Brief Answer:
If you are on the pill, the spotting is breakthrough bleeding not pregnancy

Detailed Answer:
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.

First of all, if you are taking birth control pills, especially if you have been on them for years, and you did not miss any pills, your chance of pregnancy even with regular, unprotected sex is less than 1 percent.

In addition, many women who have been on birth control pills for many years can have breakthrough bleeding as a side effect. This is caused by thinning of the uterine lining which is the reason why your periods previously have been very light on the pill. The estrogen component in the pill is what controls your menstrual cycle so after being on a low-dose pill for so many years many women skip their period once and a while or may have spotting in between.

This is not a symptom of pregnancy nor does it mean that the pill is not effective in preventing pregnancy.

So, if you have had a period since your last act of unprotected intercourse, and you have not had unprotected sex, there is really no chance you could be having symptoms due to pregnancy.

Furthermore "implantation bleeding" does not occur in most women, and if it does it typically presents at about 4-5 weeks gestation when the fetal sac starts to develop and grow into the uterine lining. It can take even 48 hours for conception to take place after intercourse, so implantation at 2.5 days is not physically possible.

So in summary, your symptoms are consistent with breakthrough bleeding from the pill. If your periods continue to be irregular or you keep spotting in between you should consider seeing your women's health provider as you may benefit from a different brand of birth control that may not produce these side effects.

I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that this information was reassuring. If I can be of any further help, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes,

Dr. Brown

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Brief Answer:
There is no reason that the pills should be affected by heat

Detailed Answer:
Hello again, and I apologize for the delayed reply.

So if your pills are inside the package and are not exposed to moisture, and the box was not hot to the touch they should still be active. Prolonged exposure (weeks) in an environment greater than 86 degrees is not recommended, but there are no studies that actually show a decreased rate of effectiveness.

If you are anxious about the effectiveness of your oral contraceptives, there are other types of contraception (like the birth control implant, injection or the IUD) that provide very effective contraception that does not require you to take pills every day and is not affected by your environment.

Anyway I certainly do not think you need to be concerned about your pills having been near the heater.

I hope this information was helpful, and please let me know if you have any further concerns.

Regards,

Dr. Brown

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