Oral Contraceptives
by Shikha
(Jaiour, Rajasthan, India)
I'm getting married on 13th of Feb, today is 24th Jan. My doctor said to start taking Ovral-l from the first day of my period, but my period ended 2 days ago. I can't wait for my next period to come; neither can I take the risk of not taking the pill. Should I start taking it anyways from today onwards? Would I be fully protected? Are there any other alternatives? Also, my husband does not want to take condoms..
Contraception
Ovral is commonly used oral contraceptive. It mimics the normal menstrual cycle and this is why you should take it for 21 days and then 7 days off to allow a period to occur. The pill should be started on the 1st day of your period to replicate this and there are no guarantees that it will be effective as a form of contraceptive for the first 7 days and some clinicians recommend alternative contraception for the first full 28 day cycle of the pill too. It can also be taken on a Sunday regimen, i.e. start on the Sunday after your period and cycle that way. Again in the 1st 7 days you would need to use another form of contraception.
The alternative would be to use a barrier form of contraception. If your husband wont use a condom, then you could look at using a cap as an alternative with spermicidal gel. This is normally supplied by your doctor and the appropriate sizes offered or go to a family planning clinic for this. The cap is inserted into your vagina before sex and can be inserted before going in to the bedroom! Another alternative would be to use the female condom which can be inserted into your vagina before sex instead of your husband using a condom. These can be bought over the counter at your local pharmacy usually. The final alternative would be a mirena coil inserted into your vagina. This is a longer term form of contraception and will usually stop your periods. It needs to be inserted by a trained person, usually a doctor and can be removed when you no longer require contraception. All these methods should be discussed with your doctor or local family planning clinic.
Finally, using a condom can be fun to use and also included in your foreplay! Perhaps you could persuade him by teasing him with it and then putting it on for him!
May I wish you many years of happy marriage and hope your special day goes well for you!
My name is Dr Peter Thatcher MBBS, MRCPI and I am a consultant physician and gastroenterologist in the UK. I have an interest in internet based medicine and administer this site in my spare time. I hope you find this site useful and informative. If you have any suggestions, please Contact Me or if you would like to comment on my site, please do so by Clicking Here. If you like the site and would like to make a donation to support what I am doing please do so by Clicking Here. Thank you for visiting and please drop by again!
