Deciding about Boyfriends and Sex 61
Protecting yourself if you are ready for sex
When you decide you are ready for a sexual relationship, you
must protect yourself against pregnancy and disease. There are
many ways to make sex safer. This
means you have to plan before
you have sex.
Talk to your boyfriend
before you have sex. Let
him know how important
it is to protect yourself. If
you find it hard to discuss,
perhaps you can first
pretend you are talking
about another couple.
If he really cares about you, he will want
to protect you. If he is pushing for sex, he
may care only about himself.
Many communities have people
who are trained to provide condoms
and other family planning methods.
Talk to them or ask a health worker
where to get a method of protection.
If you feel embarassed to ask, find
someone you trust to help you.
Some family planning clinics have
special services for teenagers and
may have trained teenagers as
peer counselors who can give you
information.
Since you cannot tell by looking
if a man has a sexually transmitted
infection or HIV, sex is safer only if you
use a condom every time. If a man has
a discharge coming from his penis or a
sore somewhere on it, he has an infection
and will almost certainly give it to you!
If you had sex and notice a new
discharge from your vagina, sores on your
genitals, or pain in your lower belly, you
could have an STI. See the chapter on
“Sexually Transmitted Infections.”
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family planning
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safer sex
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STIs
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012