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One of the most common side effects of injectable birth control is that withdrawal bleeds (remember, you don’t have real “periods” on birth control) may lighten or disappear entirely. A second extremely common side effect is spotting (sometimes called breakthrough bleeding) throughout a woman’s…

You know, if you’ve little to no interest or feelings of strong desire for the physical and sexual aspects of sex, you aren’t as likely to reap big positive emotional benefits, either. For certain, partnered sex can and often does provide emotional intimacy for people, but when the only part one…

So long as you know – not just by guessing, but via regular, complete reproductive health exams – that you’re in sound reproductive health, and so long as that abdominal pain is really only showing up after intercourse, the most likely culprit for that symptom would simply be that you’re not…

Thankfully, there is no direct connection between one’s genitals and their mouth. So no, kissing (of any sort) will not lead to pregnancy. The right bits of anatomy are just not in the right location for that to occur. Similarly, there’s nothing about manual sex (‘fingering’) that could cause…

It’s tough for me to give you a solid answer on this one, because you weren’t very clear on what you were actually doing. Sometimes, when a person says they haven’t had “full” intercourse, or “full” penetration, they mean they haven’t had whatever their idea of that is. In other words, a person who…

(Charleten’s question continued) Last summer, I came out as a lesbian to my family and friends, because after about a year and half of questioning and soul-searching and doubting and ALL that fun stuff, I concluded that I was romantically and emotionally (and sexually, though again I just am not…

We have talked about those kind of things before I decided I was a lesbian. She always told me how weird and unnatural it is. But while it might be for her, for me, it’s not.

If it’s suspected that you have ovarian cysts, your gynecologist will most likely want to give you a full pelvic exam, and it’d be wisest for them to do that. In the best interest of your reproductive health, you’ll always want your healthcare provider to be as thorough as they can: you’re at…

It often takes a while for any new partner – especially when both partners are also new to sex in general – to get the hang of what works for a given partner with any given sexual activity. So, one thing to know is that it’s normal for things to just take time. But time alone won’t tend to that…

Have you seen your health care provider about this problem yet? If not, then that’s the very first place to go. You need to get checked out and make sure that everything physically is alright with you right now. You should also make sure that you tell your health care provider specifically that you…

You know, I really wish I could get a hold of whomever started this obsession with vaginal “tightness” and have a few choice words with them. Most of the words I’d have to say would not be very nice. But since that person is not here right now, all I can do is try to clear up a few of the…

Was this actually diagnosed by a health care provider as being a yeast infection? If it was, then your provider should have told you how long you should wait before becoming sexually active again. If it was not, then you need to get yourself to your health care provider or clinic to get this checked…

While your risks for STI transmission may be lesser if both of you have not ever been sexually active in any way, it does not totally negate the risk. Not being “sexually involved” can mean lots of things for different people. Some people might only consider “sexually involved” to mean having…

In terms of your current lateness, keep in mind that you won’t have your withdrawl bleed (you don’t have real “periods” when you’re on hormonal birth control because you are not ovulating) at the exact time that you had it before you were on the birth control. Your cycles will probably be around 28…

We’re already gearing up for the 2008 election and some candidates have some rather antiquated views on birth control. That’s right, the pill and other routine methods of contraception considered controversial – at least if you’re trying to gain the Republican nomination for president.

Hey Dan: thanks for the props. :) ED drugs really aren’t intended for younger men, nor for the occasional problem with ED. Rather, they’re intended for a very persistent and ongoing problem, over time, and for older men who have ED for physical reasons due to aging or another medical condition (like…

Know that as of this date, it is not medically advised for people who menstruate to use the pill to manipulate menstrual cycles and have any less than four periods (or, more accurately on the pill, withdrawal bleeds) each year. There are still no long-term studies on doing even that, and if you’re a…

The most obvious culprits for persistent bleeding following intercourse would be: cervicitis ( an inflammation of your cervix) the sexually transmitted infections chlamydia or gonorrhea vaginal dryness or trauma/injury or uterine fibroids If you’re having sex using only the pill, the STIs would be…

The short answer is that yes, you should always use a condom in order to be as safe as possible. The longer answer is that while being a “virgin” (and remember, since that’s a social construction rather than a medical one, it is defined differently by different people) may reduce your risk, it does…

Your pills should be fully effective beginning at the start of your new pack. Typically, problems with pills only affect that particular cycle (unless the problem itself carries over into the next pack). So as long as you don’t have any problems during your next cycle, you should be well protected…

If you are interested in becoming pregnant, the first thing to do is to get to your health care provider and speak with them about it. One of the most important things to do is to make sure that your body is as healthy as possible before trying to conceive (that will go a long way toward your having…

Unless his sperm came equipped with flame throwers and chain saws, it’s pretty much impossible that it could make it through that many layers of clothing! Sperm can be pretty hearty, but all of those layers are more than they could ever survive through. So no, you have no pregnancy risk from the…

Most things that you find around the house are not suitable for use as lubricant (if you have a vulva). They are simply not formulated for internal use and can easily lead to irritation and infection! So if you do not like KY, there are plenty of other brands of lube that you can buy at your grocery…

Sperm are pretty hardy, but they’re not superheroes. It is unlikely that they would survive a move from the inside of your pants unless your hand was literally dripping with pre-ejaculate. If your hands were dry, then it is pretty safe to say that there is not a pregnancy risk from the contact your…

Unfortunately, it’s pretty difficult to give you exact odds when it comes to your pregnancy risk here. There are so many factors influencing things that it’s really difficult to be precise about it. However, if you are having genital contact without a condom and you are not taking your pill…