How long after I have sex is it safe to stop taking my birth control pill?

Ashlee: How long after I have sex is it safe to stop taking my birth control pill?
I last had sex Tues and I wanted to stop taking my pills for a week and get my period, but should I? Is it safe to stop taking my pills 5 days after I have sex to prevent pregnancy?

Answers and Views:

Answer by _-Little One-_
Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea.
There is a pretty good chance that you are safe and not pregnant, as long as you’ve been taking the pill long enough so it’s actually in your system.
Why do you want to get your period, anyway?
If you do stop taking the pill for the sheer idea of getting your period, it may be pointless.
Just because you stop taking it doesn’t mean that you will automatically get your period, even if it is right on your normal schedule.
You should definitely get ahold of a doc.
<3 Sari

Answer by Cara
If you want to prevent pregnancy….you do not stop taking your birth control. If you do, you could wind up pregnant. Most girls want to avoid their period like the plague so why would you want to have one when you don’t have to? Just wondering.

Answer by Jasmine
If you’re taking pills properly, you should have 3 weeks of “active” pills and 1 week of “inactive” pills. Sometimes you may just get 3 weeks of pills and are told to take a week off. If you are taking the pills regularly, then you are protected from pregnancy even through that week with no hormones.

But, in answer to your question, semen stays in the body for 5 days. It’ll be a week before you can really be sure you’re safe.

Answer by Mir
Hiya,
Not sure why you’d want to stop taking your pill,
but sperm can stay alive inside you for up to three days. Five days is therefore safe.

The problem will be waiting for your new strip of pills to kick in, before you have sex again. There lies the real risk, different pills take different amounts of time to be fully safe.

Good luck! Mir (Nurse)