Sexual Health

Vaginal dryness can be one of the more common side effects of hormonal birth control methods (like the pill). Vaginal discharge and the lubrication that’s produced during arousal are influenced by what’s going on with our hormones (to at least some extent). When you’re using a hormonal method of…

(Jane’s question, continued) What we did was very irresponsible I understand that and since I was 17 I’ve been very careful with these things because at age 17 I fell pregnant WHILE taking the pill correctly. My then BF made me have an abortion. He took my by the hand and had it all arranged. I…

Have you EVER had any sexual contact including sexual intercourse and dry sex with direct genital contact? And have you never been raped or experienced a sexual assault that involved genitals coming in direct contact? If you have NEVER EVER NEVER experienced any of these things, then you are the…

Second question first: Correct and consistent condom use is a highly effective way to prevent the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. As for teens and condoms there are a few issues at hand, and most of them can be remedied with the right education and information. Teens sometimes have…

Probably not, no. There are a few reasons why this is the case. One of them, particularly in clinics which also provide abortions, is an issue of simple security. It is dangerous to work in these clinics because of a history of in-clinic violence, and some time ago, one way people who did violence…

If you go to an OB/GYN and your mother asks them to do this, the very first thing that should happen would be for that doctor to explain that is not what should motivate a parent to get their child sexual healthcare, and hopefully, they’ll also tell her that going to the gynecologist should be about…

From what you’ve said here, I’m not sure the pill necessarily sounds like the best option for you at this point in your life. The pill is a good method of contraception, but it isn’t for everybody. As far as the side effects go, do understand that they’re not guaranteed to happen for everybody…

Was her partner ever treated when she was? Standard procedure when one person is diagnosed with Chlamydia is for a healthcare provider to make clear that all current or recent partners are informed so that they can also be treated at the same time. Some healthcare providers will even just provide…

Unless you’ve been charting your fertility (see our article Get with the Flow: All about FAM for more information), it’s not really a good idea to think that there’s any “safe” period in your cycle where you have less need to worry about pregnancy. Not everybody ovulates on Day 14. Especially in…

Some people can take longer than others to adjust to hormonal birth control. In fact, that’s why you’ll usually hear that you should be ready to deal with some weirdness for the first 1-3 months when you start hormonal birth control. Remember that with the pill you’re essentially adding lots of new…