Factors to Consider Regarding the Effectiveness

of Contraception or Birth Control

Abstinence is the only 100% effective method in preventing both
pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. All other birth control
options carry some risk of failure.
A male condom is shaped like a penis and is usually made of
latex. It can fit over an erect penis. It helps protect partners from
pregnancy and infections such as HIVAI!". A condom #orks
by providing a barrier bet#een partners so that bodily fluids$
like semen$ blood$ and saliva$ are not shared. %his helps ensure
that sexually transmitted infections are not passed and
pregnancy does not occur. &ale condoms are the only currently
available effective and reversible birth control method for men.
&ale condoms are '()*'% effective.
!+ ,+% use t#o condoms at once. &ale condoms and female
condoms should not be used at the same time. -lacing t#o male
condoms on a penis can raise the chance of tearing.
After sex play$ thro# a#ay the condom. !+ ,+% ./0"/ it
%he male condom is placed on a man1s erect
penis. 2efore putting on the condom$
uncircumcised men may find it useful to pull
back the foreskin.
3ith one hand$ s4uee5e a half)inch of the tip to
remove air and leave room for semen. 3ith your
other hand$ you can unroll the condom to the
base of the penis. %he band of latex at the open
end of a male condom helps to keep it from
slipping during intercourse.
After e6aculating$ #ithdra# the penis before
losing the erection. %o keep sperm from leaking
out$ hold the condom on the penis during
#ithdra#al. %hro# a#ay the condom and use a
ne# one if sex continues. &aintain distance
bet#een you and your partner1s genitals to help
prevent infection or pregnancy. "perm may still
be on the penis after the condom is taken off.
%he most common causes of condom failure are
breakage and slipping. %o prevent a condom from breaking$ make sure there is enough lubrication
from natural secretions or a #ater)based lubricant. !ryness creates more friction and can tear a
condom. %o keep a condom from slipping off$ make sure the rim stays near the base of the penis
during intercourse. %his is especially important at the end of intercourse as the penis is #ithdra#n.
/ither partner can hold onto the rim.
100 Percent Effectiveness:
Birth Control Pills 7oral contraception$ +8 or 9the pill9: is the most
popular type of birth control. %here are many different brands and they
come in packs of ;1 or ;' pills. +ne pill is taken every day. %he first ;1
pills have a combination of synthetic estrogen and progesterone
hormones. %he -ill stops ovulation$ preventing the ovaries from
releasing eggs. %he -ill also thickens cervical mucus$ making it harder
for sperm to enter the uterus. %he hormones in the -ill prevent
fertili5ation. %he last < pills of a ;')day pack have no hormones and are
called spacer pills. %he -ill is *;)**.<% effective as birth control. It does
not protect against reproductive tract infections$ including HIVAI!".
Emergency Contraception
=ou can prevent pregnancy after intercourse by taking /mergency 8ontraceptive pill
7also kno#n as the &orning After -ill or /8:. %he most common is brand name >-lan 2
+ne "tep.?
-lan 2$ the one)step /mergency 8ontraception 7/8: -ill$ #orks by giving the body a short$ high$
burst of synthetic hormones. %his disrupts hormone patterns needed for pregnancy. -lan 2 affects
the ovaries and the development of the uterine lining$ making pregnancy less likely. !epending
upon #here the #oman is in her menstrual cycle$ the hormones prevent pregnancy in different
#ays. It prevents ovulation 7the egg leaving the ovary and moving into the fallopian tube:. It blocks
the hormones needed for the egg to be able to be fertili5ed. It may affect the lining of the uterus and
alters sperm transport #hich prevents sperm from meeting the egg and fertili5ing it.
/8 may be effective up to 120 hours (5 days after intercourse. But! it is most effective "ithin the
first 2# hours. /mergency 8ontraception reduces the risk of pregnancy by <( ) '*%. /8 does not
protect against reproductive tract infections$ including HIVAI!".
%ake as soon as possible and #ithin 1;0 hours of unprotected intercourse. /8 7plan 2: may be taken
after 1;0 hours$ but its effectiveness is much lo#er. If you vomit #ithin a half hour$ it might not
#ork and you should take another dose. =ou might #ant to take it #ith food and some anti)nausea
medication.
