Are birth control pills really that ineffective?

[lil mermaid]

There have been quite a few threads here lately on pregnancy and teen pregnancy in particular. In these threads, at least one person invariably states that they became pregnant while using birth control pills. I remember one post where someone claimed to have become pregnant TWICE while using BC pills.

Most literature that you read on birth control pills these days tells you that the pill is very effective, something like 99% if taken exactly as prescribed.

I was on the pill for many years and know lots of other people who have been. I never became pregnant while on it and the only person I know who did was taking antibiotics - which as everyone knows, can sometimes make the pill not work properly.

So I wonder - are all these claims of the pill's effectiveness untrue, are there just some very unlucky people on these boards, or is the pill not being taken exactly as prescribed? I really am curious.

 

[sajetto]

I'm no expert on the topic, especially since I am deathly allergic to the hormones in bc, but I believe that most of those preggies on bc are due to taking the meds inproperly.

 

[JoiseyMom]

The pill is effective, if taken as perscribed. Now saying that, you have a teen, she is on the pill. She fogets one day, doubles it up the next. Done goes the protection quotient. A female on the pill gets sick, takes anti-biotics, guess what?? Some anti-biotics and other drugs lower the threshold of the drug.

I never got pregnant while I was on the pill. I think the women that do, are not following the directions as stated above. I am sure there are plenty of other reasons the pill fail. There also might be some women who's bodies the pill may not work to it's fullest with.

 

[AllyandJack]

I think some of it has to do with people thinking that if they take a week's worth of pills, they've covered.

 

[RangerPooh]

I've been on the pill for about 9 years now and found out 5 years ago that even though I am on the pill I continue to ovulate and therfore still have the potential to become pregnant while on the pill. This past February DH and I discovere that we are pregnant, and while we can consider the fact that I continue to ovulate as part of the explaination, the other part would be the fact that I missed a day as I packed my pills during our move and couldn't find them the next day.

So in my case, there is the potential for me to become pregnant while on the pill. What should be remembered is what everyone is saying, that it's only effective if taken regularly and there are no medications that can affect it.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Two adult friends got pregnant on pill in '80s. Not known then that antibiotics made pill not work temporarily.
Now also known that pill less effective in overweight women.

Also can't take 1 pill a day any old time each day for best effectiveness. Pill needs to be taken same time each day for maximum effectiveness.

 

[LeCras]

I was on the pill for about 10 years and never got pregnant. Stopped taking the pill over five years ago and I'm still not pregnant. Sure seems to have worked for us...

Charlotte (waiting for IVF #2)

 

[Poohnatic]

Took them for 10 years and never a problem.

My ex husband worked in an office full of women (I worked there, briefly) and I can't tell you how many babies happened while coworkers were supposedly on the pill. The joke he and I had was that the water there must ruin the efficacy of the pill.

Then my pharmacist explained it. I took a 21 pack (no placebos), but the manufacturer discontinued it. We talked about it one time when I was refilling them and he told me that some brands neccessitated bringing the pack back for the refill. He'd open them and find pills left in them, the active ones. In one case, a young lady had only taken 6 pills out of the pack and when questioned, said she thought you only took them when you had sex.

I have had two coworkers become pregnant on the pill and both times, I asked them if they were on antibiotics. Both were, which made me wonder if their doctors tell patents about using alternative bc while on meds.

Suzanne

 

[Cindyluwho]

I totally get being on the pill if you're married but I can't imagine using the pill as birth control if I was just dating someone. It's not like it was when I was young (OMG I sound so old!!!). Back in the late 70's, early 80's when I was in college the worse thing that could happen to you was pregnancy or a disease that required antibiotics. The only incurable thing out there was herpes. Dont' the kids understand that they can DIE from having unsafe sex? Condems, condems, condems. And even they're not foolproof, but sex without one is insane!! I mean, I understand that AIDS/HIV isn't the death sentence it once was but it's no walk in the park either and it is NOT curable. I'm assuming/hoping/praying that every parent out there is telling their teenage sons & daughters that having unprotected sex can be deadly. "Put a helmet on that soldier!"

 

[sajetto]

I totally get being on the pill if you're married but I can't imagine using the pill as birth control if I was just dating someone. It's not like it was when I was young (OMG I sound so old!!!). Back in the late 70's, early 80's when I was in college the worse thing that could happen to you was pregnancy or a disease that required antibiotics. The only incurable thing out there was herpes. Dont' the kids understand that they can DIE from having unsafe sex? Condems, condems, condems. And even they're not foolproof, but sex without one is insane!! I mean, I understand that AIDS/HIV isn't the death sentence it once was but it's no walk in the park either and it is NOT curable. I'm assuming/hoping/praying that every parent out there is telling their teenage sons & daughters that having unprotected sex can be deadly. "Put a helmet on that soldier!"

Exactly! I would never use bc, even if I could, with someone I was dating...even with my fiance we still use condoms. That's because we have to though.

 

[ozarkmom]

I totally get being on the pill if you're married but I can't imagine using the pill as birth control if I was just dating someone. It's not like it was when I was young (OMG I sound so old!!!). Back in the late 70's, early 80's when I was in college the worse thing that could happen to you was pregnancy or a disease that required antibiotics. The only incurable thing out there was herpes. Dont' the kids understand that they can DIE from having unsafe sex? Condems, condems, condems. And even they're not foolproof, but sex without one is insane!! I mean, I understand that AIDS/HIV isn't the death sentence it once was but it's no walk in the park either and it is NOT curable. I'm assuming/hoping/praying that every parent out there is telling their teenage sons & daughters that having unprotected sex can be deadly. "Put a helmet on that soldier!"

