contraception
Scarleteen Confidential: (Better) BC Invitations
Quite a few young people have come to us with this scenario: a parent has told their child that they are open to talking about contraception. But when the young people bring this up with us, they sometimes say that even though that invitation was extended, they don't feel comfortable picking it up and asking for that help, or can't figure out how.
I absolutely see what I am sure are usually the best of intentions with this invitation. But I'd like to suggest an alternative that will probably work better.
Something You Can Worry About Less: Interference and Hormonal Birth Control
Have a Little Faith in BC
This Way, Not That Way: Avoiding One of the Most Common Condom Oops
One of the most common condom whoopsies we hear about from our users involves themselves or a partner going to put a condom on, then discovering they've put it on the wrong way.
Often, after doing that, they'll also report following that up with a second common oops, which is just flipping that same condom over and then putting it on the right way.
SHine SA (Sexual Health Information Networking & Education South Australia)
Implanon Part 3: The Upgrade
Since the first time I had it inserted, the technology of the implant has changed a little bit, for the better. When it was developed, Implanon was a thin plastic rod that couldn't be seen on x-rays - so if there was a question about whether it had been placed in the right spot, there wasn't really a way to tell. The insertion device was also pretty intimidating-looking.
Nexplanon, the newer version, has fixed both of those issues.
The Testing Diaries: Robin
Ten years ago, I knew about using lube, about making first-time intercourse comfortable, and about pregnancy prevention options, but it seems I didn’t know much about sexually transmitted infections.
My partner at the time — I’m still with him — offered to get tested for STIs before our first meeting in person.
I turned him down.
I think I must have decided that he didn't have an STI.
Someone told me once that I was more powerful than electricity. If that is true, which I highly doubt it is, I must be truly powerful indeed, to conduct blood and urine analyses over the phone or Internet, and with no scientific or medical training at that!
Fear of pregnancy? Ready for sex?
I am almost 18. My long distance boyfriend is 22. I have decided he is the man I want to lose my virginity to. Seeing as he is 1500 miles away means that he is not going to be doing it anytime soon. However, I am going to where he lives for Thanksgiving and we are planning on doing it then....
New Study Finds Long-Acting Contraceptives Much More Effective Than Pills (Especially for Those Under 21)
From Reuters, today:
A large real-life test of birth control methods found more U.S. women got pregnant while using short-acting methods such as pills, patches and vaginal rings — and the failure rate was highest when they were used by women under 21.
“We found that participants using oral contraceptive pills, a transdermal patch or a vaginal ring had a risk of contraceptive failure that was 20 times as high as the risk among those using long-acting reversible contraception,” said the research team.