You can choose to raise the child, end the pregnancy, or make a plan for adoption. It is important to be clear with your partner and discuss what you truly want to do.

Here are your options:

Parenthood
Having a child when you’re young is a really tough, but not impossible. Watch MTV’s shows like Pregnant and 16 or The Secret Life of an American Teenager, to get an idea of what it’s like to be a teen parent. If you decide to continue with the pregnancy, prenatal care is important. Make an appointment with an OB/GYN for care. First ask yourself if you have the support system you’ll need. What kind of support would the father be able to provide? Additional things to consider can be found here.

Abortion
Abortion is offered through two options: medical or surgical. Each is an effective way if you have made the decision to end your pregnancy. Women have abortions for many different reasons. Abortion is a safe and legal way to end pregnancy. Ending a pregnancy is a personal and private decision. Each state has laws regarding access to an abortion. In California, a woman can make an appointment for an abortion at the closest Planned Parenthood Health Center by calling 800-230-PLAN (7526). For more information visit Planned Parenthood’s website.

Adoption
If you do not want to end your pregnancy, but don’t want or feel ready to parent your child, you can choose to place your child for adoption. There are several organizations that will help you through the process, so you’ll never feel alone. If you are considering placing a child for adoption, then you can get more information on the process and what to expect from this website.

“Am I pregnant?”

As anyone who’s taken an at-home pregnancy test can tell you, those blue lines that tell you if you’re pregnant or not can change your life in an instant. All of a sudden, your goals and your dreams are put on hold as you figure out how to move forward.

Although young women give many reasons for why they got pregnant, many say that it’s because they didn’t get the information they needed at school or at home.

So why aren’t we talking about it? What’s stopping schools, parents, teachers, and family members from giving young adults the facts about sex and how to prevent pregnancy? Is it the fear that if we talk to teens about sex, then they’ll go out and do it?

Research shows that sex education does not lead to having sex. In 2010, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate marked a record low at a rate of 34 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 19 years old. In California, the rate was even lower at 29 births per 1,000 women in the same age group. And many are saying that it’s because of the efforts to include comprehensive sex education and teach teens how to protect themselves from unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections … instead of ignoring it.

So why are we so scared to talk about it?

The short answer—yes, oral sex does count as “real” sex. Planned Parenthood defines oral sex as using one’s mouth to stimulate a partner’s genitals. A person can’t get pregnant from oral sex, but they sure can get a sexually transmitted infection by either by giving or receiving. The act of sex is “sexually motivated behavior”, so oral sex does fit into that category.

Many people have different feelings and opinions about oral sex. But one thing that doesn’t change is the need to stay protected. To have safer oral sex, a person can use a male condom to cover the penis. There are flavored condoms to do that job. A woman can stay protected by using a dental dam. A dental dam is put over her vulva, the outside part of a woman’s vagina area. Both protect spreading STIs to the mouth or throat. But remember, a person will only get an infection if one has it.

Each person needs to understand, and identify their personal values. Stay true to yourself and do things that make you feel comfortable. Let your partner know about what kinds of sex you want to do and don’t want to do. By doing that, you’ll feel confident with the different forms of sex that are out there.

True story, oral sex is indeed a type of sexual behavior. After explaining it to my friends, I saw a change in their faces and their views on it. One friend joking said that people are having oral sex and not knowing the actions, and consequences, that come with it. We went on to talk about how they felt about oral sex and how a person could protect themselves.

In fact, two-thirds of teens say they have talked about what they feel comfortable doing sex-wise, but didn’t know how to bring up the topic of protection when performing sexual acts.

Here are 4 tips on how to have effective, healthy communication with your partner, no matter what the topic is.

1. Focus on your thoughts.Clear communication begins knowing what you want to say. Think of your thoughts; write them down or even share it with your partner. You have to tell your partner what YOU are thinking. You can’t expect him/her to be a mind reader. Another tip is to practice what you’ll say before hand. Say it out loud or in from of a mirror. Think of how it will sound to the other person. The more you try this the better you will get at it.
2. Listen Carefully. Speak Carefully.A key to communication is being a good listener. Yes, some of us like to get our word in or make your point, but keep an open mind. Try to imagine the conversation from the other person’s point of view also. Make good eye contact or nod your head to show you understand. Avoid interrupting the other person. Also, think before you speak. Pause a moment, and begin to talk. Stay focused on the topic and don’t bring up other issues.
3. Be clear.Be honest, specific and direct. Say how you really feel. Use “I” statements: “I feel this or I think that,” to express your feelings. People like to play the blame game, “You did this, you made me, next time you should, etc.”…” But instead by using the word “I”, instead of you when beginning a conversation with someone makes it seem less like you’re accusing them, and they’ll be more open to really listen. See the difference?!Let’s look at how we can change a “blame” statement to be a less accusing, but yet clear and direct.
   • “Blame” communication:“You always make me do things I don’t want to do. You never hear me out!”
   • “Clear and direct” communication:“I don’t like it when I can’t tell you how I really feel about certain things. I want to have a choice when it comes to being healthy.”
4. Check your understanding.Make sure you both understand each other. Make sure there is a clear understanding of what you both want and it is clearly stated by each of you. Begin to make it a regular practice between the two of you, bringing up even the most difficult subjects.

Yes, communication skills take practice, but clear communication allows you to ask for what you want and explain what you need to avoid arguments, misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

GYT a national campaign for STI Awareness Month, which happens every April.

