Accidental pregnancy

[Chocolateisnice]

I see quite a few threads where people have said their contraception failed so are now pregnant.
I don't understand how so many people have failed contraception, is it due to people just not being careful enough or do they really have that high failure rate?!
Just intrigued... if you have had failed contraception, how did it fail?

Pills fail because people forget to take them, or have diarrhoea and vomiting, or they have digestive issues that mean they don’t absorb them, or they’re taking another medication that stops the pill working. Patches can fall off. Rings can fall out. Condoms can break or slip off.

The coil is >99% effective but even that fails sometimes, same with the implant and injection.

Pill
I missed the odd day as forgot
fell pregnant

so not a contraception failure. A human failure. But I suspect people often refer to this scenario as being a contraception failure

Pills fail because people forget to take them

nope. The pill didn’t “fail” in this scenario did. The person taking it did. As was the case with me

Some contraception is only 93-99% effective
so for every 99 people not getting pregnant 1 person will.
There’s millions of fertile adult females in the Uk so 1% of that is a lot.

The pill can fail due to sickness, diarrhoea, timing of not taking it right, hormonal inbalances etc

1 sperm can be determined to get through a diaphragm

condoms can be put on wrong.

There are loads of different variables.

The only 100% effective contraception is abstinence.

The pill is only 91% effective with typical use. That allows for missed pills, not taking it at the right time, having the shits or vomming from a hangover.

When many people say they were ‘on the pill’ they are not taking it at the same time, everyday, without fail and not were they doubling up with condoms if there has been vomiting or an upset stomach.

but even if you do take it perfectly, there’s still a chance. But it’s absolutely tiny.

I’m currently a typical pill user. I had to take two pills this morning as I missed one yesterday.

So yeah. It happens. Life happens. It’s not a reliable source of contraception and not one I would use if I was casually dating or REALLY didn’t want another baby.

I completely agree. The contraceptive didn't fail if it was taken how it was supposed to.

Yes, I’m a sexual health/contraception nurse and I know what you meant. I see so many of my patients say that the pill failed but they really mean ‘I didn’t take it’

Most contraception failure is human error. With perfect use, most methods are pretty good at preventing pregnancy.

Whenever I talk to anyone who has got pregnant on the pill, it is because they forgot to take it, or they were sick. I don't know anyone who took it properly and got pregnant.

My friend works in a sexual health clinic and says mot women/couples who have an unplanned pregnancy, haven’t used contraception correctly.

So when people say I got pregnant due to failed contraception what they really mean is they didn't take it/use it properly!!

Can I ask what your beef is because you sound like a new girlfriend angry that your new beau has a ‘contraceptive failure’ kid?

well likely yes

but I wouldn’t give it another thought personally

I can just imagine it being hard for people who are struggling with infertility to hear that people have got pregnant as their contraception failed. So have got pregnant when they are not even trying. But really they have failed to take the contraception properly.

I think it's embarrassing to admit you fucked up when it comes to contraception. When I experienced an unplanned pregnancy, I took the MAP and it didn't do anything as I had already ovulated. To avoid judgment, I would just say it was a contraception failure. It's easier.

Very possibly. But it’s not really our business. We make it available, advise on how to use it effectively and the rest is up to them.

Condoms come off. Shouldn't take much imagination to think of a number of energetic and spirited scenarios in which this can happen. I don't think it's particularly surprising.

Yes, good point! I hope everything worked out OK for you.

And yes , there is an element of guilt, especially if you choose to end a pregnancy.

What’s your issue here OP?

I haven't got an issue! I was just curious if anyone would reply who had accidently got pregnant when they had used their contraception properly. I am not trying to be horrible or negative to anyone, just genuinely curious!

Often it is human error, but sometimes shit happens. Condoms split, pill isn't absorbed due to stomach bug/vomitting from alcohol consumption, patch falls off, coils fall out or move slightly. Even tubal ligations have a decent fail rate if things reconnect/clips come off etc.

Then you have human errors such as forgetting to take a pill or when next coil/implant/injection due. Lack of education where people think pull out is a form of contraception or 'I can't get pregnant because I'm breastfeeding'.

End of the day, whether its contraceptive or human error, the outcome is the same and I don't really care which one as long as they're not trying to sue over it 😂.

I got pregnant after a condom split, used MAP, and I shouldn’t have been remotely close to ovulating at that time anyway. 3 things all at once that failed.
Another time I fell pregnant on the pill. Took it every evening without fail. No sickness. No other meds. No reason I know why it shouldn’t have worked.
I did manage 15 years of contraception without problems!

Sometimes it's a contraception fail, other times it's a human fail. It is what it is and people either have a baby or an abortion to deal with it.

Oh wow!! See this is the first story I have heard where everything was done properly and still resulted in a pregnancy.
I hope everything worked out for you

I know the outcome is the same, and in reality it doesn't matter how it happened. I was just curious if there were a lot more pregnancies due to failed contraception or human error. Like I said, absolutely no judgment at all, I am just curious.