teenage sex

It's important to be informed about sexual health issues, even if you're not having sex right now, and if you are, then you need to arm yourself with some critical facts! Here you'll find plenty of info on how to protect yourself from getting pregnant, what to do if you think you're pregnant, what to do if you've had unprotected sex (or sex in which your method of birth control failed) in the last 72 hours, and where to go for help.

Birth Control Misinformation

There are a lot of myths and misinformation out there about protecting yourself from pregnancy. If you are considering any of these, forget about it. They DON'T work!

• Having intercourse during your period:
  First of all, just because you're bleeding doesn't mean you're having your "true" period; some women bleed during ovulation. And it's often hard to predict when you'll ovulate. So you'd better use protection whenever you have intercourse, all month long. (Sex during your period is also a riskier time for HIV transmission.)
• Peeing after intercourse:
  An old folks' tale! Urinating after sex does nothing to protect against pregnancy because women do not urinate out of their vaginal opening. So, although the urinary opening is near the vagina (just above it), urinating will not flush sperm out of the vaginal opening.
• Douching:
  Rather than rinsing sperm out of the vagina, douching could actually send them swimming upstream towards an egg. (It can also increase the risk of infection.) All in all, a bad idea!

Birth Control Options

Birth Control Pills

• Concept: A woman takes a pill that contains artificial hormones - either a combination of estrogen and progestin, or a progestin-only pill - every day. The pill works by preventing ovulation, increasing cervical mucus to block sperm, and creating a thin, unfriendly uterine environment.
• Success Rate: With typical use, five women in 100 become pregnant in one year. With perfect use, less than one woman in 100 will become pregnant in one year.
• Positives: If taken consistently and correctly, the pill provides non-stop protection from pregnancy, can make a woman's periods more regular, reduce cramps, and shorten or lighten a woman's period.
• Negatives: Offers no protection against STDs including HIV; can cause side effects such as nausea, headaches and moodiness. Also, you need to remember to take the pill every day, and if you miss two or more pills in a cycle, or you are late starting a new cycle of pills, you should strongly consider using a back-up contraceptive until you have taken seven consecutive pills.
• Where to Get It: Through a prescription from a health care provider; the cost runs $15 to $40 a month depending on the pill brand, plus the cost of the visit to your health care provider. (Many clinics also have sliding scale fees, meaning you pay based on what you can afford.)

Cervical Cap

• Concept: A woman uses spermicide to coat the inside of this silicone or latex thimble-shaped device. Then she inserts it to the back of her vagina so that it suctions over the cervix, where it blocks sperm.
• Success Rate: With typical use, 20 women out of 100 become pregnant in one year. With perfect use, nine women out of 100 become pregnant in one year.
• Positives: It can provide continuous protection for 48 hours, no matter how many times you have intercourse (unlike the diaphragm, additional spermicide is not needed for additional acts of intercourse).
• Negatives: Won't protect effectively against most STDs, including HIV; can increase the risk of urinary tract infections and toxic shock syndrome; it only comes in four sizes so it may not be an option for everyone. Also, it has to stay in place for six hours after the last act of intercourse.
• Where to Get It: Through a prescription from a health care provider; the cost is about $35 to $60 plus the cost of spermicide, and the exam and fitting for the cervical cap. Many clinics also have sliding scale fees, meaning you pay based on what you can afford.

Condom - Female

• Concept: A thin polyurethane sheath, shaped like a small pouch with flexible rings at each end. The ring at the closed end holds the pouch in place inside the vagina, while the ring at the open end remains outside the vagina. The pouch collects semen and prevents it from entering the vagina.
• Success Rate: With typical use, 21 out of 100 women will become pregnant. With perfect use, five out of 100 will become pregnant.
• Positives: Protects against STDs, including HIV, and you can get it without a prescription. Also, you can insert it up to eight hours before having intercourse. If you are allergic to latex, this polyurethane condom is a good alternative.
• Negatives: The outside ring can slide inside the vagina during intercourse; also, caution should be used to make sure the man's penis doesn't slip around the side of the condom. Can be awkward to use at first; must be removed right after intercourse, before you stand up, to prevent semen leakage.
• Where to Get It: Buy it at drugstores or supermarkets or get it from family planning clinics; the cost, $2-$4 each.