My Girlfriend Took EC Twice, But Could She Be Pregnant?

If your girlfriend took emergency contraception immediately after having unprotected sex both times, the spotting would most likely be due to her menstrual cycle being affected by the EC. It would be unlikely that she is pregnant unless there were other times you had unprotected sex since her last period that you did not mention above.

If there is a strong, unpleasant vaginal odor, it could be an STI (sexually transmitted infection) or something called bacterial vaginosis. If the smell does not go away, she should see a doctor about.

TeenHealthFX is concerned that the two of you are continuing to have unprotected sex as it does put you at risk for unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STDs. Given that you are both “really scared,” we’re assuming that an unwanted pregnancy would be a very difficult thing for the two of you to deal with at this point in your lives (which we could certainly understand!). So it is important for the two of you to think about how to prevent these situations from occurring in the future. One way would be to consider how much the two of you are drinking. Drinking does affect our judgment (and many other things), so that is certainly one thing to keep in mind.

The other would be to speak to a doctor about birth control, such as the pill or the birth control shot, to protect against unwanted pregnancies. Doctors generally recommend that teens and young adults who choose to be sexually active use condoms each and every time they have sex to protect against unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STDs, as well as a back-up method of birth control such as the pill or birth control shot. Your doctor can make the best recommendations for you and your girlfriend and discuss with both of you how to use properly use birth control to maximize its effectiveness.

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. A Planned Parenthood health center is a good option if you have concerns about cost or confidentiality issues. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers.

FX also suggests that you and your girlfriend check out the links in our Resource of the Month: Planned Parenthood Resources on Safer Sex so that you can learn about sexual readiness, how pregnancy happens, pregnancy tests, emergency contraception, birth control, STDs and more. The more educated you are about these topics, the more likely you will make healthy decisions for yourself when it comes to your sexual health.