What does it mean?
GYT stands for “Get Yourself Tested”

Why is getting tested important?
1 of every 4 sexually active teens has an STI (sexually transmitted infection); and 1 in 2 sexually active teens will contract an STI by age 25. That’s half of everyone you know … and most of them won’t even know it.

Can you tell if someone has an STI?
No! It’s scary, but most people don’t show any symptoms or signs of an STI. Unfortunately, they can still pass on an infection (or infections … yes, a person can have more than one infection at a time!) to a partner.  The only way to know for sure if a person has an STI for sure is to get tested!

This is why GYT month is so important! If you are a sexually active teen or know someone who is, take the time to get tested and encourage everyone to know their status!

You are lucky if are a teen and live in California because a teen can go to a health center, like Planned Parenthood, and get services without parent permission. No parents are needed and you may not have to pay a dime! This program is called Family PACT. The application process is easy. It asks basic questions such as your name, date of birth, what city you live in and how much you make monthly. Most teens qualify and you’ll find out on-the-spot if you’re covered. With Family PACT, you’ll get a card that looks like this, and your reproductive health care services are covered for a whole year.

Family PACT is funded through the state of California. They put money aside that helps pay for birth control, testing, and treatment for sexual infections. It also covers exams, emergency contraception and pregnancy testing…the basics needed to determine your own destiny with your sexual health. Through F-PACT all services are confidential, meaning that  information shared with anyone at a health center will not, and I repeat, will not be shared with your family, your boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, no one! YOU get to decide who knows what about your sexual health. Each year you can re-apply to the great services. To schedule an appointment at your local Planned Parenthood for Family PACT services, visit Planned Parenthood’s website.

Femoral Hernia: is where an intestine sticks out in the lower part of a person’s groin towards the upper thigh. This is more common among females than males.

Inguinal Hernia: Is where a tissue, usually intestine, bulges out of a weak spot or opening of muscle in the upper groin area and may reach down to the scrotum. Umbilical Hernia: is where a bulge occurs around the belly button due to weak muscles around the naval allowing for tissue, intestine, or organ to stick out.

The causes of a hernia can be:

• Frequent constipation
• Chronic cough
• Overweight
• Heavy lifting
• Poor nutrition
• Smoking
• Undescended testicles

Symptoms:

There are usually no symptoms when it comes to hernias other than discomfort. If the bulge become too large and causes pain then surgery will be needed to repair the muscle to prevent the tissue from sticking out. A hernia is a major medical issue but is not a sexually transmitted infection and is not contagious, so you can’t get it from someone else.

Just like peoples faces, the vulva also has a unique look and no two look the same. There are two openings in the vulva. The first is the urinary opening,it allows urine or pee to come out. The second opening is the vaginal opening. The vagina is actually inside her body, but the opening to the vagina is located on the vulva. The vaginal opening allows blood from her period, or a baby to leave her body. It is also where a penis enters during vaginal sex. There are actually three opening “down there” if you count the anus, or butt, which allows waste to leave the body, but typically the anus isn’t considered to be a part of the vulva.

Other parts of the vulva are the lips, or the proper term labia. A woman has two different set of labia. The outer labia are made of fatty tissue and protect the vaginal opening.  The inner labia become sensitive during sexual pleasure. Another organ that causes sexual pleasure, is the clitoris, or “clit”. The clitoris is small bean -shaped organ with a lot of nerve endings which allow feeling. When a female becomes sexually aroused, the vulva fills up with blood and becomes sensitive. Most people are not aware that there is a difference between the vulva and vagina, but now you do.

Do condoms work? Yes! Condoms are up to 99% effective if a person uses them correctly and consistently, meaning you have to use it the right way every single time you have sex.

If a condom fails it is most likely because the person did not put it on correctly. Some of the most common reasons for the condom breaking include: rushing to have sex and not putting it on correctly, not checking the expiration date (they do expire, so that condom you may have been holding on to for a few months (or years) needs to be thrown away.) Drugs and alcohol can also cause someone to not put the condom on correctly, or just not use one. There are many things that can go wrong but there are proper steps for making sure that a condom goes on correctly.

1. Check the expiration date and make sure there are no tears or holes in the packaging.
2. Push the condom down a little (while still in the package) so that when you open the wrapper you don’t tear the condom.
3. Take the condom out and find out which way it rolls down. (should look like a little hat)
4. While pinching the tip of the condom (this is important), roll it all the way to the base of the erect (hard) penis.
5. After sex, the man should pull away from his partner before taking off the condom.
6. Hold the tip (where the semen should now be) while rolling the condom off the penis. You can tie the condom in a knot to prevent semen from getting out and then throw it in the trash!

If the condom is expired, damaged or you put it on incorrectly the first time, then throw that condom away and start the process again with a new condom. There are no age requirements to purchase condoms from the store or you can visit a Planned Parenthood Health Center.

The term curable means that there is a cure and most infections go away with medicine that is given to them by a doctor. The term non-curable means the infection will not go away with medication and is in the body forever. There are treatments available to help with non-curable outbreaks but the person can still give the infection to someone else at any time, there does not have to have symptoms present.

Curable

Gonorrhea
Syphillis
Chlamydia
Pubic Lice aka Crabs
Trichomoniasis

Non-Curable

Genital Herpes Simplex 2
Genital Warts
HIV/AIDS

A person can have multiple infections at one time and not even know it. Multiple infections you gasp? Yes. But keep in mind it’s not the end of the world if a person gets an STI, although a person needs to be responsible and protect themselves to reduce the risk of getting one by using male or female condoms and dental dams when engaging in sexual activities.