PREVENTING UNITENDED PREGNANCY
I think I might be pregnant…
I am pregnant…
I am not pregnant…
I had unprotected sex last night…
I think I might be pregnant...
If you have had sexual intercourse and you’ve missed your period,
especially if your breasts are tender or swollen or you feel tired or
sick to your stomach, you may be pregnant. If you think you might be
pregnant, you need to get a pregnancy test right away to find out for
sure. You can arrange an appointment to see your health care provider,
or buy a home pregnancy test at a drugstore, supermarket, or online
(they cost anywhere from $10 to $30). Home pregnancy tests are fairly
accurate if you follow instructions carefully, but you should have a
test done at a health clinic to confirm your results. Many Planned
Parenthood and health department clinics provide pregnancy testing for
free or at reduced cost.
If you experience any of the
following, you should call your provider or clinic, or go to a hospital
emergency room right away. These may be signs of a problem such as a
tubal (ectopic) pregnancy or miscarriage:
• Sudden, intense pain, persistent pain or cramping in the lower abdomen, especially if it’s on one side
• Irregular bleeding or spotting with abdominal pain, especially after a light or late period
• Fainting or dizziness that lasts more than a few seconds
• Sudden heavy bleeding with clots or clumps of tissue after a late period
• Abdominal pain and a fever
When you find out you are pregnant, you essentially have three options to consider: to continue the pregnancy and keep the baby, to have the baby and put it up for adoption, or to have an abortion. This is a big decision; take your time and talk with your partner, your family and other trusted advisers.
I am NOT pregnant …
Even
if you just thought you might be pregnant when you didn’t intend to be
and found out you were not, it can be a life-changing experience. Take
time to consider what you can do to avoid this situation in the
future. The most effective method of pregnancy prevention is
abstaining from vaginal intercourse. Many people practice abstinence
for some period of time, even after they have had sex, and surveys show
that most teens in the U.S., including those who have had intercourse,
think teens should wait to have sex until they’re older. But, if you
do choose to be sexually active, you need to use contraception each and
every time. Sexually active couples who don’t use contraceptives
during intercourse have an 85-90% chance of becoming pregnant over the
course of a year.
Protect Yourself. For those who are sexually
active, the only protection against BOTH pregnancy and STDs, including
HIV, are condoms. Not only does the consistent and correct use of
condoms offer protection against pregnancy, it can also reduce the risk
for many other STDs including HIV. To be doubly safe, it is
recommended to use condoms with another contraceptive method, such as
oral contraceptives.
For more about options for preventing pregnancy and STD check out What Works and What Doesn’t.
I had unprotected sex last night…
If
a condom breaks or you forgot to take your Pill a few times this month,
there is something that you can do to reduce the risk of pregnancy, but
you need to act quickly. Emergency contraceptive pills (sometimes
called “morning after pills”) may be taken within 120 hours (5 days)
after unprotected sex, but are most effective within the first 24
hours.
Emergency contraception works by preventing or
delaying ovulation, preventing fertilization, or preventing
implantation of a fertilized egg. Emergency contraception does not
interrupt or terminate an established pregnancy; rather, it prevents
pregnancy from occurring. That means if you are already pregnant,
emergency contraception won’t end your pregnancy. Studies show that
emergency contraception reduces your chance of pregnancy by 75 to 89
percent. It is not an alternative to regular contraception, which is
much more effective in preventing pregnancy.
Emergency
contraception will not prevent pregnancy if you take it before sex, nor
does it protect you from pregnancy during future sex acts. It is for
emergency-use only in situation when regular contraception fails. It
also provides no protection against STDs.
Emergency
contraception does not have any known serious side effects, but it can
cause nausea or vomiting for a day or so, but you can ask your provider
to prescribe an anti-nausea medication. If you do vomit, it can make
the treatment less effective, so let your health care provider know.
Emergency
contraception costs about $45; it may cost less or be free at family
planning clinics and health centers. Women 18 years and older may buy
emergency contraception directly from a pharmacy, that is “over the
counter” without a prescription. Younger teens still need a
prescription from a health care provider. To find a provider near you
or for more information, call the Emergency Contraception Hotline at
1-888-NOT2LATE or go to www.not-2-late.com.