$ay %hat happens in our &ody'
1)( &enstruation @ 2reaking do#n of the uterus lining
A)1B /gg matures and develops
1C +vulation @ +vary releases the most mature egg into the fallopian tube
1();C 0terus lining develops
;();' 0terus lining decreases
The fertile period is between Days 9-16, when you should not have sex (to avoid pregnany! or
should have sex (if you are trying to get pregnant!" #ine we now $now that sper% an live up to &
days, and the egg for up to ' days, the fertile period is %ore li$ely between Days &-1&" #o the
safe days are a ouple of days right after your period (Days (-&! and the wee$ before the next
period is due (Days 1)-*)!" The huge proble% with the rhyth% %ethod is that few %onthly yles
are absolutely regular, espeially in teenagers, and so the day the egg is atually released is
unpreditable" +t %ay happen earlier or later in the yle than expeted" That,s why we say that to
prevent pregnany, NO time is safe for unprotected sexual intercourse" -nd as you $now,
ondo%s should always be used to help protet against sexually trans%itted infetions"
When Youre Not Ready

-s a teenager you,re faed with %a$ing %any deisions that an affet your life for both the short
ter% and long ter%" #o%e of these deisions are stressful and so%e are not .uite so stressful"
/owever, when you throw the should + or shouldn,t + have sex deision into the e.uation, things an
get very o%pliated" 0ou an feel torn between the person you love and the onse.uenes this
i%portant step in your relationship an ulti%ately have on your life" 0ou %ay even feel pressure fro%
your friends" They are all having sex, so why aren,t you1 This is one deision that should not be
ta$en lightly"
What o You o!
+t,s si%ple" if you,re not ready, don,t do it" The at of sex is an inti%ate expression of love and it
shouldn,t be so%ething you,re fored or pressured into" +f you have any doubts, onerns or worries
it %eans you,re not ready for it" 2any people later loo$ ba$ at their deision and regret having
beo%e sexually ative too early in their lives" /owever, there are very few who regret having waited
until they $new they were ready"
# $no% #ts Not for &e' (o% do # )urvive the *ressure!
-s you $now, during puberty, %any teenagers have o%%ented that they feel li$e they,re dealing
with raging hor%ones" This is a nor%al feeling" 0ou,re body is going through a lot of hanges, whih
inlude your hor%one levels" +t %ay feel li$e these hor%ones are ta$ing over3 however the %ind is
always stronger than those little he%ial hanges" -s long as you $now this is your hoie for your
own personal reasons, you should be able to win this short-ter% onflit (you won,t always be
battling your raging hor%ones!" 4elow are a few suggestions to help you sti$ with your %edially
healthy deision to postpone sex"
-lways o%%uniate your feelings to the people you date" This doesn,t need to be done on the
first date (unless the other person suggests having sex!3 however you,ll want to share your
deision relatively early in the relationship" This way you,re reduing the hane of being put in a
iru%stane where you %ight be at ris$ of %a$ing the wrong deision (for you! beause you
were lost in the %o%ent or swept away"
5rite down the %ost i%portant reasons you want to wait, and have the% ready in your %ind"
5hen hor%ones rage, say to yourself, #ure, +,% te%pted to have sex, but even %ore than that
+ want to wait beause6
-void diffiult iru%stanes, li$e being ho%e alone with the person you,re dating" 4e together
with other friends or in publi plaes"
/ave a support networ$ of friends who understand the i%portane of the deision you,ve %ade
for yourself" +f you,re worried you,ll find yourself in a situation where you feel you %ight not be
able to hold to your deision, tal$ to your friends beforehand" This will help you regain the
strength you %ight need"
-lways re%e%ber you have %ade an i%portant deision for yourself" Don,t let anyone try to tal$
you out of it" 4e proud of your deision"
Youre Not +lone
2edially spea$ing, the deision to abstain fro% sexual ativity is the best way to stay healthy"
#exual ativity an lead to unwanted pregnany and sexually trans%itted diseases" 7or %any people
this is as %uh a %oral deision as it is a %edial safety deision" (89 of teenagers are virgins" This
learly shows that it isn,t true that everyone is doing it" :ust re%e%ber3 always go with your gut
feeling" +f it doesn,t feel right, it,s not" +f you don,t feel o%fortable doing so%ething, don,t do it;
ont feel em,arrassed to as- .uestions +,out )ex
5hat you don,t $now an be extre%ely dangerous" 4efore you %a$e the deision to beo%e
sexually inti%ate with so%eone, ta$e the ti%e to read so%e infor%ation to %a$e sure this is the right
deision for you" +l%ays -no% ho% to protect yourself/
When #s the Right 0ime to (ave )ex!
