Questions about birth control?

Question

Okay. Here I have two questions regarding the birth control pill. I will try to make them as simple as possible.

1) Is there really any difference between brands? I was on Yasmin for over a year, and now getting it myself, they say it will cost me $45 a month...They have another brand that is only $15. Were we just paying for the name before, or is there really a difference?

2) Ok. I happen to know that sperm can live up to 6 or 7 days in a female's body. As I stated above, I am taking birth control, and as of right now this is all that we are using. YES, I DO know that it is still possible to get pregnant using the pill - that is not my question. What I want to know, is, if I have intercourse the last night of my pills, what are my chances of becoming pregnant? I'm just curious, and asking because I want to be informed if anything were to happen.

**Serious answers only please. Don't tell me how irresponsible I'm being - I, unlike some, AM taking precautions.

Thank you.

After re-reading this, I think I should re-word my 2nd question. I meant to ask - am I more at risk to become pregnant at this time than any other time during the month, while I am on the birth control pills.

Answer 1

Regarding your first question-Yasmin and other combined hormonal method use two hormones-they use a synthetic estrogen (and all the pills use the same estrogen) and a synthetic progesterone (called progestin.) The different progestins affect people differently...some people do very well taking one kind, and find they have terrible acne on a different one. Different pills also contain different levels of progestin. Unfortunately, Yasmin's progestin (called drsp) is very new and there isn't a generic version of it yet. the pill that cost you $15 probably was a generic version of a pill, which works just as well as the brand name of the pill, but because it contains a different hormone it might not be a good fit for you. There's no harm in trying a different pill for a few months (usually you need to wait three months to know if a pill is a good fit for your body, to figure out whether the side effects are going to stick around or subside.) If you did try the $15 pill, you would probably be getting a totally different medication, which would still protect you from pregnancy, but could have totally different side effects.

As for your second question...if you've taken your pills correctly for at least 21 days (that means on time every day, no missing or skipping pills, no medications or supplements that can interfere with the pill, etc.) your chances of getting pregnant during your hormone free week are still, virtually non-existant, just like the rest of the month. It has to do with how the pill works...the hormones in the pill suppress ovulation (without an egg to fertilize you can't get pregnant.) The pill also thickens the mucous at your cervix making it very very hard for sperm to get through to try and fertilize an egg, and makes the lining of your uterus much thinner, so it wouldn't be a good place for a fertilized egg to try and implant. This is why the pill has such as incredibly high effectiveness rate. In other words, even if the sperm lived for a few days (and they really can only do that when you have fertile cervical mucous, which you won't have when you're not ovulating) you have a very very very low chance of getting pregnant.

Answer 2

You want to keep in mind that all birth control pills have different ingredients and different strenghts of hormones in them. Talk to your doctor and first ask him of a few brands that are similar to the ones you are taking now that way you don't see a big hormonal change when you get a cheaper pill.
The pill is 99% effective if you are taking it 100% correctly. So your chances of getting pregnant on the last day of your pill are just as equal as they are taking it any other time. If you are taking it correctly and havn't missed any days for at least 3 months.
Anytime you do miss a day, the pill becomes less effective even if you double up the following day, I think it falls down to the 80% range, so in those cases its probably best to use a condom.
When you start taking your new pill, treat it as if you have been off of the pill for a few months. It will take your body time to adjust to the new ingredients and hormones. Take extra precaution during this time if you really don't want to get pregnant then just use that condom. :) good luck

Answer 3

i can not answer your questions but you can get all the info you need here