Flarpafide posted on 04.15.09 at 06:28PM
This is a great article ... I wish I had someone to talk to about this sort of thing.
ambuler642 posted on 06.27.09 at 03:48PM
this is alot of great information! nd anyone who has gone through any of this its great to kno u can hav a place to go to where other teens are going through the same thing! i think this i very helpful nd informative!
marinebaby09 posted on 06.28.09 at 04:24PM
I know this is going to sound stupid but I really am scared...can you still have a normal period with the chance of being pregnant? Please dont yell at me...
aringle88 posted on 07.02.09 at 08:11PM
ok i am 16 and was ingaged to this guy he was the dad to the kid but i lost it and he moved befor he found out i lost it well their is another guy that is their for me and tells me that he will take care of me but im scared of comitment what should i do
xilovehimx posted on 07.05.09 at 09:32PM
okay, so i thought i was pregnant & i have almost all the symptoms but i took a test & it said negative but i'm still worried. what should i do?
aringle88 posted on 07.06.09 at 10:16AM
xilovehimx u should go to the doctors to find out cause u still can be so to be on the safe side i would get it checked out
RussianWife posted on 07.07.09 at 04:58PM
I am 22 married and 6 months pregnant. I could not imagine being 16.
Even at 22 this is a very stressful situation, yes my husband has a job but it's still stressful. I was 16 once and I had guys tell me that "They loved me" and would do anything for me. But in reality they wanted to get into my pants. I tho made a decision to stay pure for my husband (That is another story in it's self).
At 16 I don't believe that your ready to make those decisions that can turn into a life time off of challanges if you do become pregnant. I also believe that sex eduaction starts in the home with the parents.
Girls ANYTIME you have sex, you can get pregnant even if you use the pill or the condom. You can get pregnant on your period, off your period or any time of the month. My husband and I used protection when we got married and the first time we didn't feel like it we ended up pregnant. Our Daughter Sophia is a total blessing but it goes to say that it only takes once. ONCE that's it.
If you might be pregnant you can go to planned parenthood who will offer you a free pregnancy test and some local High Schools offer them to. So do hospitals.
If you are Pregnant, consider adoption. I was adopted and it has been a total blessing on my life!! I was given the best chance at life through adoption and if my Birth mother decided to keep me, I would of never had the chance to lead the life that I lead now.
Also even tho I am 22 and got married before I got pregnant, my parents were still every upset at me...They thought 22 was WAY to young to be getting pregnant and at times I feel alone in my pregnancy.
For those who have supportive parents, be glad you have that support. Your parents are there to help you and guide you.
I wish everyone on this site the best of luck
~sherry~
babygirl12009 posted on 07.07.09 at 07:50PM
i hade sex with my boyfriend a month ago. and he didnt use a comdum an im not on the pill. i took a test and it said negitvie. i had alot of syptoms. but i started my period. and its been werid. it wil stop completly at night and then start at around 2pm in the day. it never does that. and i never get sick on it either. but 3 or 4 times this week iver woken up an felt like i was going to get sic.. could i be prego?
GABBYANDLUIS07 posted on 07.16.09 at 09:30PM
okay long story,
i've been having unprotected sex with my boyfriend.
and sometimes a can have symptoms but if i take a test it'll come back negative.
well anyways there's been plenty of times he wont pull out or sprem will get in.
should i be worried?
i feel werioed talking about this but i just need help.
ilukeb posted on 07.17.09 at 09:38AM
Im curently taking the shot.. and recently didnt use protection and had somewhat of an accident.. what are my risks of becoming pregnant ? Ive been using the shot for about a year and a half.. does that make any difference ?
heythereitsme posted on 07.20.09 at 05:34AM
ok so here the problem the condom broke but the next day i got my period am i still at risk of getting pregant
me8biggerthanu posted on 07.20.09 at 09:53AM
I was just wondering... my penis is very big and im very young(16) does that mean I can get my gf pregnant easier?...That article scared the crap out of me!
cristal2830 posted on 07.20.09 at 01:09PM
its been 7 months since my period has came ive been havin unprotected sex for about 2 months and nothin but can i still get preg??
