hope this is an acceptable question to ask here...

[thefadedmuse.livejournal.com]

so, i finally decided to go on birth control and was prescribed levlite.

is anyone else on this? and if so, can you please tell me some of the side effects you experienced? i know the side effects that the doctor told me and those on the package, but i just wanted some first hand accounts if possible.

also, i've heard that when you start taking birth control, you have to wait the whole month and go through an entire cycle on it before it's actually fully in your system and prevents pregnancy. so i thought you had to continue having sex *with back up protection for that month. but the package leaflet says you only have to be on the pill for 7 days before you can have sex *without back up protection. does anyone know which one is right? or have any advice?

my boyfriend and i have both been tested and we have no problem waiting a month, but i was just wondering for education's sake.

thanks in advance for your help.

Comments

[co-techie.livejournal.com]

When I first got on the pill, my gyn told me to wait for the whole month before I started relying on it completely (i.e. use a backup menthod for that month). As for the particular brand of pill you're taking, I've never taken it so I wouldn't know too much :)

[neurotica0.livejournal.com]

Gynecolegists tend to tell people to wait a month, because some beginners do not take their pills perfectly. If you started taking the pill on the first day of your period, you are protected starting that day. If you started taking the pill on a Sunday, then you are protected after 7 days. Also, having sex while on the pill is not considered unprotected sex. (I know in your question you just meant w/o backup, but some new users get confused and think that having sex while on BCP only is risky and not a good way of preventing pregnancy. This is not true. BCP is effective alone as a pregnancy prevention. STDs are another story.)
This question is probably more suited for the LJ community "birthcontrol" but as you can see, we are happy to answer you here.
New users of BCP tend to ask some common questions (one of them being the one you just asked), and I will address the other two here as well, just so you don't have to ask later, in case you weren't already informed of these matters:
You ARE protected during your placebo week
The 7 day waiting period only counts for your first pack. After that, you are protected as long as you keep taking the pill.

I hope it works out for you, and congratulations on making a responsible choice. Cheers!

[kwokj.livejournal.com]

People also seem to get told to use backup for a whole month following missed pills, but on the package insert for my brand, it said a week after missing...

[thefadedmuse.livejournal.com]

very helpful. thank you very much.