risk

Your girlfriend is being VERY sensible, whether you may happen to believe it or not. People with vaginas have a LOT at stake when they become sexually active. They are more prone to infections than people with penises. And yes, they can get pregnant, which is a very taxing process for her body...

You know, while five years isn't a big age difference between people who are, say 35 and 40, it can be a lot bigger between people who are 15 and 20. Think abut it like this: at 20, your boyfriend has literally already lived 25% longer than you have, just a little less than you've outlived someone...

With most sexually transmitted infections, it would be highly unlikely for a person to have one who has not had any kind of sexual contact -- with genitals, hands or mouths -- to have one. We call STIs -- sexually transmitted infections -- what we do because that is usually how they are transmitted...

You can certainly do your best to help keep your immune system doing it's job to fight off anything you may have been exposed to, just by taking sound care of yourself: eating right, getting enough activity and rest, limiting or avoiding substances that can tax the immune system like caffeine...

It's really important for anyone starting a new birth control method to understand WHEN it is likely to be completely effective. I'm sincerely hoping your healthcare provider explained that to you with your pill, but I have to tell you that even if he or she did not, it is really also your...

It's generally agreed that when switching from one pill to the next, you do not have to worry about being without effective protection, so long as you didn't take more than a one-week placebo period between the two types of pills. The douching is a larger issue. Douching -- when specific douches at...

Know what? While alcohol can reduce a person's inhibitions, another thing it often does reduce how aroused -- how turned on -- a person can get. It also tends to inhibit orgasm, as well as vaginal lubrication. And that's just the minor stuff. Date rape is far more common when alcohol is involved...

Before the two of you do anything sexual, I'd say it's REALLY important that you work out the issue of him seeing sex as a way for you to prove your love. It's not. Take a look at the bare basics from our Sex Readiness Checklist: If either of you wants to do it because you feel you must or should...

It won't do you harm that once, nor will using emergency contraception more than once: there isn't any data at this time which shows single or repeat use presents health risks beyond those we see with other hormonal BC. You can take a look at this page or this one for more information on EC...

Stopping and starting the pill (especially if you stopped in the middle of a cycle) can really do a number on your body. Remember that when you're on the pill (or any form of hormonal birth control for that matter) adds extra hormones into your system and essentially changes the way it is...