18 and having sex with my boyfriend
Question
I’m 18 and I’ve been having sex with my boyfriend for the last 3 months. I also started the pill. I have put some weight on and i am feeling bloated… I also purposely skipped my period, I just continued to take the pill… is there a way that I can be pregnant?
Answer
Last Updated: July 7, 2013
The Birth Control pill is not 100% effective, so pregnancy is always a possibility (if you are engaging in intercourse, or genital contact). If the pill is not taken as prescribed, you may lower its effectiveness to prevent pregnancy. On the other hand, the symptoms you describe can also be side effects of the Pill.
I would speculate that you began taking the pill so that you would not “stress” over the possibility of pregnancy. It does not seem to be doing that for you. In that, you are not alone!
We receive so many questions like yours we created a special category for them on our website, and titled it “Could I be Pregnant?” Often, those contacting us wanting to know if they could be pregnant are using contraception, but still anxious.
Sex is not meant to be an anxiety ridden experience, leaving us always questioning if I could be pregnant. The anxiety is natural however when we are having sex outside of marriage, unprepared for assuming the responsibility for a child. In our heart we know what we are doing and what we are communicating and feeling are not in sync! We want to show our love to someone we care deeply about, but the very act we use to express that love must be “altered” to prevent the fruit of the love—our child. This leaves us confused and conflicted. The “cure” for this anxiety is not contraception, but reserving this particular expression of love for the time when we can also welcome the child that may result.
By the time you receive my response, you may be relieved to know you are not pregnant—this month. But that doubt and anxiety will always be there, and is not the ideal foundation for building a strong future with this person you care about. If your relationship has a future, it deserves a better foundation than this. Maybe the “scare” you had is a good opportunity to step back and consider where your relationship is headed, discuss with your boyfriend what you would do if you DO become pregnant, and make some plans for the future.
Thank you for visiting our site, and sharing your concerns, and listening to my opinion.
I would speculate that you began taking the pill so that you would not “stress” over the possibility of pregnancy. It does not seem to be doing that for you. In that, you are not alone!
We receive so many questions like yours we created a special category for them on our website, and titled it “Could I be Pregnant?” Often, those contacting us wanting to know if they could be pregnant are using contraception, but still anxious.
Sex is not meant to be an anxiety ridden experience, leaving us always questioning if I could be pregnant. The anxiety is natural however when we are having sex outside of marriage, unprepared for assuming the responsibility for a child. In our heart we know what we are doing and what we are communicating and feeling are not in sync! We want to show our love to someone we care deeply about, but the very act we use to express that love must be “altered” to prevent the fruit of the love—our child. This leaves us confused and conflicted. The “cure” for this anxiety is not contraception, but reserving this particular expression of love for the time when we can also welcome the child that may result.
By the time you receive my response, you may be relieved to know you are not pregnant—this month. But that doubt and anxiety will always be there, and is not the ideal foundation for building a strong future with this person you care about. If your relationship has a future, it deserves a better foundation than this. Maybe the “scare” you had is a good opportunity to step back and consider where your relationship is headed, discuss with your boyfriend what you would do if you DO become pregnant, and make some plans for the future.
Thank you for visiting our site, and sharing your concerns, and listening to my opinion.
Answered By:
CANFP
CANFP unites under one umbrella all those who use, teach, and advocate for NFP, and our members are our strongest resource: the physicians who provide authentic women’s healthcare, the Practitioners and Certified Teachers of all the natural methods instructing couples in its use, the couples who use NFP and reflect its values in their families and communities, the clergy providing the spiritual formation and context, and the churches, dioceses, hospitals, and profile organizations who collaborate in providing access to these services throughout the state.
