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If I am taking the birth control pill, is it okay to not use other forms of contraceptives/birth control? It seems like no one ever considers it a sole form of birth control, but isn’t it 99% effective if used correctly? I am not concerned about STDs as both of us will test regularly and (hopefully) practice mutual monogamy.

You’re right — birth control pills are 99 percent effective when used correctly. If you’re taking the birth control pill correctly and consistently, you can feel confident that you’re protected from pregnancy, even if you aren’t using another method of birth control along with it.

However, there are two reasons why it’s a good idea to use a condom along with the birth control pill.  The first is because using two methods together will further reduce your chances of getting pregnant — if you forget to take one or more pills, or in  the unlikely event that one method fails. The other reason is, as you know, that birth control pills don’t offer any protection against STDs, which is something condoms do really well. Condoms are the only birth control method that can prevent against pregnancy and protect against STDs.

If you always take the pill correctly and consistently, get tested regularly for STDs, and you and your partner are both monogamous, your chances of getting pregnant or an STD are very low.

Tags: condoms, birth control pills

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