A question about fertility

Factual Questions
1

I’m on the Pill (which is working good, no noticeable side effects, etc.), but I’m always paranoid that I’ll get pregnant anyway, since the pill is not 100% effective. Even though I’m married, this would be a bad thing because:

  1. We can barely make rent & bill payments; a baby’s needs would not be affordable for us.

  2. I’m on several medications for allergies, athsma & depression which I cannot go off, and which could likely produce a mutant child.

So, are there any experts on this who would know how likely the chances are of a fluke pregnancy occuring, so I can either put my mind at ease or take extra caution?

Here’s both our statistics, if they might help determine how fertile we are; the less fertile we are, the better.

Me:
-age 25
-moderately overweight (but exercises & in good physical condition)
-regularly occuring periods, sometimes heavy and causes cramps for the first day of the cycle
-eats well; does not eat red meat; eats lots of grains and veggies
-on medications as listed above
-sleeps 4-6 hours a night

Husband:

-age 36
-Slightly underweight
-does not exercise
-on medication for anxiety, athsma and depression
-smokes; 1 pack every 2 days

  • does not eat well; prefers fried foods, peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese; sometimes only eats once a day
    -sleeps 6-8 hours a night

So, should I worry…?

2

0% if you abstain from “conventional” sex and use other input/output areas of your bods. =D

BA

3

The information to answer your question should actually be included with your pill pack. It’s called the “Detailed Patient Labelling” and it also includes very detailed instructions for what to do if you miss a pill, so you’ll want to keep a copy handy. You should get one in every pill pack – if you haven’t, request one at the pharmacy.

Anyhoo, from my packaging (my brand is Low-Orgestrel, which is a generic of Lo/Ovral) the following information is provided regarding “correct” use. This means you take the pill every day at around the same time, and don’t miss any.

Percentage of women experiencing a contraceptive failure (pregnancy) during the first year of use

Combined Pill (pill contains both estrogen and progestin): 0.1%
1 in a thousand per woman-year of use

Progestin only Pill (aka “the minipill”): 0.5%
5 in a thousand per woman-year of use

Compare to:
Condom (correct use): 3%
*3 in a hundred per woman-year of use

With “average” use, meaning some missed pills or erratic dosing, the failure rate is 3% according to my packaging. By comparison, the failure rate for “average” condom use is 12%.

4

This is information you should be presenting to your doctor.