Dear Hannah,
My boyfriend and I had intercourse around day 13-14 into my cycle; the condom slipped during withdrawal and was left inside me — as soon as I realized this I retrieved it. Everything seemed to be inside, but I got Plan B 1-step within the hour.
Two days later we had a similar incident. This time the condom seemed empty (sometimes he dry-orgasms) and I was frightened and got the Plan B again, this time about 10 hours later (pharmacy was closed at the time). I had some symptoms a few hours after taking the second pill but nothing since.
I’m due for my period tomorrow (day 28) and I’ve had all the usual symptoms of it (cramps, gas, fatigue, acne), but I also had some brown spotting earlier in the week, which is unusual. I haven’t been on BCP for months (there were some complications when I was). The condoms we used were spermicidal. I am wondering what my chances of being pregnant are, and when I should take a HPT if I miss my period. I really need some peace of mind — I can’t concentrate on anything.
Terrified (26)
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Dear Terrified,
Your chances of being pregnant are very small. Plan B One Step is very powerful and extremely effective when taken right away after having sex. It loses its effectiveness the longer you wait. Even with the second time you took Plan B, the 10 hour wait is still within what I consider the “12 hour safe zone.” The pill manufacturers always brag about how you can wait up to 72 hours, but by waiting you merely increase your chances of becoming pregnant. And, once the fertilized egg embeds itself into the wall of the uterus, the emergency contraceptive is no longer effective.
So … in your case, it would be very difficult for you to become pregnant with so much Plan B in your system in such a short period of time. Note that you have increased your odds of experiencing negative side effects from Plan B, and some of those side effects can mimic what you might experience before or during your period. Plan B can also cause the spotting. I would also not be surprised in the least if the period you expect to come tomorrow is delayed or skipped altogether. However, it may very well come as expected. Some things have a mind of their own :)
But, overall, I wouldn’t be too worried if I were you. I would still take a home pregnancy test, in the event your period doesn’t come. You’d want to take one in about a week, first thing in the morning, to play safe. By that time, if you are pregnant, your body should have enough hCG in your system to be detected by a typical HPT.
But I strongly doubt that you are pregnant. With such a large dose of hormones in your body, getting pregnant would be quite difficult to do.
Best luck,
Hannah
Dear Hannah,
It’s Terrified again. I’ve had cramping and brown spotting today (when I should have my period), much like I used to have at the end of my period when I was on birth control. I know the hormones in Plan B are the same as in your normal birth control bills. Do you think this is essentially “my period” for this month and I should start counting my cycle starting now? Do you think I should stil take the HPT in a week, just to be sure?
Thank you for your help.
Because you took Plan B twice so close to each other, that’s highly bound to mess up your system. The spotting you’re experiencing isn’t a true period, persay (based on what a true period is); however, it could be representative of your period or it could be merely spotting. Because of the double whammy Plan B, your period may be late or skipped altogether. It really depends on how your body handles the massive dose of hormones you put into it. Different girls’ bodies handle it differently. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.