a thing ive been thinking about

Former Member

hi guys
was with my boyfriend this weekend and we had sex, im on the pill but we didnt use a condom, could i still get pregnant? should condoms always be used? thats the 1st time ive never used one, cant say i felt the difference with no condom cos some people seem to say the feeling is better..
be nice to hear ur views, i love him fingering me best feeling ever.. im 20 and legal and hes quite alot older, hes a bit shy bout people looking at us but im fine with it, hope he will b more comfortable soon!

Former Member

If you are both 100% certain that neither of you have any STDs (checks at a GUM clinic are the best way to be certain about this) then as long as you are taking your pill as the instructions say you are protected from pregnancy to about 97%.

If you plan on using the pill as your only birth control it is worth rechecking the instructions just to ensure you are following the instructions re: times to take it this depends on type of pill and brand (sometimes can vary) and be really aware of things like the fact vomiting, Dihorrea (sp?) taking the pill too late and some antibiotics can effect your pills effectiveness for up to 7 days from the last episode. It tends to be when the pill fails that one of these things is a factor.Best use condoms as an extra for a week or so if one of these things has effected you.

Former Member

ive been on this pill for bout 4 yrs now and never had any side effects so thats good, so i wud be fine?

Former Member

im confused, where do side effects come into it? i was talking about things to be aware of if you plan to use it as your sole contraception - ie getting a stomach bug or food poisoning can cause vomiting and the shits which can effect your pill, as does drinking too much and vomiting, and some antibiotics for things can effect it working properly. If you get any of these things at any point, use condoms to cover urself.

Former Member

Hi there marcbolanfan,

As **Summer-Raindrops** mentioned, it is very important for both of you to get checked out in a sexual health clinic to make sure you are both free from STDs. These can be transmitted when no condom is used.

After making sure you are both clear, at the end of the day it is up to you whether you use condoms or not, but the pill does not cover you 100% and therefore there is still a chance you could get pregnant - so using both is more effective;

Using contraception according to instructions is a good way of reducing the risk of pregnancy but no contraception is 100% effective. This means there will always be some risk, but the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is greatly reduced by using contraception.
Some people choose to use condoms (which are 98% effective in reducing STIs and pregnancy if used according to their instructions), and the contraceptive pill (which is 99% effective in reducing pregnancy, if used according to the instructions). This is sometimes called the 'dual protection' method.

Also have a look at our article on the combined pill and the progestogen-only pill - both need to be taken according to instructions in order to work as effectively as they can.