How Long Does It Take For Birth Control Pills To Work?

[David Mills]

If a woman who has never taken birth control pills before, starts
today for example, could she have sex a few days later and be
"covered" or "safe" from pregnancy? If not, how long does it take the
Pill to be effective when first starting up?

Thanks for the help.

[Anne Marie]

The doctors always told me to wait 7 days and then you are safe.

Anne Marie
#1 Xandria Marie EDD 06-05-04

David Mills wrote:

>If a woman who has never taken birth control pills before, starts
>today for example, could she have sex a few days later and be
>"covered" or "safe" from pregnancy? If not, how long does it take the
>Pill to be effective when first starting up?
>
>Thanks for the help.
>
>
>
>

[Shena Delian O'Brien]

David Mills wrote:

> If a woman who has never taken birth control pills before, starts
> today for example, could she have sex a few days later and be
> "covered" or "safe" from pregnancy? If not, how long does it take the
> Pill to be effective when first starting up?

I was always told to use condoms for the first 30 days to be safe.

[V.]

"David Mills" > wrote in message
...
> If a woman who has never taken birth control pills before, starts
> today for example, could she have sex a few days later and be
> "covered" or "safe" from pregnancy? If not, how long does it take the
> Pill to be effective when first starting up?
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
It really depends on when during the cycle she starts taking them. If you
take them on the first day of your period, like many dr's will tell you,
then generally you are protected within days. This assumes that you don't
ovulate until halfway through your cycle and that the pills will take effect
before ovulation (preventing ovulation). If you start midway through or
close to ovulation, the pills may not have time to prevent ovulation, so you
could get pregnant anyway. Generally, it's best to use another form of
birth control for the first cycle, just to be sure.

Amy

[Jazz]

I've always heard your not covered during the first cycle. Protect
yourself ! It takes years to raise a child (even after they're
grown, you're still raising them in some manner) and lots of work &
dilligence to do a proper job of it.


Jazz




On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 16:22:13 -0600, "David Mills"
> wrote:

>If a woman who has never taken birth control pills before, starts
>today for example, could she have sex a few days later and be
>"covered" or "safe" from pregnancy? If not, how long does it take the
>Pill to be effective when first starting up?
>
>Thanks for the help.
>

[Sophie]

"Shena Delian O'Brien" > wrote in message
news:ApRZb.363403$I06.3801019@attbi_s01...
> David Mills wrote:
>
> > If a woman who has never taken birth control pills before, starts
> > today for example, could she have sex a few days later and be
> > "covered" or "safe" from pregnancy? If not, how long does it take the
> > Pill to be effective when first starting up?
>
> I was always told to use condoms for the first 30 days to be safe.
>

Yep I've always been told to use back-up protection for the first pack of
pills.

[Naomi Pardue]

>I was always told to use condoms for the first 30 days to be safe.
>

Depending on who the partner is, she may want to use condoms ALL the time, to
be safe ... (from things other than pregnancy).

But if the pills are started within the first few cycle days, it should not be
necessary to use a backup method of contraception for the entire first cycle.
The pills will prevent ovulation the first cycle. (And if the woman can't start
them the first few days, she may as well just wait until the next cycle to
start, right? Why waste a whole pack of pills if they aren't going to work that
month?)




Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)

[KR]

I took it for 3 months before completely trusting it...

"David Mills" > wrote in message
...
> If a woman who has never taken birth control pills before, starts
> today for example, could she have sex a few days later and be
> "covered" or "safe" from pregnancy? If not, how long does it take the
> Pill to be effective when first starting up?
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
>

[aml]

"David Mills" > wrote in message >...
> If a woman who has never taken birth control pills before, starts
> today for example, could she have sex a few days later and be
> "covered" or "safe" from pregnancy? If not, how long does it take the
> Pill to be effective when first starting up?
>
> Thanks for the help.

Read the instructions that come with the medication. Every one I've
used has indicated that they are not completetly effective till after
the first month of use.

AML

[Jacqui]

Naomi Pardue wibbled

>>I was always told to use condoms for the first 30 days to be safe.
>>
>
> Depending on who the partner is, she may want to use condoms ALL
> the time, to be safe ... (from things other than pregnancy).
>
> But if the pills are started within the first few cycle days, it
> should not be necessary to use a backup method of contraception
> for the entire first cycle. The pills will prevent ovulation the
> first cycle.

I was always told 7 days, for this reason, but you cannot be sure that
you are not one of the small percentage of women for whom this will not
be true (Pill failure rate may be small but it does exist, quite apart
from user error failure). I don't think I'd ever be confident enough
that ovulation had been suppressed to rely on that (but then, T is a
Depo Provera failure baby so maybe I'm justifiably paranoid <g>).

Jac