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Information for Teen Pregnancy Prevention

PREP advocates for parents to discuss sexual health topics at home in relation to their own family values and religious beliefs. But we realize, that is easier said than done! Parents shouldn’t feel unqualified to talk to their kids just because they are afraid they don’t have all the answers.

We hope that demonstrating how to use a condom and answering questions asked in sexuality classes in a medically accurate, value-neutral manner can help to ease the burden by helping adults and teens learn about sex and the body, relationships and keeping everyone safe.

Myth vs. Fact

Let PREP dispel the myths with the facts.

Below you’ll find the truthful answers to commonly asked questions. Contact PREP if we have left anything unanswered.

Common Curiosities About Sex

It�s possible to get pregnant anytime you have vaginal sex, whether it�s the first or the 100th time. Even if a girl has not gotten her period yet, it�s possible that she�s about to start having it, and if this is the case, she has ovulated. When an egg and sperm are present, pregnancy is possible. It�s important to remember that pregnancy isn�t the only thing a couple has to be concerned about. If they do not use condoms, there is a risk for STDs.

If a girl misses her period does that mean she is pregnant?

No.� When girls first start having periods they often have irregular cycles and may even skip a month from time to time.� However, if a girl has had sexual intercourse and she misses her period, she could be pregnant. Getting tested at a clinic or doctor�s office is the only sure way of knowing.

You can buy condoms, and you do not have to be a certain age to buy them. Teens of any age can buy condoms from a drugstore, pharmacy, grocery store, or even online. They are relatively inexpensive. A pack of twelve condoms costs about $12.� Female condoms are about $2 to $4 per condom.

Penises come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. All shapes and sizes are normal. These traits are hereditary, like eye color or foot size, and there�s nothing you can do to change them.

Yes. Masturbation is a completely normal activity.� It is a personal preference whether you are comfortable or choose to masturbate.� It is a medically safe practice. Contrary to any myths you may have heard, it will not cause you to go blind, grow hair on your palms, or cause you to become infertile. It can be, however, embarrassing if someone walks in on you. So talk to your parents about rules around privacy in the home.

Guys (of all ages) get erections throughout the night while they are asleep. This is involuntary, normal and healthy. On average a healthy person with a penis will have between three and five erections in a full night sleep, with each erection lasting between 25 -35 minutes. Morning erections have been connected to testosterone levels and REM sleep.

Some girls do not have any pain the first time they have vaginal sex, whereas others do. Everybody is different

Sex is not supposed to hurt. While it’s common for women — especially young women — to feel pain or discomfort with sex, it’s not “normal” in that it has to happen or there isn’t an alternative. Sex is not supposed to hurt: it’s supposed to feel very good. If sex hurt it is likely that you’re rushing into vaginal intercourse, rather than spending time with other sexual activities, you and your partner are not communicating, you are not relaxed or aroused/lubricated.

Someone who really cares about you won�t pressure you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable.� If you�re with someone who�s pressuring you can say something like: �I like you a lot, but it�s not fair for you to put pressure me.� If I feel ready, I promise, you�ll be the first to know.� But until then, you don�t have to keep asking me about it.�

Also known as vaginal farting. It happens when a small amount of air is forced out of a girl�s or woman�s vagina, such as during vaginal sex or other sexual behaviors that involve something being inserted into the vagina, or when she is doing certain exercises (such as squats) on her own.

Having unprotected anal sex puts participants at a higher risk of infection and disease because of the potential presence of feces which is known to carry germs and disease. When engaging in anal sex a condom should always be used to reduce your risks of getting an infectious disease.

What Is … Questions About Sex

A thin square of latex used to cover the vulva and or anus during oral sex to reduce the risk of spreading sexually transmitted diseases. It is called a �dental dam� because it was created for use in dental procedures.

A term that describes a person who was born one biological sex but who feels strongly enough that she or he is a different sex to have sex realignment surgery. Someone who is transsexual can be non-operative, which means they do not wish to change their sex characteristics; pre-operative, which means they have begun the process of changing their sex characteristics, but have not yet had the surgery; and post-operative, which means they have completed the process of genital surgery.

An erection is when a penis fills with blood, becomes larger and stands away from the body.

Blue waffle was made up on the internet, it isn�t a real STD.� Term first showed up on internet in 2010. �Pictures have been photo shopped and aren�t for the faint of heart.

