Pill vs. Condoms
 

I've been with my girl friend now for almost a year and we have a healthy sex life (we are both 19). I've always used a condom. She has considered going on the pill, which aside from an alternative to condoms, apparently reduces the effects of periods.
I would love to have sex without a condom (we usually start wthout but then I'll put one on about half way through - yeah I know that's not the best, but no problems yet) because obviously condoms detract greatly from the sensation.
I am worried about birth control failure though. If a condom fails, you will generally know it (if it rips or you spill a bit) - if you realize you got some in her, you would probably be able to tell easily, and quickly take steps to prevent a pregnancy.
But with the pill, if I am always ejaculating in her, I won't know if there's a problem until possibly a few weeks later, and it gets messier to deal with the pregnancy.

How does the pill compare with condoms safety-wise? comments? suggestions?

Another plus side of condoms: they're free and clean-up is easier.

you can use both ya know. :)

the pill is a lot more effective than the condom. of course, that's just for preventing pregnancy. the pill doesn't do anything about diseases.

Yes, the pill is much more effective for birth control, assuming she remembers to take it.

BTW: with a condom failure, the usual thing to do is to get the "morning after treatment" which consists of, you guessed it, a couple of doses of the pill.

I currently am using *the* most effect method of contraception: a desire to actually have children.

1) at 19, the best option is to use both of them. Diseases can still transfer if you just use the pill. Make sure you use specrmicdally lubricated condoms.

@Angela146 -- When did you go off the Pill? We managed to conceive within about 6 weeks of her last dose.

The pill has worked better for my b/f and I. Condoms are good for the safety aspect but sex is just so much better without them. The two big issues for us with the pill is remembering it for one. It's not going to work if you don't take it! And two.. finding the right pill. It's been almost six months since I started the pill and I still am not on the right one for me. It works as a birth control since I haven't gotten preg. but I am a lot more moody, my periods are heavier, not lighter like they should be, and a few other things have changed since starting. If you decide to go with the pill be aware it could take a few months for everything to settle back to normal.

Early in 2000. Got checked out in 2001. Hubby has a very low sperm count. We would need very expensive procedures to get me knocked up (i.e. fish them out of a petri dish one at a time and inject them into eggs). Maybe someday...

All kidding aside, infertility is not really an effective method of birth control. Murphy's law applies.

we use both :)

Note that some women are allergic to the normal spermicide. I avoid those kinds of condoms like the plague.

The key to the pill is regularity. Also remember that the first month when she is on the pill you will want to use condoms the whole month. Also, there are some medications that can cause the pill to fail (mainly antibiotics), so if she is on those you need to use a condom as well. As long as she is taking it every single day, the failure rate is very, very low. My wife has been using the pill ever since we have been married, and our two kids came only when she got off the pill specifically for that purpose.

Yeah, my gf would sometimes get infections from those. So the pill was better for us...

Our first was the result of a condom failure that we didn't now about until three weeks later. "No, you weren't unwanted, you just showed up several years before we were ready."

Seven years on Tri-Cyclen, no pregnancies. Off for six weeks, and here comes our second.

The Pill is far better than condoms. :D

We use both! We're not ready for little ones yet so we take no chances.

i personaly wud go 4 the condom as u say u can tell if its ripped or not!

going on 3 years no kid yet.

*knocks on wood*

actually my girls on the shot, and we still use condoms, (most of the time hehe)

The pill made my wife's hormones go crazy... she was much better off them. The problem was I had to either use a condom or the withdraw method...

We used withdraw for about 8 years until she became pregnant. Withdraw doesn't work (not that we really cared... we both wanted another baby, eventually).

I've just had a vasectomy in the past month... I figure this is the best form of birth control going. ;)

Been using BC only for the past 4 years....no problems here

The pill (especially combined pill) is much better than condoms in terms of safety - providing it's taken properly.

However, only condoms protect against STDs - so if there's any chance of an infection it's best to use both.

the pill is so much eaier if you have a responsible girlfriend. The advantage of condoms is that you control how they are used,

My girl is on the pill, but I still pull out when finishing. I know its not a perfect method, but it does make it easier for us to sleep at night.

I was in a similar situation when I was in college...my wife (gf at the time) was on the pill...we still used condoms though b/c we felt it was safer (having a kid while attending college wouldn't be fun). After a few years, when we knew we could deal with any consequences maturely, we switched just over just to the pill...something to consider, I guess.

My girlfriend is on the pill, and we planned on using condoms, but it's a hassle and from everything I've heard it's best to use them anyways.. but as much as I know pulling out is not an effective method, it definately is partially effective..

so pill + pulling out