Started Ortho TriCyclen Lo last Sunday, so today have been on it officially for 7 days. Am I fully protected?

Typically, ovulation occurs about 14 days prior to the first day of your period. So, if you have a 28-day cycle, that'd be day 14. But if you have a longer cycle, say 32 days, then it'd be day 18 that you ovulated.

If you start a pack of pills for the first time on day one of your period, then at 7 days into the pack, you would still be another 7 to 11 days away from ovulation. Assuming that you took them every day without fail, by the time you hit 7 days, you'd be at about 95% effective - but not quite the 99% promised.

However - you started on a random day - so all bets are off for you. Generally speaking, you are nearly at 99% after 14 days on any pill.

If you were ovulating at the time you started the pill, the egg is no longer receptive to fertilization after 14 days.

If you were all set to ovulate, and the cycle was interrupted at the midpoint, then again, th egg would no longer be viable if it erupted at the 7-day mark, because another 7 days have passed.

Finally - aside from preventing ovulation, the pill also makes the lining of your uterus thin and unwelcoming. That means even if you happen to ovulate, it would have difficulty implanting.

So your answer is: 14 days, not 7.

Technically, yes, it should kick in for most people around 7 days, but I'd give it about 14 days from when you started or more, and still use alternate methods (e.g. a condom) just in case. In order for The Pill to be at its full effectiveness, you should be on it for at least one cycle (21/28 days, see * below). Also (trust me this caught this one lady off-guard... She chewed out my manager HARD for ruining a set of clothes), keep in mind that the date of your ovulatory flow may change to the week after your 21st pill, where, depending on what kind you bought (I don't remember how Ortho TriCyclen Lo is packaged) *you either have the placebo pills (distinctively colored, usually white but see packaging) for 7 days, or just simply stay off of it for 7 days if it's the 21-pill package.

With OTC Lo they say a month. When I used it, my husband and I had unprotected sex the first day and I didn't get pregnant until I stopped taking the pill. However each person reacts differently to being on birth control so you may want to wait at least 2 weeks which would be now but probably best to wait until you start the next pack. As for "first sunday" and " day one" ignore those. Follow your pack and start the new one when you are supposed to.

You have to wait AT LEAST a month for the pills to take effect!!! Your body has to adjust to the pill. Because you started on a random Sunday, you may still get your period when you are normally supposed to and then again at the end of the month when you finish your pack of pills. (Yeah, I know. It totally sucks!) I would still have other forms of protection for sex (condoms, spermacide, etc) even after being on the pill for a while. There's always that slight risk of getting pregnant and the pill does NOT protect you against std/sti.

it takes 1 full package to work properly.

you need to use a backup method for the first month of use. You don't know if the pill works or not until you've had a period.

also know that with ortho tri cyclen products if you start to get acne after you've been on it for a while when you normally don't get acne, that means you need to switch.

14 days about 2 weeks to be effective

Just be safe and wait until 1 full month has passed by wear a condom until then. Why risk it?

I threw out the copy of the insert from my latest refill, but the information you need is all on that folded up sheet of paper that comes with the pack.

you have to give your body at least a month to get used to the pill....i would suggest 3 months just to be safe. I have taken the pill for almost 10 yrs.

why dont you call whoever prescribed it to you and ask? You need 30 days to be fully protected. It should tell you on the drug sheet it came with.