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Talking about Contraception

from: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/teens/contraception-4.aspx

No matter how old you are, tallking to your partner about sex isn't always easy. You'll probably feel better after you do though. If it's your first time together, it's a good way to get to know what you both expect, and if you have had sex before, you can talk about what you like and ways to make sex better.

But you'll probably want to talk about contraception too. It might seem like a mood-killer, but nothing will ruin sex faster than spending the whole time worrying about pregnancy or picking up some disease. It may feel awkward to talk openly at first, but in the end you'll both be glad that you did. And just think...wouldn't you rather have a talk about using condoms than the "whoops, I'm pregnant" talk? Or worse...get the "sorry, but I might have given you HIV" talk? Remember, your safety and health come first...do what you need to to make sure you're in control of it.

Try to talk about this before your first time - it's a good idea to make sure that your partner is committed to using protection before you hit the bed. If you don't, you could get pregnant on your very first time out. Also, some birth control methods like the Pill take time to become effective, so it helps to decide beforehand if this is the contraception for you.

A good way to prevent STIs and pregnancy is to use more than one type of contraception. The Pill is great for preventing pregnancy, but it won't stop you from getting STIs. No matter what contraceptive you use for pregnancy - you should probably still consider using condoms for STIs.

And girls, if you ever find yourself "rounding third base", but you haven't had the sex talk yet, it's still not too late. A lot of the time, a simple "go get a condom...I want to have sex" will do the trick. And you might want to keep your own stockpile, just in case he doesn't have one handy.

Because of the risks of pregnancy or disease, sex is a big responsibility. So, if you find that you're way too uncomfortable to talk about these things with your partner, think about this: Maybe it's a sign that you're not totally ready to have sex with them yet.