The Student Room Group

Yet more questions about the pill....

sorry to again bring this subject up

i am thinking about going to the doctors to ask about going on the pill so i thought i would ask here first

what are the side effects of taking it??

how does it work exactly (sorry this may sound really thick - but just want to clarify i understand what it does and how it is used properly) ??

does alcohol effect it in any way?

do you have to still use condoms when on the pill?

and any other general info would be really helpful as i am kind of worried about 1 going to the doctors in general, its so :redface: and 2 just taking the pill as well cuz i see it as a pretty big and scary thing

again sorry if these questions seem really dumb - i am just totally naive to all this stuff at the moment

ps. i have only had sex once but am in a serious relationship so i am just thinking about being safe for the future :wink:

Reply 1

There is tons of info online about the pill

NHS direct has a section about it:

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.aspx?articleID=415

The best thing to do is research online using google and then go to your doctor or a family planning clinic. They can answer all your questions.

Reply 2

what are the side effects of taking it?? - the most common one would be gaining a bit of weight/your boobs growing. Your periods usually become lighter and shorter though, which is good. There are tons of side effects that are possible, all will be listed on the leaflet of your pill.

how does it work exactly (sorry this may sound really thick - but just want to clarify i understand what it does and how it is used properly) ?? - again, it's on the leaflet of your pill, or ask the nurse/doc.

does alcohol effect it in any way? - nope, unless you throw up within a few hours of taking it.

do you have to still use condoms when on the pill? - no, but unless you and the guy have been tested for STDs it's probably a safe/good idea.