Pink Pleasure Place

The way you start to take your birth control affects the amount of time it will take for unprotected sex to become safe, as well as when you will bleed from now on.

Three start methods exist:

• Quick Start
• First Day Start
• First Sunday Start

 

For argument say you have 31 day cycles and you use a pill that have 21 active pills and 7 inactive pills. Say that it is  Monday 20 December now. Your next period will start on Wednesday January 5.

 

Quick Start

Just start taking the pills immediately irrespective of your menstrual start date. So Monday, December 20 you start to take your pills.  You will be fertile for the next 7 days, so from December 27 you can have unprotected sex. You can expect your next period between January 10 and January 16 (21 days later).

 

First Period Day Start

Start taking the pills the first day of your period. Make sure it is not spotting but your first period day (January 5). You will be protected immediately and can engage in unprotected sex from day 1.  Your next period should arrive between January 26 and February 1 (21 days later).

 

First Sunday Start

Start taking the pills on the first Sunday AFTER your period started. So Monday, January 9 you start to take your pills.  You will be fertile for the next 7 days, so from January 16 you can have unprotected sex. You can expect your next period between January 30 and February 5 (21 days later).

 

All of these methods are safe and does not have any effect on your health. You should just use the method which is the most convenient and will make you remember to start your next pack on time.