Too Safe?

LegacyUser

Hey.. Me and my girlfriend have been going out now 3 years were both 19.. 3 months ago she went on the pill and had her 3 month check up 2day to see if the pill was goin ok for her.. Anyway the doc said that we dont have to use condoms.. Any time we have slepted together we have used condoms and i dont even come in her.. Are we been too safe? or are we right to be extra careful?

blah

It's up to you both to decide, but you're only 19, it could happen that for whatever reason the pill stops working for her (she forgets to take it, combines it with other medication etc...). I'm sure you'll make every effort to be safe and you're in a long relationship but if I was your age I think I'd double up to be sure.

Meathlass

The pill is only effective if used properly, you must take it at same time, not miss days, if you're sick you might have to take it again. If you're both happy with the condoms I'd definately stick with those as well as the pill. If you were going to stop using them I'd get checked out for std's first. Seems strange that the doctor would give you this advice.

seamus

The doctor actually said, "You do not have to use condoms", or the doctor said that the pill was going OK and if you wanted to stop using condoms, then you would have the normal amount of risk associated with the pill?

I very much doubt a doctor would tell you that condoms are unnecessary.

How safe you want to be really depends on how much risk you want to expose yourself to. Having sex, regardless of what protection you use, regardless of what "method" you use, comes with an inherent risk. The only true way to prevent pregnancy is to abstain, but that's no fun. All you can do is minimise the risk. The effectiveness of the pill is rated at 98%, but in practice due to human error or other factors it's somewhere between 80 and 90%. Condoms are similar.

So you will always run the risk. What you need to figure out for yourself is what is an acceptable risk level for you both. If you're ready to have children and wouldn't freak out and be poor should one come along, then you can expose yourself to more risk. If the thought of pregnancy makes you feel sick and you're only in college, then you should perhaps aim to minimise the chances of that happening.

Many people use both pill and condoms. You wouldn't be weird or overly safe.

Overheal

Just relying on a pill, you seriously increase your chances of sharing any STDs you may or may not have.

Get yourselves certified for that also before deciding on this.

AnonoBoy

I'd stick with condoms for the time being. As others have said - the pill won't stop an STI and also the chances of pregnancy are greatly reduced if you're using two methods of contraception instead of just one.

If the pill stops working for whatever reason you don't want to find out about it with a little plus sign on a pregnancy test!

Stick to both methods but I would say that you should let yourself come inside her with condoms.

biko

Better safe than sorry, you're too young to have to deal with an unplanned pregnancy.

LegacyUser

Cheers for the help guys.. Think we will stick to the pill plus use a condom.. And someone was saying about getting stds we have only slepted with each other so we safe there.. Anyways thanks for the help..

Lollipops23

I'm in the same boat....on the pill(which i'm very careful about taking) but my BF insists on using condoms every time.Don't mind so much most of the time as the safer the better....but kinda wish we had the spontaniety of none!!!