birth control

Everyone is different when it comes to hormonal/menstrual cycles, and there certainly are people who experience more intense effects of physical and psychological changes throughout their cycle than others. Experiencing changes in your mood, how your body responds to different kinds of touch, and...

The good news is our hormones don't control us. They can't override what choices we actually want to make, including when we're in our teens. I know, that might stand counter to a lot of what you hear about RAGING! TEENAGE! HORMONES! Super-powered chemicals that aspire to, if not world domination...

Whenever there are strong fears about possible consequences of any given action, it's a good idea to ask whether everyone is ready for the act or behaviour that could lead to these consequences. Reading your question, I'm left with a lot more questions. Have you and your boyfriend ever met before...

Audrey's question continued: So I'm looking into alternatives. I followed the links on this site about contraception but it looks like my only options are barriers or hormones and that seems like such a drag for me as I'm in a long-term relationship. Please help? WHEN will there be a male...

Bravo to you for considering safer sex practices as part of the sexual choices you and your girlfriend make in your relationship! Regardless of the history of the partners involved, thinking and talking about safety is really important. Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of people, including some...

If by "normal" intercourse you mean vaginal intercourse, and both of these kinds of sex were unprotected, then yes, this is an easy way to potentially develop a vaginal bacterial infection. That's why it's advised that for couple who want to engage in both kinds of intercourse, they use condoms...

It's fine to start on day two. Really, it's okay to start at any time in your cycle. It's just that the pill will become fully effective more quickly if you start at certain times rather than others. If you start within the first six days of a period, your withdrawal bleed (the "period" that happens...

"Birth control" or "contraception" simply means any number of methods a person may or does use in order to try to prevent pregnancy. So, condoms are birth control. The pill is birth control. IUDs are birth control. The Depo-Provera shot is birth control. Withdrawal is birth control. If you choose...

It's not a strange question, but it certainly is an infuriating issue. That woman was either dishonest with you or unknowingly mistaken. In the United States, all 50 of them, minors may purchase condoms just like legal adults can. That also includes minors who are not above a given state's age of...

We hear so many horror stories about first-time sex. Perhaps it might be good therapy to read about a first time that went well.