A
female
age
30-35,
*aiti30
writes:Im almost 17, And i cant stop thinking about being pregnant... I know this is odd, and i'm not crazy, its just, okay, Im faithful with my birth control pills, and me and my boyfriend do have sex a lot, and im just curious on how i'm not pregnant? the pills aren't 100% it just doesn't make sense, so i'm worried i may not be fertile, or even him... And this is scary because we've been together for 3 years, and we plan to stay together, i do plan on having kids with him... it just worries me... and i cant really go to the doctor, because im to young, i know that, but i have no idea how i can't be? and worrying about that has even wanted me to get pregnant, then when i think about it i come back to reality, and know i can't, i'm not even out of house yet... does anyone have any advice? to help calm my nerves? Reply to this Question
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male
reader, doublejack +, writes (1 May 2012):
My ex-wife was sexually active and on birth control pills starting at a young age. The pill truly is very effective when taken correctly. During our relationship when she was taking the pill she never got pregnant and her cycle was very regular. Then we decided to try having a child, and *the very month* she stopped taking the pill we conceived. She expected it might take a while since she had taken the pill for over 10 years, but no. It happened right away.
I wouldn't worry about this. You have no way of knowing how fertile you are or aren't while you're taking the pill. It is only once you stop (or if you don't take it regularly) that you'll find out.
Best of luck!
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (1 May 2012): Hi all,
I deal with statistics fairly frequently so feel I can offer a useful insight.
First of all you should stop worrying. The reason why people take the pill is so that they won't get pregnant. If you take the pill correctly you will never be able 'to beat the odds' in the way you seem to think.
Basically you can't get pregnant on the pill. The small percentage you are concerned about are, for want of a better word, a safety net for the pharmaceutical companies that produce them. If a woman gets pregnant on the pill then in all likelihood she's not using it properly - a statement that would lead to long dragged out court cases with one party's word against another. It's therefore better for them to allow for a small percentage of non-effictivenss - lots of companies do it to have an easy 'out' rather than prolonged legal fights.
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A
female
reader, pinktopaz +, writes (1 May 2012):
I've somewhat questioned my fertility while being on the pill, especially for so long. I was never truly worried like you seem to be though.
I've been on birth control for 12 years now. I've never gotten pregnant while on the pill, I've even missed a pill and doubled up and still didn't get pregnant. Which leads me to question how it's even possible that women do get pregnant while on the pill--the chance is .01% if used correctly. I know it happens and hormonal levels, the use of antibiotics, and how someone absorbs the hormones etc. all can effect how the pill works.
The one time I did get pregnant, it was when I decided to get off the pills for 6-months about 4-years ago. I'm sure you're fine. And don't worry about having children until you are both ready.
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A
male
reader, The Realist  +, writes (1 May 2012):
 I agree with mishmash and using her statistic I will give my answer from the statistical point of view. Using the figure of 99.9% effective which means that probablity is there protecting you everytime that you have sex. If you have sex every day it doesn't change the effectiveness of the pill. It's the same thing as the effectiveness of a condom. If you use it properly every time the effectiveness is always the same. As long as you take the pill you should be fine and once you stop there is such a small chance that you will have any conception issues. There's nothing to worry about.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (1 May 2012): I just googled "birth control pill rate efficacy" and I was informed it was between 99.7-99.9%. Granted this statistic comes off the internet and I'm not a doctor, but I think you're question about why you haven't gotten pregnant is pretty self evident; you are on oral contraceptive. The fact that you aren't pregnant says nothing about your fertility or his.
The real question is why you want to have kids, when you're going to tell you're boyfriend you want children, and whether or not you would stop taking your birth control simply to fullfill your own aspirations. I can't answer the first two questions for you, but I definitely don't think you should go off your birth control in an effort to prove your fertility....especially when you're a teenager and you still live at home.
Have kids when you're ready to care and provide for them, not simply because you want to prove your fertility.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (1 May 2012): when used correctly, the pill is greater than 99% effective, which is pretty close to 100% so you're probably just lucky. The pill usually works in two ways, preventing ovulation and making a (temporary) inhospitable environment for an embryo so really there's hardly any chance you can get pregnant while on it, it doesn't mean you're infertile
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