Ask Me Help Desk - Birth control & plan b

My partner finished in me last night. I am on birth control & have never missed a pill. I am confused and worried because the app I use to keep track of my period says this is my ovulation week, but isn't the pill supposed to stop you from ovulating? Should I consider plan b?

You can get pregnant on birth control pills, and even plan B is not always 100 percent.

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Originally Posted by jessisdope347

My partner finished in me last night. I am on birth control & have never missed a pill. I am confused and worried because the app I use to keep track of my period says this is my ovulation week, but isn't the pill supposed to stop you from ovulating? Should I consider plan b?

Hi, if you're using birthcontrol why are you using a period/ovulation tracker? Hormonal birth control, when used right, will prevent ovulation. Most of the period trackers use nothing more then timers rather then taking into account actual body changes and hormone levels.

I wouldn't be concerned about anything. I don't think you need to take a plan B. If you're concerned then should use a secondary method of birthcontrol, like a condom.

Those apps are practically worthless. And assume every woman is the same, but they aren't.

As was mentioned... people get pregnant using one form correctly, some get still pregnant using two correctly (I know two who did).

Odds are strongly against it happening, but it does go to show... its not impossible.

Here is an interesting article that explains the process as related to the pill and ovulation.

Getting Hormonal: Overview of the Menstrual Cycle - How the Birth Control Pill Works | HowStuffWorks

Nowhere have I read using the plan b while on the pill, yet many say a female should use 2nd methods like a condom during sex while ovulating. They also spell out the physical signs that you may be ovulating while on the pill, so don't rely, or panic over an APP which cannot examine you.

Fertility Awareness for Birth Control

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FAM relies upon the following assumptions:

An egg (ovum) can live inside a woman's body for 12-24 hours. However, in calculating the fertile time we use 48 hours in case more than one egg is released.
Sperm can live in a woman's body up to 5 days after intercourse, though more often 2 days. Pregnancy is most likely if intercourse occurs anywhere from 3 days before ovulation until 2-3 days after ovulation.
The exact time of ovulation cannot be predicted, so we add 2-3 days to the beginning and end. A woman's fertile time (“unsafe days” if she wants to prevent pregnancy) is thus about one-third of her cycle.

Pregnancy is prevented by not having sexual intercourse during the unsafe fertile time, or by using a barrier method such as male or female condom, cervical cap, or diaphragm. Alternatively, if a woman wants to get pregnant, she can know when the most likely time is.
FAM is most reliable for women with regular menstrual cycles. As a woman becomes more familiar with the signs of ovulation and the pattern of her menstrual cycle, FAM becomes more effective.

I certainly hope your fear doesn't lead you to adding the drugs in a plan B to the BC you are already taking. When in doubt, see the doctor who prescribed your BC pills.