A
female
age
36-40,
masquerade711
writes:Throughout the time I've spent here at DearCupid, I've seen many questions regarding sex, birth control, pregnancy scares, STIs, and the like. I've spent the past week doing a lot of research, and have finally come up with some things that will hopefully be able to set your mind at ease. (Note: Should you have any questions pertaining to this article or your own personal experiences, feel free to send me a private message.)BIRTH CONTROL/CONTRACEPTIVESThis section is for you if you are practicing safe sex (which everyone should be!). First of all, keep in mind that the ONLY method of birth control that is 100% effective is abstinence. This day and age, many people are choosing alternate methods, however. Two of the most common would be BCPs (birth control pills) and condoms. (Obviously there are other methods on the market, but I am not as well-versed in these methods yet, so I will only be exploring these two in this article.)With perfect use, BCPs are 99.7% effective in preventing pregnancy. What is perfect use? This would be taking your pill around the same time every day (no more than a few hours apart), not missing a pill, and ensuring you are not on any antibiotics or herbal supplements that could interfere with your pill. (Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you if you are.) With typical use, BCPs are still 92% effective. If you're not comfortable with this level of protection, you can always "buddy up" methods and use a condom. It is virtually impossible for a woman to fall pregnant when correctly taking the pill AND using a condom. One downfall of the pill is its lack of protection against STIs (sexually transmitted infections). This is another good reason to use a condom, unless you and your partner have been exclusively with each other for at least 6 months and have both had at least 1 full STI screening.If you need more details, my research was conducted at www.scarleteen.com. PREGNANCY SCARESI'm sure every girl here has experienced a pregnancy scare at some point. The MOST important tip I have is DON'T PANIC until you absolutely have to. You may think you have some or all pregnancy symptoms, but these may be manifesting themselves purely from your imagination.The thing to do, to clear up any worries, is to take an at-home pregnancy test. Some are sensitive enough that they can detect a pregnancy 5 days before you expect your period to come, but these are usually more expensive. My advice is to wait until you expect your period (or the day after), then take a test. By this time in your cycle, whatever result you receive will be accurate. But if you STILL have doubts, go and see your doctor or healthcare provider about a blood test.SCARLETEENFor anyone seeking information on ANYTHING regarding sex education, scarleteen.com is a great resource and has eased my mind on many occasions. Also feel free to PM any of our agony aunts/uncles if you would like to talk privately.
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male
reader, tux  +, writes (28 February 2009):
 Good article. Although I think you should clarify one aspect of safe sex, and that is sex within a monogamous relationship is safe sex at the point where you know you both are clean of any STD's of course. After that point, you can decide whether to use a condom, birth control pills or just go ahead and try to make a baby. After all, not everyone should be using what most people think of when "safe sex" is mentioned if they want to have a baby. It's one of those fun misconceptions out there that if someone is having unprotected sex that they are being unsafe in which if they are in a std-free monogamous relationship trying to have a child, it's still "safe sex."
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