Stopped Birth Control Right Before Unprotected Sex

Published: February 15, 2017
Dear TeenHealthFX,
The 5th of last month i had unprotected sex. I was on the birthcontrol pill for 5 months and I stopped taking it a day or two before this is it likely i am pregnant? I get my period the first week of the month and instead of a period I was spotting a very light red.I am experiencing extreme fatigue, nausea but no vomiting, back pains,the "sensitive smelling" and my stomach is feeling a type of way it never has before.
Signed: Stopped Birth Control Right Before Unprotected Sex

Dear Stopped Birth Control Right Before Unprotected Sex,

When you stop taking the birth control pill, you significantly increase the chances of getting pregnant if you continue to have unprotected sex. Stopping the pill can also impact your menstrual cycle – both in terms of how often you get your period and how heavy or light your period is. As far as the symptoms of fatigue and nausea, these can certainly be signs of pregnancy. But they can also be a result of feeling scared and anxious.

If you stopped taking the pill after completing a full pack, then it is unlikely that you would be pregnant if you had sex 1-2 days after finishing the pack because you would not be ovulating. However, TeenHealthFX does not know at what point in the pack you stopped taking the pill, but if you stopped before completing the pack the risk of pregnancy would be higher.  

If the bleeding you experienced was a light period, then you would not be pregnant and it would be most likely that your cycle was just impacted by stopping the pill. However, since TeenHealthFX cannot make any definitive diagnosis over the internet, we recommend the following:

  • Take a pregnancy test and/or meet with your doctor to verify that you are not pregnant. If you are worried about confidentiality or cost issues, you can go to a local Planned Parenthood Health Center.
  • Speak to your doctor about why you stopped the pill, especially if you were experiencing side-effects.
  • Do not continue to have unprotected sex as long as you are off the pill. Doctors recommend that teens and young adults who are sexually active use birth control (such as the pill or birth control shot) to protect against unwanted pregnancies, as well as condoms for protection against the transmission of STDs and added protection against unwanted pregnancies. If you are going to continue to be sexually active, please use condoms each and every time you have sex and speak to your doctor about the best back-up birth control methods for you.
  • TeenHealhtFX also recommends you check out our Resource of the Month: Planned Parenthood Resources on Safer Sex so that you can learn about sexual readiness, how pregnancy happens, birth control, STDs, emergency contraception, pregnancy tests and more. The more educated you are about these things, the more you can make healthy decisions for yourself when it comes to decisions about sex and your physical and emotional well-being.

 

If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-5199 for an appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist or contact your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers.

Signed: TeenHealthFX

Ratings