Throwing Up Or Diarrhea Increases Pregnancy Risk For Women On The Pill

Um.. What? College Students Are Puking All The Time And Then Having Sex

"I'm on the pill babe; it's fine"--words you might reconsider next time you're having drunk, sloppy sex.
Lauren has been taking birth control pills for five years, but what her doctor told her Monday left her startled. Dr. Karen Prokai of Dalhousie Health Services told her that if you throw up or have diarrhea, it's the same as skipping a pill. Your chances of pregnancy increase anytime you miss a pill and have sex.

"I was really surprised that no one had ever told me that before," Lauren says, "I was more thinking back: 'Oh my God, how many times have I technically missed a pill? And how many times have I put myself at risk?'"

Two out of Lauren's five years on the pill have been in University; that's had a big impact on her sex life. "I don't really puke when I'm hungover, but I puke a lot when I'm drunk. And ever since I started University, I pretty much have sex every weekend when I'm drunk."

Editor's Note: Lauren's last name was removed from this article at her request.

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