"the pill"?

Question

i am a first time user of the birth control pill (ortho cyclen) and i was wondering about how long it takes for the pill to set in and be effective so i can just rely on it during sex? i have researched this question on the internet and i just get mixed answers. some say 7 days from start and some say three weeks. please help

Answer 1

Everyone that is saying 1 month is wrong! Most pill brands only take 1 week (7 days). If you want to know with 100% certainty, type the brand name of your pill in google and view the manufacturer's website. Otherwise, check the little instruction book that came with your pack. From my experience, I can tell you that every pill we prescribed at the women's health clinic only took 7 days to become effective-not 1 month.

Answer 2

I have been on the pill for 7 years, and I've always been told that it's 7 days. But unless you're certain of your partner i would use condoms as well. The pill is never 100% effective for birth control

Answer 3

I've always understood it to take at least a month for the pill to reach maximum effectiveness. I would trust this or the three weeks you read about, rather than 7 days. Better safe than sorry!!

Answer 4

It depends on when you start it. Look at the information insert that came with your pills. I believe that if you start it on the first day of your period, you are covered from day 1, but if you start it on the first Sunday after your period, you need to use backup for a week.

Answer 5

Use other protection for the first month.

In the future, when you change types of pills, you should ask your doctor about your coverage, some switches do pose a risk of leaving you unprotected the first month.

Answer 6

It takes about a month or two for it to get into your system.

Answer 7

its normally 7 days
so use another back up for that time.
if your still a little worried you can always phone your local pharmacy