Is the pill enough? - Birth Control Message Board

big-pig-666 · 07-07-2007, 06:31 PM

Hey everyone! I have been dating my gF for about 2 years now and we are sexually active, but i have a few questions. She is on the pill, and is very good with taking it (never misses a pill) But what i was wondering is the pill safe enough to use alone (without a condom)? We have both been tested for STDS recently and are both clean! thanks alot!

FromSqueaky · 07-07-2007, 07:35 PM

Yes it is safe to use alone and not end up getting pregnant

However men are carries of HPV. There are more than 100 different strains or types. If men have any problems from HPV it will be anal or penal cancer and there have been reports of mouth cancer from HPV

There is no test for men to see if they are a carrier of it unless you have an outbreak of warts. You may never have an outbreak but you can still pass it on to your girlfriend with out knowing it. HPV strains 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of cases of cervical cancer and HPV strains 6 and 11 cause 90% of cases of genital warts.

Condoms are not 100% effective for providing protecting from either of you transmitting HPV to one another. If you have a strain that is different from hers you can catch it and vis versa. What are her feelings about the Gardasil shot? It can help protect her from those 4 strains that are the worst.

As long as she takes the pill daily she should be 99.9% protected from pregnancy. However there are a few antibiotics that lessen the effect of the pill. So if for any reason she needs to take antibiotics have her double check with her pharmacy to see if they are one of the ones that lessen the pill. If so then you will need to use backup.

big-pig-666 · 07-07-2007, 07:41 PM

Right on! Thanks!!!

big-pig-666 · 07-08-2007, 06:57 PM

Would it decreace the risk if i pull out, or would it be ok to keep going?

FromSqueaky · 07-08-2007, 09:51 PM

If you mean decrease the risk for either of you catching or spreading HPV the answer is NO. HPV is transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact with another infected person. It's passed from vaginal, oral, or anal sexual contact.
Even though you have both been tested a man or woman can have it and it will not show up in a STD test unless it's active. For women HPV is usually found during pap smears. It can stay in the body of men and women and lie dormant but one day it might decide to become active and that's when the doctor's visits start. As far as I know HPV can not be found with a blood test.

Unless the 2 of you are virgins the both of you may already have it.