Birth Control And Pregnancy: Is It Possible To Get Pregnant On The Pill? | Pregnancy medical answers | Family Health center

Birth control pills and other types of anti-conception products are quite effective when they are used properly to prevent pregnancy. Most combinations of these oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are a mixture of progesterone and estrogen. Progesterone is a compound designed to prevent pregnancy while estrogen is key at controlling the bleeding. When used together, it is believed that patients can only still get pregnant 1 percent of the time. [1]

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Even under perfect conditions, this 1 percent chance can be shocking to patients who are thinking they are invulnerable to pregnancy. That is why it is recommended that all patients who engage in sexual intercourse rely on two methods of birth control to make sure they totally safe from unexpected pregnancies.

The standard options include OCPs for women and condoms for males. Not only will condoms prevent the passage of sperm into the vaginal canal but it will also protect against sexually transmitted diseases that are still possible when any type of bodily fluid transfers from one person to another.

Women can also choose to use other devices in order to prevent against pregnancy like intrauterine devices (IUDs) which are even more effective than tablets and do not require the same rigorous tasks to ensure pregnancy protection.

As you can see, if you do everything like you are supposed to, you have a very low chance of becoming pregnant but in the real world, unfortunately, it may not be all that perfect.

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Studies show that over 30 percent of women self-report to have forgotten to take birth control pills, an underestimate of what the true population means could actually be and one forgotten pill can make all the difference in if you are pregnant or not. [2]

Taking birth control pills is definitely a taxing process for women but you must take this medication at the same time every day without forgetting a dose. With life events happening around us all the time, you may leave your home and leave your medications behind.

Even if you return home later and take your medications before going to bed, your estrogen and progesterone levels will change slightly due to the delayed dose and patients could get pregnant as a result. For those who think that it is quite easy to take medications every day, just think back to the last time you had antibiotics and how successful you were at remembering to take pills every day at the same time. One possible strategy is to set alarms at the same time every day to help remind yourself when you need to take this medication.

Another possible difficulty that you may find yourself in when you are taking birth control is while spending a weekend out with your friends. Alcohol can not only interfere with the hormones you are taking from this medication, it can interfere with your memory and judgment. It is recommended not to drink or smoke for a few hours after taking the pills to make sure they are absorbed correctly. In the event you vomit due to your night of fun, you need to treat this event as if you missed a dose of medication and use alternative methods of protection for the duration of your menstrual cycle to make sure you are protected from therapy. Do not try to take twice the dose the next day to get back on your cycle alone, it probably will not be enough to protect against pregnancy.