Easy Tips for Sexually Active Teenagers
Of course, the number-one nightmare scenario for the sexually active teenage couple is the unanticipated pregnancy. Rather than trying to prepare yourself for the financial and emotional burden of abortion, a few, commonsense precautions can be taken to ensure that the maximum risk for pregnancy is removed while the minimum amount of pleasure is removed from the sexual act. The easiest such tool available is the latex condom. These are available at a variety of prices in many different kinds of stores: grocery stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, mega-marts like Wal-Mart and Target, and some family planning clinics and hospitals distribute them for free.
Condoms usually cost less than ten dollars per pack, depending on the type you buy. For only a marginally higher price, you can buy condoms that are equipped with a spermicidal lubricant, which both enhances the sexual experience and makes intercourse much safer. However, even if buying only a “standard” condom, it is important to keep a few things in mind. When buying one, make sure that the condom you are purchasing is latex, preferred over any other material. Unlike other condom materials, latex is effective for preventing both pregnancy and sexual-transmitted diseases, and cannot be corroded by water or vaginal fluids. Also, keep your condoms in the commercial package on a shelf or in a drawer somewhere in your room, as opposed to having one in your wallet at all times. You should only have a condom in your wallet on days when you are likely to have intercourse, such as parties or dates, because the heat that your condom will accumulate in your wallet if left there for several days will diminish its effectiveness.
Applying condoms properly is simple. Just find the correct side and unroll it down the penis. Make sure that, when opening the package, you tear carefully enough that there is no chance of damage to the condom itself (if you suspect you might have torn the condom, do yourself a favor and use another one), and that it is rolled down the penis while erect, to make sure that it is on properly. Also, withdraw immediately before orgasm and reach climax through oral sex or a quick masturbation, or immediately after orgasm, to make sure that the condom doesn’t slip off the penis when it begins to soften.
For women, the birth control pill is the only family planning method that is consistently reliable. Other methods, such as the diaphragm, the female condom, and the NuvaRing, are not reliable for extended use, unless used in combination with other methods. The birth control pill, however, is not an option for many teenagers because it requires a prescription by a medical professional and will appear on health insurance bills. This is a problem for many young women because of the obvious displeasure of having your parents knowing about your sexually active, or potentially sexually active lifestyle. However, if it can be comfortably acquired, make sure that it is taken daily. Missing even two or three prescribed birth control pills can expose you to pregnancy.
Because of the lack of complete reliability of any contraception method, combining the most effective female method (the pill) with the most effective male method (spermicidal condom) virtually precludes the odds of pregnancy, if both are used properly. Using multiple methods in combination can only help your chances of avoiding a pregnancy. One method that alone is almost 50% unreliable but can be very effective in combination with other methods is the “rhythm” or natural family planning method. This involves only having intercourse on those days of the menstrual cycle where the female is least likely to be releasing an egg. However, because of the general unpredictability of menstruation and the fact that few women are able to consistently predict their ovulation and periods reliably, this method is not recommended alone.
And of course, it is possible to have sexually satisfying experiences without intercourse. Oral sex and genital manipulation (fingering, hand jobs) are both common, easy ways to reach orgasm, though many women are reluctant to perform oral sex because so few men are willing to reciprocate. The act of performing oral sex on a woman can be made more practical for a man by keeping a breath mint under your tongue. For women, performing oral sex can be made more pleasant by establishing beforehand how to carry it out, whether the man should be allowed to guide his partner’s head with his hands, whether ejaculation will occur inside or outside of his partner’s mouth, etc., to prevent the perceived indignities that can accompany oral sex. Sexual positions such as sixty-nine can ensure that both sides of the relationship feel comfortable and equally treated sexually. And, if performing genital manipulation on a woman, a nagging detail is that, if the man has masturbated earlier in the day, residual sperm can cling to his hands and can actually cause pregnancy through genital manipulation, so make sure that before going out on a date or to a party, you quickly wash your hands with water and anti-bacterial soap. This should take no more time than it would take to do so after using the bathroom.
While the allure of frequent climax and the loss of virginity are compelling reasons to have intercourse, it is unreasonable to do so unsafely. None of the methods for contraception described above will break the bank, or make sex impractical on any level. Instead, they are mature responses to an act to be performed by mature teenagers. Through the use of any of these methods, the odds of pregnancy can be reduced to almost zero, making sure that your sexual experiences as a teenager do not have consequences that will impair your ability to lead a healthy, productive life.
