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Sex and Sexuality
Preventing Pregnancy
Abstinence prevents pregnancy 100% of the time.
It is the most effective form of birth control.
If you do decide to be sexually active, practicing Safer Sex is a Must,
not only to prevent unwanted pregnacy but to protect from HIV/AIDS and other STIs.
Being informed about the pros and cons of various contraceptives is important not only for preventing unintended pregnancies but also for reducing the risk of illness or death from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including AIDS.
The condom is the one birth control method with which men will have to engage in the protective action. If a man doesn't understand the basics of birth control, he won't be able to act responsibly and can thereby put you at risk for an unwanted pregnancy as well as infection from HIV and other STIs.
Condoms are readily available and inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes and textures.
The bonus of protection against STI's is the main reason to use condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but keep in mind..
- The breakage rate for condoms is two out of 100...
- Of every 100 couples who use condoms incorrectly and inconsistently, 14 will experience a pregnancy during the first year of use.
- Of every 100 couples who use condoms correctly and consistently, only three will experience a pregnancy.
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Be Smart
It is a good idea to supplement condom use with another birth control method.
Be responsible and use your brain. Unless you are actively trying to have a baby, always practice safer sex.
* New York Prevention Campaign
From One Teen to Another
- Thinking "it won't happen to me" is stupid; if you don't protect yourself, it probably will. Sex is serious. Make a plan.
- Just because you think "everyone is doing it," doesn't mean they are.
Some are, some aren't — and some are lying.
- There are a lot of good reasons to say "no, not yet."
Protecting your feelings is one of them.
- You're in charge of your own life.
Don't let anyone pressure you into having sex.
- You can always say "no" — even if you've said "yes" before.
- Carrying a condom is just being smart — it doesn't mean you're pushy or easy.
- If you think birth control "ruins the mood," consider what a pregnancy test will do to it.
- If you're drunk or high, you can't make good decisions about sex.
Don't do something you might not remember or might really regret.
- Sex won't make him yours, and a baby won't make him stay.
- Not ready to be someone's father?
It's simple: Use protection every time or don't have sex.
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Additional Birth Control Methods
To be used in conjuction with condoms.
The taking of proper birth control precautions is very serious. When you have unprotected sex, the risk of unwanted pregnancy as well as infection by HIV and other STIs is just too great. Why take that risk?
Cervical Cap
A small latex cup that a woman inserts into her vagina before sexual intercourse, fitting snugly over the woman's cervix. It is smaller than the diaphragm and works by blocking sperm from entering the uterus.
Contraceptive Patch ("The Patch")
A thin plastic patch that a woman wears on her skin. It releases these hormones through the skin and into the bloodstream preventing the ovary from releasing an egg. You stick on a new patch each week.
Depo-Provera ("The Shot")
A woman gets "the Shot" 4 times a year. It contains medicine that works mainly by preventing the ovary from releasing an egg.
Diaphragm
A soft latex dome that a woman inserts into her vagina before sexual intercourse, fitting snugly over the woman's cervix. It is larger than a cervical cap and works by blocking sperm from entering the uterus. Must be used with a spermicide.
Intrauterine Device (IUD)
A small, T-shaped piece of flexible plastic that fits inside a woman's uterus. IUDs work mainly by preventing fertilization, and interfering with the sperm's ability to reach the egg. Must be inserted by a doctor but lasts several years.
Oral Contraceptives ("The Pill")
Pills are made of hormones similar to those found naturally in a woman's body and works mainly by preventing the ovary from releasing an egg.
Spermicides
Spermicide is a chemical that kills sperm and is inserted deep inside a woman's vagina just before having sexual intercourse. Spermicides provide some pregnancy protection when used alone, but they are much more effective when used with another method, like the condom, diaphragm or cervical cap.
Vaginal Contraceptive Ring ("The Ring")
A small, flexible plastic ring that a woman places in her vagina each month. The Ring contains hormones that prevent the ovary from releasing an egg.
* New Haven Prevention Campaign
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