Chances of getting pregnant while using birth conrtol and a condom?

Okay.....where should I start. I don't want to get into too many details.

If I get pregnant there's a medical risk and I can die. I can have a surgery to correct this, but I currently can't afford this operation.

I've been with my boyfriend for about 6 months now. He knows of my situation and doesn't want to risk anything happening to me, so we've decided to wait until I have the surgery. The problem is, I don't know when this surgery is going to take place and I'm not sure I can wait much longer.

I've recently skipped a few of my bc pills, so if I do have sex, I won't be planning on doing it until I've been on my bc pills for a steady month (or is it 2 months before they kick in?) I'll have to double check on that.

I'm just super nervous...because of the whole death thing! I've been researching what the chances are to get pregnant while using both birth control pills and a condom, and it seems pretty low. I'm just not sure I should even risk it?
Any opinions on what to do (or what you would do) in this situation?

I dunno--I say, better safe than sorry! I have the same type of situation (though probably not exactly.) I'm 15, so it's not much of an issue at the moment, but I have pulmonary hypertension and there is a risk of complications with pregnancy, especially at the altitude I am at. If I ever got pregnant, it would have to be under doctor's supervision, and ideally, at sea level. I would just wait...after all, it is life threatening, and if there's even the slightest chance of something happening, I'd just play it safe. Good luck!

Oh you poor thing! You must be really scared and stressed out.

*hugs*

Pills are 99.9% so with a condom you should be pretty safe. having said that, theres always a microscopic chance of getting pregnant.

But it should be ok.

All the best to you. Hope it all works out.

the pill is actually about 98% effective.  condoms are about 95% effective.  so, to calculate the probability of getting pregnant while using both:

2/100 x 5/100 = 10/10,000 = 1/1000

if that doesn't seem safe enough, you can try to avoid sex while you're ovulating as well.  but the odds are pretty slim.  if you're prone to forgetting your pill, you might want to consider another primary form of BC, like an IUD or depo.

Thanks for the replies.

I'm just on the fence about the whole situation.
Avoiding sex while ovulating is a good idea though! I'll definitely keep that in mind.

There are other things you can do besides intercourse. ;)

The pill is mostly effective; however it is imparative that you take it at the same time every day.  Many people who get pregnant from the pill are not taking it as consistantly as they would like to claim.  You're right, it does take about a month to kick in completely.

BTW- Great job for seeking advice about this...

You can wait until your sure. You won't explode.  I repeat you won't explode!  And neither will he.

If the threat of potential death isnt enough to hold you off then nothing we say in CC is going to do it.  Be logical 2 months is not that long a time.  Find another outlet.

The pill I'm on only takes a week to kick in completely

Original Post by xlshortround:

You can wait until your sure. You won't explode.  I repeat you won't explode!  And neither will he.

6 months? Hell, I'd have exploded after one.

Using pills and condoms together the risk of pregnancy is extremely low. However, if I was in your situation, I could potentially see myself being too nervous to enjoy the sex anyway. How about oral sex, mutual masturbation, or other hot and fun activities that don't carry the risk of pregnancy? Personally, those things have been plenty to carry me through the times that, for one reason or another, intercourse was out of the question.

Seriously with the pill and a condom you are good to go. Just be smart about it. Do  the ovulation thing and take the pill the same time every day and don't skip any days. And if for some reason you need to take a antibiotic for anything stop having sex for a month cause it will decrease effectiveness of the pill.  Take it from a nurses perspective.

There are diseases out there that will end up killing people but we all end up having sex don't we.

Just try to relax and enjoy eachother!!!!

I'd say relax, make sure you take your pill every day, and use a supplemental method (like a condom) for at least a month.  If it makes you feel better, then use it for two months.  The best suggestion is to check with your doctor and follow his/her recommendations.  Aside from that, abstain until you feel more comfortable.  There are other ways to enjoy yourself that will never result in unwanted pregnancy.

Even though the cances might be really small, things still happen. My sister was told by doctors that due to a medical condition of hers, she would likely never be able to have children. She was on the pill, and her boyfriend used condoms, but she still (by some freak of nature chance) ended up getting pregnant.

If there's a serious medical risk involved with you getting pregnant, then I'd say wait until that risk is gone before you do have sex with your boyfriend. Even if the chance is really tiny, it's still a chance, and it's still there. Is sex really worth a potential serious medical risk?

Argh...maybe I should just wait.
I might not be able to get the surgery for at least another year...it's just sort of frustrating, you know? Especially because the risk is so small.
But...yes, I guess there is still a risk :(

Plus if I got I pregnant, I literally could explode! I hate my life.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Original Post by xlshortround:

You can wait until your sure. You won't explode.  I repeat you won't explode!  And neither will he.

If the threat of potential death isnt enough to hold you off then nothing we say in CC is going to do it.  Be logical 2 months is not that long a time.  Find another outlet.

 ? This confuses me. Did I say somewhere I was getting the surgery in 2 months? I wish! Well..I don't really wish, because surgery isn't the greatest thing...but you know what I mean.

The pill is 99% effective if taken correctly...only about 93% effective if you skip even one pill in a cycle.  Condoms are (I think) about 97% effective.  I believe that gives you anywhere from a .03-.21% chance of getting pregnant if you use both together.  I've been on the pill almost continuously for the past 12 years (I went off for 8 months, then back on) and have never gotten pregnant while on it *knock on wood*.  HOWEVER the only thing that's 100% effective is abstinence...doesn't sound like as much fun, but totally do-able and much safer. 

Add a diaphram and spermicide in and you have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting pregnant, provided you use all contraceptives correctly.