I_love_cody0707 posted on 07.22.09 at 08:11AM
ok i think i might be experiencing pregnancy symptoms.. i am feeling very fatigue, nausea and get dizzy spells, backache,headaches,heartburn.. are these signs of pregnancy?
lovinmy2boys posted on 07.24.09 at 07:42PM
I'm a 26yr old mother of 2 eautiful boys,who i love very much.I can be reached at myspace(amber randall). I wasn't given the talk about sex or getting pregnant so when I started having sex I was very well uneducated. My oldest son was conceived at the age of 20yrs and my youngest was conceived at the age of 22yrs.
You can have a normal period while your pregnant and I learned that the hard way after bein pregnant for 6months before knowin the test was positive.I don't want to scare anyone but it is possible to get pregnant on any kind kind of pill or shot. The most effective contraceptive is eith NO SEX,or the iud.I was on the pill with my youngest son and i skipped a few days at a time and then a few months later I was 9wks pregnant.I had a tubal ligation this year because I don't want any more children.I wasn't able to finish college or keep a stable job.
Some guys want to make you think if you are pregnant that everything's going to be fine, IT'S NOT. If you don't want to be "stuck" without not bein able to do anything without kids don't have sex.My little sister became pregnant at the age 14 and that was a big slap in the face to myself.I'm not condoning on any teen out there to have sex and get pregnant,but U NEED to make sure you're practicing safe sex.I oftenly still strugle now that my children are 3 and 5yrs old.I would not change anything in this wrld about them but I wish I would have made the RIGHT decision and made sure I was 100% capable to take care of them.
If there are any teens out there that needs a "big sister" to talk to or have questions about sex or pregnancy feel free to contact me on myspace.
lovinmy2boys posted on 07.24.09 at 07:47PM
to 'i_love_cody those are syptoms but that doesn't necisarily mean you're pregnant. It could be other things and it also depends on how long you have had these syptoms.You could be pregnant and not have any kind of illness.You can go to planned pregnancy or any other kind of agency to get a deffinate answer. Sometimes blood workl may have to be done to get a for sure answer,it just depends on ur hCg level. Any other questions just ask me,you'll do fine as long as you have the right people in your life
accidentallyinlove posted on 07.24.09 at 08:50PM
okay, so i had sex for the first time two days ago, and we used a condom, and i'm on the pill. but i'm just worried that i could still possibly get pregnant.. what are the chances?
lovinmy2boys posted on 07.25.09 at 02:46PM
to accidentallinlove there's a slight chance that you could be pregnant as long as you've taken your birth control the RIGHT way and that the condom DIDN'T break.If you miss a period and it's been a few months later then you may be pregnant.The earliest the you can find out if you're pregnant is 8wks.You can simply go to a pharmacy for a test, the best home pregnancy test is one that you pee on the stick or dip it in the pee.Don't use one that you have put a few drops in the lil circle,taking the test too early can result in a negative test,wait until your first or second missed period.
rednekbbygrl93 posted on 07.26.09 at 06:59AM
okay so i have ben on birthcontrol for a while now but i recently had sex with a guy unplanned and he didnt use a condom ... i have been feeling a bit sick lately but from ppl with the same situation what do u feel cuz i also got health prblems and idk what to do!
nickjonasismyman posted on 07.28.09 at 05:47PM
I think there's a possibilty i might be pregnant. I don't know if i'm late on my period because, i started taking birth control, a few days after the sex. I started my period on the right day, i think
But, i've been feeling weird but, i've never gotten sick & it kinda seems like i'm gaining weight, it might just be from eating a bunch of junk food because that's all i eat.
I'm to afarid to tellmy mom, because she will be extremly mad. I don't have any money to my a pregnancy test, and i'm to embaressed to go to planned parenthood, i don't even know what it is.
denisee1 posted on 07.28.09 at 11:03PM
hello im denisee and i really need some advicee okay here it goesss im 16 i have a wonderful boyfriendd we have been havin sex without using a comdom sincee the lasy day of school i started my period late after 5wks later it came late after my period that day we had sex againn lets just say he lives with me and we do it everyday without protection i haven't started my period in 1monthh but yesterday i was spotting and now today i woke up this morning feelin sick dizzy tired back hurting and i was on my period .could this be my last period i haven't been checked my boyfriend says i am pregnant and so does my sister HELP!!!!!!
