Teenagers and their sexual health

Teenagers, Sexually transmitted infections

Birth Control

You should never feel pressured into having a sexual relationship with anyone. It is always best to wait until you are in a steady relationship and are old enough to make a sensible decision about what is right for you. If you are considering having a sexual relationship, PLEASE speak to someone about an appropriate type of birth control.

When you are a young adult, your choices for a birth control method may be different from that of a women who is older or who is married. We think it is important for you to know about birth control methods available today, even if you are not yet sexually active.

It is a known fact that 25% of women who have intercourse without using a method of birth control will become pregnant within one month and 85% will become pregnant within one year. Is it really worth the risk?

When choosing a birth control method, consider how well each one will work for you:

How effective is it?
How will it fit into your lifestyle?
How safe is it?
Is it affordable?
Does it protect you from sexually transmitted diseases?

These are important questions that are worth taking some time to think about. We hope that many of you can discuss these options with someone. However, you can get a prescription for birth control without parental consent. You can also see a doctor or nurse without anyone else knowing. It is your body and your privacy.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The general term sexually transmitted disease (STD) is applied to any of the group of diseases that can be spread by sexual contact. The group includes conditions that used to be called venereal diseases (VD), named after Venus, the goddess of love.

We are sure you will have heard about sexually transmitted diseases in one way or another – at school, in the news, on TV, in magazines or from friends.

It is important to note that teenagers have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases of any age group. You can catch one, so please USE A CONDOM.

STDs are spread from one person to another through intimate sexual contact such as sexual intercourse, oral-genital contact, or anal sex. You CANNOT get STDs from toilet seats, doorknobs, or from shaking someone’s hand. You cannot tell if a person has a STD from just looking at him or her, even if they are naked!

The impact of STDs is particularly severe for women. Since many STDs often cause few or no symptoms, they may go untreated and women can be at serious risk of complications arising from STDs. Some of these complications include: ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain and even infertility.

If you think you have an STD, or if you were with someone sexually who might have an STD, you should see your doctor or nurse right away. Your read more