Great questions! Yes, you are protected against unplanned pregnancy on the placebo pills as long as you took 3 weeks of active pills before the placebo. Just remember that you will only be protected for birth control and we always encourage the use of condoms for being a sexually healthy person and avoid STIs. You can read more about the pill here. We highly recommend skipping to placebo week to skip your period, and start a new pack! Check out our Period Optional page.