A question from a Shine reader this week:

Could it be possible for me to get pregnant if I am on the pill? I'm on Ortho Tri-Cylcen Lo. My sisters were on the pill and they got pregnant! My mom was on the pill and she got pregnant! Could there be a chance that I will get pregnant, also?

It's scary to feel like you can't trust your birth control method. Using the pill perfectly--every day, no skipping, no missing--is almost superhuman, and very few of us never get it wrong. But even if you are one of those wonder women, the pill is 97% effective. That means that 3 out of 100 perfect users gets pregnant each year (shiver). One way to make this number even smaller is "dual method use," or using a second method (generally condoms or a diaphragm) with your first. There's no good data on how effective this is, but I've been a gyno for 10 years, and I've never had a patient get pregnant while consistently using pills and condoms. The other benefit, of course, is fantastic STD protection...lots of bang for your buck during your bang, so to speak.

Using two methods of birth control certainly isn't easy. You may feel that sticking to one method is tough enough. And if you're using your pill/ring/patch very consistently, you may not feel as motivated to slap a condom on him as well. But consider dual method use the "sexual self-protection" you deserve, both for your body and your peace of mind.

Do any of you use condoms with your pill/patch/ring all the time?