Katie posted on 08.01.09 at 12:25AM
this is a great article, and like the last person said i wish i had someone to talk to about this, but its too late now im a 15 year old girl about a month 1/2 pregnant only me and my boyfriend know..
yousayyouwantPASSION posted on 08.03.09 at 09:07AM
i had sex without protection and again the next day. but im pretty sure he didnt ijaculate inside mee. and the next dayy i came on my period and that was pretty normal. so could i be pregnant???
cnicolexO posted on 08.04.09 at 09:20AM
everyone commenting on this should really read the "what works and what doesn't work" article on this site. teen pregnancy is a big deal, and is portrayed as exactly that on this show. all of you girls should really start making sure you use protection if you're going to be sexually active. I cannot believe all the people who ask other people what pregnancy symptoms are. look them up! go to the doctor! it's your life, YOU take control of it.
Cassie posted on 08.05.09 at 08:25PM
The information was great but unfortnately, can someone please give me advise. i think that i might be pregnant and my parents don't know. i missed my periods but haven't taken a test yet to confirm but i have read about the signs of being pregnant and i have it.
kbabiie12 posted on 08.18.09 at 09:34AM
when i was 11 i had sex. i used a condom but it broke i was scared cause i thought i was prego so i was like o it was one time but i was nd i didnt know ill i was 5 month im now 13 nd i had a little girl who is 2 now. i think im prego again but dont know the test come up negative but i took two test and one will say pos and the other would say negative? what do i do?
xtremesporterx posted on 08.27.09 at 08:28PM
umm...i havent gotten my period yet but i have cramps. i can feel its coming, but its about a month late. also i've been eating alot more specially at night, weird combinations of food. my stomach has puffed out more then usal...but i have no morning sickness or backaces. should i be concerned?
xtremesporterx posted on 08.27.09 at 08:42PM
hey, i was just wondering if i should be concerned. i haven't gotten my period yet, i'm like a month late. my stomach is all crampy like im going to get it, but i'm not sure. i've been eating non stop specially at night(weird combinations of food) i've gained some weight. my stomach is puffed out more then usal. no backaces or sickness though. shoul i be concerned?
NikolitaNiko posted on 08.28.09 at 01:43AM
@ xtremesporterx - Have you taken a pregnancy test yet? If not, buy one and take it. If it's positive, take another to be sure. If it's still positive, see a doctor. If it's negative, I'd see a doctor anyways and ask what's going on. What you're listing sounds like pregnancy symptoms but it could be a combination of other things too.
@ kbabiie12 - If you took two tests, with one saying positive and the other saying negative, and your period was overdue, I'd just go see a doctor and ask them for a blood test or something more definitive than a pregnancy test that could give you an answer.
@ Cassie - You need to take a pregnancy test, scared as you might be. Once you've taken the test and have your results, you can go see a doctor and figure out what to do next. If you're not pregnant, you can take steps to make sure you're not in this situation again. If you ARE pregnant, a doctor can talk to you about your options and help you figure out what to do next. You should also tell your parents. Someone at Planned Parenthood might be of help to you too, but I can't give more details since I've never been to one myself.
@ yousayyouwantPASSION - Yes you could be pregnant. Even if a guy doesn't ejaculate, most guys release pre-cum (which DOES have sperm in it), and he almost always can't control it. Some girls who are pregnant also bleed for part or all of their pregnancy, making them believe they're not pregnant. If you are worried, wait until one week past when your period is due and then take a pregnancy test. From there based on the results, you can decide whether or not you need to go see a doctor.
NikolitaNiko posted on 08.28.09 at 01:44AM
@ kameshia - Go see a doctor. If you are pregnant you need prenatal care at the very least, and a doctor can help you decide what to do next. I'd also tell your parents, because if you're pregnant they're probably going to find out at some point anyways. If you don't want your parents going with you to the doctor, take a close friend or trusted adult. You might be scared but not doing anything about it isn't going to help yourself, and the sooner you get an answer the sooner you can figure out what to do next. If you are pregnant, there are options available to you.
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I don't have kids of my own, but have been answering questions like this for a few years (I'm 23 now) due to the website I run within a bigger site, that deals with issues like teen sex and pregnancy. If it's possible to message users on this site, drop me a line and I will give you my e-mail address if you need to talk to someone. :)
xtremesporterx posted on 08.28.09 at 12:08PM
NikolitaNiko ..thank you!!
xtremesporterx posted on 08.28.09 at 05:58PM
umm weirdest thing happened. i got my period today..but i was still four weeks late..have yet to take a test. ??