Ask a doctor on the topic of Gynecology

Missed pill 4 times, ovulation test.

May 28, 2010 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Susanne Plotz

Hello!
I was on a short vacation and on the 6th day of my pill pack, I had sex with my boyfriend. Afterwards, I wanted to take my pill in the evening as usual, but realized that I had forgotten it at home. Therefore, I couldn't take it on the 7th, 8th, and 9th day. Now my question is, I am no longer protected, that's clear. I always only take a 5-day pill break, so theoretically, it would be unlikely to have had a spontaneous ovulation, since there were only 5 days of break and then hormones were introduced again. Also, the egg wouldn't be ready to ovulate yet, right? Now that I'm back home, I took an ovulation test to see if my ovulation might still be coming. So on the 10th day of the pill, to see if my ovulation might still be coming, but it's negative. Does this mean that if there was one, I already had it? Because the test can detect up to 48 hours in advance, and that would be quite a long time ago. Do you think pregnancy is possible? I read that the pill blocks sperm through mucus, so it's unlikely that any could have survived and waited until ovulation, right? Thanks for your answer. Sandra

Dr. med. Susanne Plotz

Dear inquirer,

I can understand your concern well. Normally, with regular cycles, ovulation occurs around the 14th day. However, this can vary greatly. On the other hand, the period AFTER ovulation until menstruation is usually a constant 14 days. This means in reverse: one can never exactly determine when ovulation occurred, or only afterwards, when menstruation has started.

I wouldn't rely too much on an ovulation test, as it can also give false negative or positive results. The fact is, you had unprotected intercourse and therefore there is a possibility that pregnancy has occurred. Since it was on the 6th day, it is unlikely that ovulation has already occurred, but not impossible.

The only way to find out is unfortunately to wait until menstruation starts or, if it doesn't, take a pregnancy test. Unfortunately, in this case, there is no more precise way to predict things, as the body reacts very individually.

I hope I could help you and wish you all the best. Warm regards, Susanne Plotz