A slang term for semen. Cum can also be a verb referring to having an orgasm or ejaculating. Both girls and guys use this term to refer to their orgasms and sexual fluids, although it is more commonly used to refer to a guys� orgasm, ejaculation or semen.

A penis-shaped sex toy often made of rubber or plastic.

The rinsing of the inside of the vagina, usually with an over-the-counter product labeled for this purpose. Douching is not medically necessary and is not recommended. Some people mistakenly think that douching right after unprotected vaginal intercourse can help reduce the chances of pregnancy; it cannot. It can actually increase the risk for vaginal infections.

A polyurethane pouch that has two flexible rings on either end. One ring is inserted into the vagina and the other ring stays outside the vagina. The rings help to hold the condom in place. Internal condoms are 79-percent effective with typical use in preventing pregnancy, and 95-percent effective with perfect use. They also offer protection against some sexually transmitted diseases. They can be purchased without a prescription. Female condoms should not be used at the same time as male condoms. Internal condoms are now available by prescription only.

A slang term for using one or several fingers to touch a females genitals, usually including a combination of touching or rubbing the clitoris and placing fingers inside of the vagina.

All of the sexual activities that people might do to get each other sexually aroused either before or instead of intercourse.

Questions about STD’s

STDs can cause physical symptoms like bumps or sores on the skin, discharge, pain or burning during urination, or symptoms like the flu. Some STDs do not cause any symptoms at all. Learning�more details about specific STD’s can help keep you and your partner safe.

Yes. STDs can take weeks, months or even years before symptoms show. Some people never develop any symptoms. However, STDs can still be transmitted whether or not the person has symptoms. (BPBR)

Yes, During oral sex, there is skin-to-skin contact and bodily fluid exchange, so it is important to use barrier methods like condoms or latex dental dams to protect you during oral sex.

There are no documented cuases of saliva transmitting HIV. While there is a theoretical possibility of spreading HIV by saliva, research suggest that is is highly unlikely.

Scientists identified a type of chimpanzee in West Africa as the source of HIV infection in humans. They believe that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus or SIV) most likely was transmitted to humans and mutated into HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their infected blood. Over decades, the virus slowly spread across Africa and later into other parts of the world. (theaidsinstitue.org)

Generally speaking, the STIs (sexually transmitted infections) we associate with person-to-person sexual contact, including HIV, cannot be transmitted through sexual contact between humans and animals because these infections are species-specific. There are a number of infections that are known to cross the species barrier, but these are not the STIs that concern most humans.Contact with animals can put the person at risk for worms, fleas, ticks, salmonella, campylobacteriosis, scabies, and possibly viruse (goaskalice)

There are approximatly 20 common STDs.

Yes, the same risks apply. STI’s can be passed through oral, vaginal and anal sex. Fingering can also pass STI’s because the fingers are exposed to vaginal or seminal fluids that can carry HIV. It is rare but it the hads are not washed after touching the inflected fluids the virus can be transmitted.

Questions about Pregnancy

No. �When girls first start having periods they often have irregular cycles and may even skip a month from time to time. �However, if a girl has had sexual intercourse and she misses her period, she could be pregnant. �(BPBR)

No a girl cannot get pregnant from anal sex. Having unprotected anal sex can, however, put participants at a higher risk of contracting an STD/STI.

A female who gets pregnant and has certain types of�STD’s can pass the STD to their unborn�child during pregnancy, during childbirth or through breast milk. Some STD’s like syphilis can cause the woman to have a miscarriage.

A girl can get pregnant once she has started to ovulate. A sign that a girl has started to ovulate is that she has started to have menstrual periods. On average, girls begin to menstruate between the ages of 8 and 16.

If the baby is delivered vaginally (through the vagina), the vagina will be significantly stretched after the birth of the baby. The vagina slowly returns to its pre-pregnancy size by 6 to 8 weeks after delivery.

No. While it’s true that some animals can carry babies from different animal dads at the same time, this is not true of humans.

If you haven’t found the sexual health information you’re seeking or you want to learn more, please check these teen pregnancy prevention resources .

Informative; sometimes humorous, sometimes thought provoking, sometimes alarming articles, photos, and posts are shared on the Garfield County PREP Facebook page.

Interested in getting youth perspective on topics that affect their mental, sexual, and emotional health? Teen authors contribute their thoughts and opinions on the Teen Truths blog page.

Feel free to contact PREP to ask your questions, request a training or workshop or inquire about our teen intern program.

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