(no subject)

[oh-so-quiet.livejournal.com]

ok, question. i KNOW there have been other entries about this, but i can't find any.

i need to skip my next period because it's supposed to come the day of my senior prom. i'm on ortho tri-cyclen. if i skip the seven sugar pills and go right to the next pack, will i still be protected from getting pregnant for the entire month?? i'm kind of panicking because i *can't* have my period during prom but i also can't do anything that'll put me in danger of getting pregnant.

thanks!!!

Comments

[titsy-mcclure.livejournal.com]

The placebo pills contain inert ingredients. There's no hormone or anything in them. When you take the placebo week, they cause you to ovulate again, and you get your period.

By going directly from a hormone pill into another hormone pill (skipping the placebo week), you're continuing the hormone to stop you from ovulating, which means you're still protected against getting pregnant.

[geminigirl]

No. You don't ovulate on the combo pill, unless you've taken it incorrectly.

The combo pill does three things...it suppresses ovulation (no egg to fertilize, can't get pregnant) it thickens the cervical mucous so that sperm can't get through to fertilize an egg should one happen to be released for some reason, and it thins the uterine lining so should the first two fail (highly unlikely) a fertilized egg couldn't implant in the uterus to grow.

What you experience on the pill isn't a real period, it's withdrawl bleeding from stopping the hormones. Not the same as what you experience when not on the pill, although it can seem very similar.


To answer the original question, should you choose to skip the placebo week and go straight to the next pack of hormone pills, you would still be protected against pregnancy. You might experience spotting or light bleeding, you might not. Unfortunatly because of the varying hormone doses in OTC, it's not as good for skipping periods as some other monophasic pills-many people experience spotting when trying to skip periods, but you won't know if it works for you unless you try it. If you want to make skipping periods a regular part of your routine, you might want to consider a different pill.

[titsy-mcclure.livejournal.com]

K, well, I'm on Mircette and the information packet claims there is nothing in the makeup of the placebo pills. NOTHING. No hormone, nothing.

They describe them as "reminder" pills for ladies that can't skip a week and then pick up again without forgetting.

[geminigirl]

Most combo pills have nothing in the placebo week-some contain small amounts of iron or other things and must be taken. One of the lower dose pills contains small amounts of hormones for most of the placebo week, I think. You still don't ovulate though...that's one of the ways the pill prevents pregnancy.