I think teenagers should be on the pill to prevent pregnancy (it's still the best protection) and use a condom to help prevent disease. That's need's to be stressed to our boys and girls!

 

[EthansMom]

I was on BC pills for years and never had a problem. BUT, I always kept condoms on hand and used them as a backup when I had to take antibiotics or when I'd taken a pill late for any reason.

I think there may well be women who legitimately get pregnant while taking the pills correctly. However, EVERY woman I've ever known personally who got pregnant on the pill "forgot" to take one or more pills and chose to do nothing else about birth control.

I've known more than one guy whose GF/Wife/SO stopped taking BC pills without telling him (usually as a way to trap the guy as the relationship was headed downhill). I'll make certain to tell both of my kids (when they get older), to always use a condom with spermicide in addition to any BC pills.

 

[poohandwendy]

I've been on the pill for about 9 years now and found out 5 years ago that even though I am on the pill I continue to ovulate and therfore still have the potential to become pregnant while on the pill. This past February DH and I discovere that we are pregnant, and while we can consider the fact that I continue to ovulate as part of the explaination, the other part would be the fact that I missed a day as I packed my pills during our move and couldn't find them the next day.

So in my case, there is the potential for me to become pregnant while on the pill. What should be remembered is what everyone is saying, that it's only effective if taken regularly and there are no medications that can affect it.

Actually, if you missed a pill, then you really didn't get pregnant 'on the pill', you got pregnant because your body was off the pill for enough time to be not protected.

What often happens when you miss pills is that your body automatically ovulates. So it isn't necessarily that you ovulate while on the pill. Actually, that is very unlikely, unless you need a dosage adjustment.

The pill should be suppressing ovulation completely, in order for it to be the right dosage for you. If BCPs cannot completely suppress ovulation in you, for some reason, I would definitely switch methods.

 

[Marseeya]

I was on the pill and took them properly at the same time every day. Still got pregnant after being on them for over five years.

Got pregnant with #2 while using foam contraceptive and a condom.

I'm just a fertile myrtle. Bleh! ETA, must have gotten it from my bio mom who had 9 kids.

 

[Michie]

I think teenagers should be on the pill to prevent pregnancy (it's still the best protection) and use a condom to help prevent disease. That's need's to be stressed to our boys and girls!

Amen!! I know this will offend some, but really dont care, but I have told my boys YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, there is a small percentage of girls who get pregnant on purpose. I want my boys to finish college, get a good paying job before they start having kids blah, blah...

 

[Brier Rose]

I think teenagers should be on the pill to prevent pregnancy (it's still the best protection) and use a condom to help prevent disease. That's need's to be stressed to our boys and girls!

But what about the health risks involved with taking BCP's?

I know I've never wanted to give my kids medicine that wasn't absolutly necessary due to the possibilty of harmful side effects.

Though rare, I am blind in my left eye due to a blood clot that developed while on the pill. I had just always taken for granted that they were safe. After that happened and I really started looking into all of the possible side effects I was shocked.
While the BCP would be great to protect against pregnancy, I would not let my DD take them.

Also, I really think a teen on the pill would be FAR less likely to use a condom. While I would be heart broken if my DD got pregnant, I would be much more upset if she got aids.

 

[lbgraves]

I know that I have to take the pill every day. The fear of DH & I becoming out numbered makes me remember. I was put on them to treat ovarian cysts and took them for 6 years before DH & I got married. It only took 3 months for DS to come along. I went back on them right after he was born and decided that we wanted #2 a year later. I was pregnant 2 weeks later!!!

 

[Christine]

I remember one post where someone claimed to have become pregnant TWICE while using BC pills.

That would be me.

Because birth control pills make me extremely queasy (long-term), my doctor found the only pill that wouldn't make me queasy--Micronor (aka. the mini-pill). This pill has a 96% effectiveness rate. I took the pill for 2 years and got pregnant. I thought it was some weird fluke. After my first was born I went back on it. It worked again for about 2.5 years and then I got pregnant with #2. DH got a vasectomy after that.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Estrogen makes me vomit, so when I was on the pill I would frequently toss them back up. Even the low estrogen ones. Still, never got pregnant while I was taking them!

Now I use Depo Provera injections which I LOVE!!! I haven't had a period in 8 years. So fabulous! And no side effects - no puking, no headaches, nothing like when I was on the pill. We don't want more kids so I don't worry about my cycles ever returning to normal if I quit the injections.

An employee at the AIDS agency where I volunteer was asking me how to go about making an impression on young people. Many of them don't know anyone with AIDS, so they figure they aren't at risk. YIKES! I know the statistic that always stuck in my mind was that if you have unprotected sex with just 2 people in one year you have exposed yourself to approximately 512 people. It's like that shampoo commercial where I tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on. Unless the person you are with is a virgin then you are exposing yourself to everyone they have slept with, and everyone that everyone they slept with has slept with, and on down the line. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 people living with HIV in Dallas County. There are MANY undiagnosed cases, and there is no way to accurately predict how many there may be. Now, would I like to go out and blindly expose myself to a random sample of 512 people? No thanks!

Getting pregnant is absolutely not the ONLY thing to worry about!

 

[Puffy2]

BCPs today are not as potent as they were 20 years ago. They decreased the level of hormones in them. That also means that it is even more important than ever to NEVER miss a dose -

Also if you smoke, you should not use birth controll pills as your risk of stroke goes WAY up.