Dear Nikol,
My girlfriend and I have been having sex fairly regularly since this past April, and she is almost done with her second cycle of birth control pills (Loestrin 24 FE). We’ve always used condoms and vaginal contraceptive films in tandem, the latter having been replaced by the Pill, and we’re wondering whether the condom is still necessary. We’re both free of STIs, so our chief concern is preventing pregnancy. Do condoms provide a noticeably higher level of protection from pregnancy, or are we just wasting our money on them?
– No Babies, Please
Dear No Babies,
In my book Sex: A Book for Teens: An Uncensored Guide to Your Body, Sex, and Safety, which you may want to purchase simply because of the cover, I discuss just how effective different forms of birth control are. I also suggest (though I’d rather demand) that people who don’t want to have a baby and still want to have sex use two forms of birth control. So, let’s talk about those two things while you are waiting for that book to arrive.
When most people read the efficiency rates of birth control methods, they’ll notice that some sources give one number and other sources give another. These rates are not created equally. One is the typical user rate and the other is the Birth Control Genius rate, or how well it would work if used correctly 100 percent of the time. The typical effectiveness of a condom is 85 percent. The typical effectiveness of the pill is 92 percent. With combined use, you’re not 177 percent safe, but it sure helps.
By using a second form of birth control you are safeguarding yourself from the things that could go haywire with one of the things you are using. The shot (at 97 percent) and the IUD (at 99 percent) are the best hormonal methods to use because it’s less likely that you can forget to take it or (like condoms) use it past its expiration date. But even the most effective form of birth control still leaves that niggling 1 percent chance that fertilization may happen.
All of that said, have you two discussed what would happen if your girlfriend got pregnant? Do you both agree on what you would do? Are you prepared for the small possibility that you’ll be faced with having to make a choice? And do you trust each other completely that the other isn’t going to have a fling and possibly bring an STI into the bedroom? If so, who am I to stand in the way of your bareback fun?
Yes, there are risks. There always are. And if you are ready to take those risks, do what is best for the two of you. The condom-less sex level of the relationship is right up there with moving in together. Congrats. I expect to be invited to the wedding, and hopefully not the unplanned baby shower.
– Nikol
__________________________________________________
Questions? If you have a question for Nikol, you can reach her confidentially at lovesexetc@milwaukeemagazine.com. Your anonymity will be protected.