The deision to enter into a sexual relationship is diffiult and should not be ta$en lightly" The best
way to answer this .uestion is with the o%%on state%ent, 0ou,ll $now when it,s the right ti%e"
<nowing when it is the right ti%e to o%%it to a sexual relationship is so%ething that only you
and your partner an deide" 2any personal and %oral .uestions are involved" -re you both
o%%itted to eah other and willing to do what is best for the other1 -re you both ready to be
aountable for any onse.uenes of having sex, inluding e%otional onse.uenes1 /ow does
this deision orrespond to the values you eah have or were raised with1
+f in doubt, don,t" 2any people later loo$ ba$ and regret pre%ature sexual involve%ent" =ery few
regret having waited" +t is i%portant to re%e%ber that getting involved sexually involves %any
e%otions for both partners as well as several %edial ris$s, inluding sexually trans%itted
infetions and pregnany" +f you do deide you are both ready to beo%e involved sexually, use a
reliable for% of birth ontrol" 0ou will be safest if the %ale uses a ondo% eah and every ti%e, and
the fe%ale also uses a seond reliable %ethod of birth ontrol"
#s there a safer time to have sex %ith the period cycle! # heard that the safest times are right
,efore your period and right after1is this true!
0ou are referring to what is alled The >hyth% 2ethod of birth ontrol, whih relies on fat that
yes, there are ertain days of the %onthly yle when you are less li$ely (safe days! or %ore li$ely
(fertile days! to get pregnant" 5hat you heard about the ti%ing is basially orret" The days of the
fe%ale %onthly yle are nu%bered" The first day of your period is Day 1" The typial %enstrual
bleeding ends on Day (" +n an average wo%an, the last day of her yle will be around Day *),
and then the next period starts a new yle with Day 1 again" The egg is usually released in the
%iddle of the yle, around Day 1' or 1?" 5e used to thin$ that sper% ould live inside the
wo%an,s reprodutive trat for only about ' days, and the egg ould live 1 day" Therefore, the
fertile period was between Days 9-16, when you should not have sex (to avoid pregnany! or
should have sex (if you are trying to get pregnant!" #ine we now $now that sper% an live up to &
days, and the egg for up to ' days, the fertile period is %ore li$ely between Days &-1&" #o the
safe days are a ouple of days right after your period (Days (-&! and the wee$ before the next
period is due (Days 1)-*)!"
The huge proble% with the rhyth% %ethod is that few %onthly yles are absolutely regular,
espeially in teenagers, and so the day the egg is atually released is unpreditable" +t %ay
happen earlier or later in the yle than expeted" That,s why we say that to prevent pregnany,
@A ti%e is safe for unproteted sexual interourse" -nd as you $now, ondo%s should always be
used to help protet against sexually trans%itted infetions"
Can a girl still get pregnant if a ,oy pulls out ,efore he e2aculates!
0B# 0B# 0B#;; 0ou are desribing an unreliable %ethod of birth ontrol alled
Cwithdrawal"C 4efore a %ale atually o%es to a li%ax (eDaulates!, drops of se%en are
present at the tip of his penis" Ane drop ontains hundreds of sper%" These sper% an
travel up your reprodutive trat and get you pregnant, even if he tries to pull out in ti%e"
-nd re%e%ber that a seond before li%ax is a very bad %o%ent to expet a guy to use
good Dudg%ent and pull out" 0our hane of getting pregnant fro% any speifi episode also
depends on how lose you are to the fertile ti%e in your own %onthly yle (the ti%e your
body releases an egg fro% your ovary!" The effetiveness of withdrawal in preventing
pregnany in teens is usually stated as 68 perent" (That %eans there is a ?8 perent
hane of getting pregnant in partners who try to use this %ethod"!
