop taking the pills for a week? I believe your doctor would suggest to just continue taking the remainder of the pack, and skip this period all together.
If you stop taking your pills a week early, you would probably have an early period, but would not be protected from pregnancy. You would need to use a backup method of birth control for at least 7 days.
Two things to remember:
- There is no medical need to have a "period" while you are taking birth control pills. You are not actually having a period (as you know, since you called it "withdrawal bleeding"). There is no harm in not bleeding.
- Changing the method in which you take your pills can cause them to not be as effective. You will need to use backup form of birth control (condom) for 7-14 days while you stop one pack, and start another pack.
- You might want to call your doctor's nurse and just confirm that this is OK to do for you, specifically. Many women are able to skip periods, but I don't know you or your medical history, and I think it's best just to double-check with your own doctor. Your doctor/N.P. may be able to write you another prescription for a different type of birth control pill, in which you only have a few periods every year.
Does this help?
June 27, 2010 - 7:29pmThis Comment
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