I just read the Yaz patient information leaflet (available online), and you are right (from your added comment below): it says if you miss 2 light pink "active" pills in-a-row in Week 3, and you are a Sunday starter, to "keep taking one pill every day until Sunday, and then on Sunday throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day". These instructions are the same if you miss 3 or more (which you are not sure if you did).
It also says "you COULD BECOME PREGNANT" if you have sex in the 7 days after you restart your pills.
Where did you hear that you can not become pregnant when on your period? I'm surprised that you read the instructions as closely as you did, but skipped over the part where it says "you MUST use another birth control method (condoms) as back-up for the 7 days after you restart your pills".
Your period will likely be irregular this month, or you may not have one, as the hormones in your pills may cause your cycle to be "off"...this is completely normal. Specifically: a period that is lighter, shorter, just "spotting" or regular...these are all normal after missing pills.
Lastly, every time you have a "period" while using birth control pills is not actually a "period" or menstrual bleeding...is is withdrawal bleeding from the hormones in your pill. This is because the first 21 days of pills contain active hormones, and the last 7 days of pills do not contain hormones...so your body is going through a type of "withdrawal" from the hormones for those days. It is kind of confusing, but you can read below about how an actual period works (and keep in mind: the pills you take work by either: preventing ovulation, by preventing uterine lining from becoming thicker, or by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting).
Your comment, "...period just being a withdrawal from hormones cuz it wants to ovulate" is not really true. Bleeding (whether menstrual bleeding or withdrawal bleeding) does not "cause" or "lead to" ovulation; ovulation begins from hormones in your brain signaling to your ovaries that an egg should be released. The egg is released (called ovulation), travels through your fallopian tubes to your uterus, where your uterine lining becomes thicker, suitable for a fertilized egg. Then, a few weeks later if this egg is not fertilized, this thicker uterine lining is shed...which is "menstrual bleeding". And, again, when taking the pill, you do not have this menstrual bleeding, as the pill is working to prevent ovulation and prevents uterine lining from becoming thicker...so there is no shedding of this lining. The bleeding that occurs while taking the pill is withdrawal bleeding from lack of hormones for the week.
Perhaps too much information, but now you know!
Your biggest question, "is it likely that I can be pregnant". Yes, it is a possibility, unfortunately. Your pills are 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when used consistently and correctly every time, and when missing 2 or more pills in-a-row, this effectiveness rate decreases to around 85%. When you miss 2 pills in-a-row, and have unprotected intercourse during the following 7 days, there is a chance for pregnancy.
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I just read the Yaz patient information leaflet (available online), and you are right (from your added comment below): it says if you miss 2 light pink "active" pills in-a-row in Week 3, and you are a Sunday starter, to "keep taking one pill every day until Sunday, and then on Sunday throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day". These instructions are the same if you miss 3 or more (which you are not sure if you did).
It also says "you COULD BECOME PREGNANT" if you have sex in the 7 days after you restart your pills.
Where did you hear that you can not become pregnant when on your period? I'm surprised that you read the instructions as closely as you did, but skipped over the part where it says "you MUST use another birth control method (condoms) as back-up for the 7 days after you restart your pills".
Your period will likely be irregular this month, or you may not have one, as the hormones in your pills may cause your cycle to be "off"...this is completely normal. Specifically: a period that is lighter, shorter, just "spotting" or regular...these are all normal after missing pills.
Lastly, every time you have a "period" while using birth control pills is not actually a "period" or menstrual bleeding...is is withdrawal bleeding from the hormones in your pill. This is because the first 21 days of pills contain active hormones, and the last 7 days of pills do not contain hormones...so your body is going through a type of "withdrawal" from the hormones for those days. It is kind of confusing, but you can read below about how an actual period works (and keep in mind: the pills you take work by either: preventing ovulation, by preventing uterine lining from becoming thicker, or by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting).
Your comment, "...period just being a withdrawal from hormones cuz it wants to ovulate" is not really true. Bleeding (whether menstrual bleeding or withdrawal bleeding) does not "cause" or "lead to" ovulation; ovulation begins from hormones in your brain signaling to your ovaries that an egg should be released. The egg is released (called ovulation), travels through your fallopian tubes to your uterus, where your uterine lining becomes thicker, suitable for a fertilized egg. Then, a few weeks later if this egg is not fertilized, this thicker uterine lining is shed...which is "menstrual bleeding". And, again, when taking the pill, you do not have this menstrual bleeding, as the pill is working to prevent ovulation and prevents uterine lining from becoming thicker...so there is no shedding of this lining. The bleeding that occurs while taking the pill is withdrawal bleeding from lack of hormones for the week.
Perhaps too much information, but now you know!
Your biggest question, "is it likely that I can be pregnant". Yes, it is a possibility, unfortunately. Your pills are 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when used consistently and correctly every time, and when missing 2 or more pills in-a-row, this effectiveness rate decreases to around 85%. When you miss 2 pills in-a-row, and have unprotected intercourse during the following 7 days, there is a chance for pregnancy.
August 23, 2009 - 12:20pmThis Comment
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