Can # get pregnant the first time # have sex!
0B#, absolutely, %ost definitely; Bvery ti%e you have sex you run the ris$ of getting pregnant"
5hile various birth ontrol %ethods an derease your hanes there is no 1889 effetive for% of
birth ontrol and all are subDet to user error" The only way to guarantee you will not get pregnant is
to abstain"
0he *ain Factor
-l%ost all fe%ale virgins wonder if their first sexual enounter will be painful" -s you probably
$now, the opening to the vagina is overed by a thin ring of tissue, alled the hy%en" +f a girl is
having periods, then there is already an opening in the hy%enEotherwise the blood would not be
able to o%e out" +f she is able to use ta%pons o%fortably, then the opening is probably already
as large as a finger" +n %any ases, the existing opening in the hy%en will not be large enough for
the eret penis to pass through, and the thin tissue of the hy%en tears as the penis enters" This
does ause pain and bleeding, even when he is very gentle"
4efore you have sex for the first ti%e, you should also tal$ to your boyfriend about how he and you
%ight reat if you hange your %ind at the last %inute" /is body will be pressuring hi% to o%e to
li%ax (eDaulate!" +f you get sared when you atually try interourse, or if it hurts too %uh, there
is absolutely no reason you have to go through with it" 0ou an wait until another ti%e when you
feel %ore o%fortable about this very i%portant deision"
#s there anything # can do to reduce the pain the first time # have sex!
The %ost i%portant thing you an do to redue the pain is to relax" 4eing relaxed, and
absolutely sure you3re doing the right thing %eans youFre less li$ely to involuntarily
tighten your vaginal %usles, and %ore li$ely to produe natural vaginal lubriation" 0ou
ould also try using a lubriant, as this will %a$e penetration easier" /owever if you are
using ondo%s, you %ust use a water-based lubriant suh as <0 :elly (available fro%
%ost super%ar$ets and he%ists!" -n oil-based lubriant li$e =aseline will ause the latex
of the ondo% to disintegrate"
# thin- # might ,e pregnant/ What can # do!
+f you thin$ you or your partner %ight be pregnant you will probably be anxious about what
to do" 0ou %ight be worried about how people in your fa%ily will reat" They %ight be angry
at first, or find it hard to believe, but they %ight be able to help you onsider what to do"
#o%e people deide to have a baby if they are pregnant and others deide to have an
abortion" +f you really anFt tal$ to a parent you %ight be able to get adult advie fro% a
youth wor$er or an adult in shool"
#f a guy is a virgin can he get me pregnant!
0es" 2ale virgins an get a girl pregnant and fe%ale virgins an beo%e pregnant the first ti%e
they have sex"
#f a guy e2aculates near my privates ,ut not inside me can # get pregnant!
+n theory the answer to this .uestion is yes" -nyti%e sper% gets anywhere near a girl,s privates
she an beo%e pregnant although it is less li$ely to happen without penetration" Gregnany is
less li$ely to our under these iru%stanes but it is possible"
#f a guy e2aculates on my under%ear4over my clothing can # get pregnant!
+n theory the answer to this .uestion is yes" -nyti%e sper% gets anywhere near a girl,s privates
she an beo%e pregnant although it is less li$ely to happen without penetration" Gregnany is
less li$ely to our under these iru%stanes but it is possible" Hlothing is very porous and is not
onsidered a barrier %ethod of birth ontrol"
Can # get pregnant from giving oral sex!
@o you annot get pregnant fro% giving or reeiving oral sex but you an get an #TD inluding
/+=I-+D#"
Can # get pregnant from receiving oral sex!
@o you annot get pregnant fro% giving or reeiving oral sex but you an get an #TD inluding
/+=I-+D#"
+re t%o condoms ,etter than one for protection from pregnancy4)0s!
@o, two ondo%s offer JB## protetion as the frition between the% %a$es brea$age %ore li$ely"
Anly use one and use it exatly as direted on the pa$age"