Teens and sex: Guarding your teen’s sexual wellness

Teens and sex can be a risky mix. Obtain out how to talk to your teenager about abstinence and contraception.

By Mayo Clinic Staff members

Few moms and dads want to facial area the strategy that their teenagers are getting sex — but research exhibits that a lot of teenagers are sexually energetic by superior college, possibly placing themselves at threat of being pregnant and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). When it arrives to teenagers and sex, the important is discussing the importance of contraception in advance of sexual activity commences.

Communicate about risk-free sex with your teenager even if he or she identifies as gay. He or she may possibly even now engage in heterosexual things to do, and is at threat of STIs no matter of the lover with whom he or she engages in sexual activity.

Marketing abstinence

When broaching the subject of teenagers and sex, it really is never too late to talk about abstinence. Whether or not you come to feel strongly that sex in advance of marriage is incorrect or you just want your teenager to postpone sex until finally he or she is far more experienced, reveal your feelings to your teenager. If you share the reasons driving your beliefs, your teenager may possibly be far more probably to have an understanding of and undertake your values.

Also talk to your teenager to think about his or her personal values and hopes for the potential — and take into account how sex may possibly have an affect on them. Reveal that:

  • Teens and sex can be a risky mix
  • There are a lot of nonsexual techniques he or she can show feelings for a person
  • The only guaranteed way to protect against teenager being pregnant and STIs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes and HIV, is to abstain from sex — oral, vaginal and anal

Talking about beginning manage options

Knowing beginning manage procedures is an important lifetime skill for absolutely everyone. Whether or not your teenager decides to have sex or wait, make guaranteed your teenager is aware of how to protect against being pregnant and guard himself or herself from sexually transmitted infections.

Condoms

Stress the importance of usually using condoms in the course of sex, even if your teenager is using a second sort of contraception.

  • Regular and right use of condoms is the most effective way for sexually energetic teenagers to guard themselves from sexually transmitted infections.
  • Condoms assist protect against being pregnant.

Prescription beginning manage

Various prescription contraceptives can assist protect against teenager being pregnant. The American Higher education of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encourages adolescents to take into account extensive-acting reversible contraception 1st — like intrauterine products and contraceptive implants — as these options are remarkably effective with very little assumed necessary.

Prescription beginning manage options that assist protect against teenager being pregnant contain:

  • Intrauterine products (Mirena, Skyla, Paragard)
  • A contraceptive implant (Nexplanon)
  • Mix beginning manage supplements
  • The contraceptive patch (Xulane)
  • The vaginal ring (NuvaRing)
  • The contraceptive injection (Depo-Provera)

Your teenager will need to have to see a health practitioner to get a prescription for these forms of contraceptives. Just before scheduling the appointment, discover out if she would desire to see a female health practitioner.

Reveal to your teenager that the health practitioner probably will:

  • Review health care historical past
  • Go about the hazards and advantages of distinctive forms of beginning manage

The health practitioner will also conduct a pelvic examination if your teenager chooses an intrauterine contraception system.

Make guaranteed your teenager understands that prescription beginning manage isn’t a replacement for condoms. Prescription beginning manage aids protect against being pregnant, but it does not present security from sexually transmitted infections.

Emergency beginning manage

Reveal to your teenager that it really is usually a superior strategy to make a choice about beginning manage in advance of getting sex. Having said that, unexpected emergency contraception — such as the morning-soon after tablet levonorgestrel (Program B 1-Step, Next Option 1 Dose, Consider Motion) or ulipristal (ella) — can assist protect against being pregnant if your teenager does not plan ahead or contraception fails.

  • Program B 1-Step is out there about-the-counter without having a prescription.
  • Next Option 1 Dose and Consider Motion, are out there about-the-counter for those people age seventeen and more mature and by prescription for women more youthful than age seventeen.
  • Ella is out there only with a prescription from your health practitioner or wellness treatment service provider.

Make guaranteed your teenager understands that unexpected emergency contraception need to be started off as shortly as doable soon after unprotected intercourse. The sooner the supplements are taken, the far more probably they are to be effective, nevertheless they may possibly be taken up to five times (one hundred twenty hrs) soon after unprotected intercourse.

Normal loved ones planning

If use of contraception goes against your values, you may possibly take into account talking to your teenager about organic loved ones planning, which consists of abstaining from sex in the course of a woman’s most fertile times.

Continue to keep this in thoughts:

  • Normal loved ones planning procedures usually are not as effective as prescription beginning manage and will not present security from sexually transmitted infections.
  • Productive use of organic loved ones planning procedures involves diligence and planning — and teenager sex is normally unplanned.
  • Teen women typically have irregular menstrual cycles, which can make it hard to assess fertility symptoms.

Never be concerned that talking to your teenager about contraception will inspire him or her to have sex. Your teenager is probably curious about sex and contraception, whether or not you provide up the subject. By remaining open and straightforward, you can assist your teenager make informed conclusions and act far more responsibly when he or she decides to have sex — whether it really is now or yrs in the potential.

If you are getting trouble talking to your teenager about contraception, talk to your teen’s health practitioner for assist. He or she may possibly present assistance on how to talk to your teenager and correctly response issues about contraception.

Encouraging liable conduct

Teens may possibly lack the maturity to properly and persistently use selected forms of contraception. If your teenager is thinking about using prescription beginning manage, make guaranteed to reveal the adhering to to assist her pick out a system:

  • Frequency of use and comfort. For instance, mix beginning manage supplements need to have to be taken at the very same time every day, although NuvaRing is worn for three weeks at a time.
  • Monitoring doctor’s appointments and beginning manage use. Reveal the importance of maintaining track of doctor’s appointments and talk about how to construct beginning manage use aspect of her regime — such as by taking a everyday mix beginning manage tablet at the very same time your teenager will get all set for mattress.
  • Missed doses. Make guaranteed your daughter understands what to do if she misses a dose or suspects that she may possibly be expecting.

If your teenager is contemplating becoming sexually energetic, you may possibly also supply practical tips — such as maintaining condoms in a wallet or purse. Reveal to your teenager that use of alcoholic beverages and other drugs may possibly have an affect on his or her judgment and enhance the threat of contracting a sexually transmitted an infection.

The bottom line

Chatting about sex and contraception with your teenager isn’t quick. Having said that, your assistance can assist your teenager make informed choices that assist guard his or her sexual wellness.