Contraception

As a teenage girl or young woman, you may be starting to think about what it means to be involved in a sexual relationship. There are many things that you need to think about before you decide to have sex, including whether this is the right person, the right time in your life, and how you will feel if the relationship breaks up. If you do decide to have sex, you definitely need to think about how to prevent getting pregnant and how to protect yourself from getting a sexually transmitted infection (STD). Keep reading to find out what type of contraception is best for you and your partner.

You should talk to your parents, guardian, a trusted adult, or your health care provider if you are thinking about having a sexual relationship. It is a good idea to discuss all of your choices and all of the concerns and worries you may have so you can make good decisions. This can be a very confusing time for you and it is always good to have someone to talk to.

What types of contraception are there?

There are many different types of contraception that vary in how effective they are at preventing pregnancy, how much they cost, how easy they are to use, and whether they also protect against STDs. Using two types of contraceptive methods, such as the birth control pill and condoms, increases protection against both pregnancy and STDs. Males use some types of contraception and females use other types of contraception. If you are having a sexual relationship with a male, it is good to know all about the different types of female and male contraception. Together, you and your partner should figure out the best choice for the two of you. Whatever type of contraception one of you uses can have an effect on the health of both people in the relationship. Only females can get pregnant, but both males and females can get a sexually transmitted infection (STD).

If you have sexual intercourse, you are always at risk for pregnancy and STDs. But if you practice safer sex with only one partner (who is uninfected and has no other sexual partners) and you make good decisions about contraception, you can greatly lower your risk.  

How Much do You Know About Contraception?

Take a quiz and find out!

Written and reviewed by the CYWH Staff at Boston Children's Hospital

Updated: 10/27/2010

Related Guides:

Making Healthy Sexual Decisions

As a young adult, it's normal to think about sex, have sexual feelings, and have a desire to learn more about your own body. Deciding to have a sexual relationship is an important decision since it involves both your body and your emotions. You need to make sure that it is the right decision for you...

Pregnancy

Did you know that about 800,000 teen girls become pregnant in the United States each year, and more than 80% of these pregnancies are unplanned? Dealing with a pregnancy is one of the most important decisions a teen may need to make...