sex without a condom even when on BC?

NO NO NO victorian tea party. YOU DO NOT use the shot AND birth control together. You’ll be killing yourself with hormones. Good lord.

In any case, yes you can, relatively safely IF you use your birth control exactly as directed.

Birth control (you are correct) is about 99% effective if you take it the same time everyday. Also remember that for the first 2 months of using it to rather use a condom (just to make sure your birth control is working correctly)

Most pills take 2 weeks to become effective, and then after that you will be unprotected for your FIRST withdrawal bleed and then you are protected again after that. It is still recommended that you use condoms for the first two months to be extra safe.

Other than that. Good for you for using your brain and asking before doing.

Oh and a site that explains everything a bit more: http://womenshealth.about.com/od/thepill/f/howpillworks.htm

If you miss a pill in a cycle for more than 12 hours, then it is advised you use a condom for 7 days. If you miss a pill by less than 12 hours, then you should be okay. The most risky pills to miss are the ones in the first week of the packet and the last week. I forgot one pill in the first week and had sex 5 days after and got away with it but don’t count on them. To be honest, I would look at other options before going on the pill. There are much better ways that are less of a hassle and use a lot less hormones and still keep you safe.

burntout has a point, however I want to emphasize that it is better not to miss the pill by 3-4 hours (that is a safe leeway that you have when taking it)

Also regarding the safety of the pill, it is very safe and currently considered the best birth control method out there. I agree, because if you do experience side effects you can just stop the pill and try another brand or switch to another method of birth control. Also the benefits that the pill can give you is great.