Pregnancy & Baby 

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The Pill: how long should you use a back-up method?

Instructions on oral contraceptives vary. The ‘real’ answer comes from a renowned text, Contraceptive Technology. It states that it is wise to use a back-up method of contraception for the first month. However, this is affected by when you take your first pill.

Most pill packs, however, are ‘Sunday start’ packages, which means that if you start your period on Monday, you don't take your first pill until the next Sunday, six days later. For women who have short cycles (for example, 24 days from day one to day one), it's possible that the hormones inducing ovulation could already have started to climb before the first pill is taken - and the Pill cannot reverse that.

If your cycles are 28 days or longer, you'd probably be safe right away. But if your cycles are shorter, it's a good idea to protect yourself with condoms for the first month. Oral contraceptives do not protect against STDs or HIV, so it is a good idea to use condoms anyway unless you're in a long-term, monogamous relationship.

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