How To Know if You're Ready For Sex
From Mike Hardcastle,
Your Guide to Teen Advice.
The first time can be the worst time if you aren't really ready. Make sure you are before you do anything!
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: years
Here's How:
1.Know yourself - ask yourself if the situation "feels right" and if you really trust those feelings.
2.Know your would be partner - ask yourself how well you know the person you are thinking of being with and if you care for them and trust them.
3.Know your reasons - whatever your reason be sure it is worth giving something away that you will never get back.
4.Know how your parents feel about you having sex - you may need/want their support and confidence someday, make sure that you have it well in advance.
5. Know the risks - heart break, regret, pregnancy, STDs, and HIV (AIDS) can all happen the first time you have sex.
6.Know how to protect yourself - condoms with spermicide are the best protection for sexually active teens. The Pill only protects from pregnancy.
7.Know that there is no 100% protection against unwanted outcomes if you have sex, only abstinence can totally protect you.
8.Know the law - in many states you have to be a certain age before you can legally agree to have sex and there are some sex acts that are illegal.
9.Know what sex is - oral sex, anal sex, lying on top of each other naked and heavy petting are all sexual contact that can result in STDs or HIV (AIDS). Wear a condom!
10.Know there is NO going back - once you let go of your virginity it is gone forever! Make sure you are ready to say good bye to that part of yourself.
Tips:
1.If you have any second thoughts STOP immediately until you are completely sure.
2.If you can't say "penis", "vagina", "condom", or "intercourse" without laughing you probably aren't ready.
3.You can NOT get pregnant through oral or anal sex, but you can get STDs.
4.The age at which you are "allowed" to have sex is called the age of consent and is different depending on where you live and your sexual orientation.
5.Sex is not bad, dirty or wrong, but it is a BIG step to take. If you can't be mature about protecting yourself from risks, you shouldn't be "doing it".
What You Need:
·A trusted partner.
·A private place.
·A condom.
Sex Essentials for Teens
From Mike Hardcastle,
Your Guide to Teen Advice.
The most important things teens should know about sex.
Sex; the mere thought of it can be overwhelming. There is so much to think about, so much to worry about, and so much that can go wrong. Whether you are sexually active or not, knowing the facts about what sex is, and what it is not, is very important.
Sex is...
* both physical and emotional in nature.
* risky; you can get pregnant, catch an STD (that may be with you for the rest of your life), have your heart broken or your ego bruised, or feel let down and disappointed when it is over.
* a milestone; you only get one chance to lose your virginity so you should make every effort to ensure the memory is a good one and that the timing is really right for you AND your partner.
* not to be taken lightly or treated as recreation.
* best when it is a personal expression of caring between two people.
* messy and full of strange, sometimes embarassing noises.
Sex is NOT...
* a way to make somebody love you or make a commitment to you.
* a test of your love for or devotion to your partner.
* a measure of how mature or grown up you are.
* a good way to get back at your parents or assert your independence.
* a leisure activity.
* always fun or enjoyable; there will be time when you will wonder if it was really worth it.
Remember, when you have sex for the wrong reasons only you have something to lose!
If you are sexually active there are some important things you should know about the sex act itself.
There is so much more to think about than "am I doing this right" when having sex yet ironically, this is the thing people tend to worry about the most. Rest assured that there really is no right or wrong way to "do it", but there are laws surrounding how old you have to be in order to have sex (age of consent laws), and what constitutes consensual sex (statutory rape laws, date rape laws, and laws surrounding ones ability to give consent to sex).
Must Know Facts About Sex
* Unless you want to get pregnant (and you shouldn't want this if you are a teen), birth control is NOT optional, it is a must.
* The only protection against STDs for sexually active people is a barrier method like a condom, this is a safe sex MUST even if you are using something else for birth control.
* Oral sex is sex and some STDs, including HIV and AIDS can be transmitted orally, a barrier method (like a condom) must be used for this type of sex as well.
* If your partner is under the age of consent, intoxicated or under the influence of drugs (prescription or street), if s/he is pressured or threatened in any way (including threats to reputation or name calling), if s/he says "no" or "stop" at any point you CAN NOT legally engage in sex -- any or all of the scenarios could result in your being charged with rape.
* Intercourse occurs when there is penetration of the male sex organ (penis) in the female sex organ (vagina), but sex can still happen without intercourse. It is best to think in terms of sexual activity WITH intercourse and sexual activity WITHOUT intercourse when deciding if you are considered sexually active. FYI: many people consider kissing a sexual act.
* You can get pregnant, or catch an STD, the very first time you have sex or the very first time you have sex without protection.
* Birth control and STD protection must be used properly to be effective. Missed pills and doubled up condoms are the most common misuse of birth control and can result in pregnancy or STD transmission.
* There is no right or wrong way to have intercourse but if it hurts, or if it doesn't feel right emmotionally, you should stop right away.
Must Have Checklist
* A willing partner who is legally able to consent to sex.
* Effective and properly used birth control.
* STD protection, a male or female condom.
* Realistic expectations about what sex will, and will not, mean for you.
* A safe place to engage in sex.
* The emmotional maturity to understand that sex has consequences beyond the obvious things like pregnancy and STDs.
* Respect and trust (ideally, based in love) between you and your partner.
Let's Talk About Sex!
Top 20 facts about The First Time
Your Body
1. You can get pregnant (and boys, you may not carry the baby, but you still "get pregnant").
2. The only forms of birth control that work with any reliability for the inexperienced are; condoms, birth control pills (taken for at least a month before), female condoms, sponge, spermicide, depro-provera (given by a doctor well in advance), norplant (minor surgery required well in advance), IUD and diaphram (both need a doctor).
3. Rythm and Cycles require some real experience and are NOT for first timers.
4. Standing up right away or jumping up and down will not prevent pregnancy.
5. You can get an STD, and even AIDS, the first time.
6. Only condoms (female and male), preferably with a spermicide, can give you any protection against STDs and AIDS.
7. The only 100% perfect protection against AIDS, STDs, or pregnancy (for adults and teens) is NOT having sex.
8. You probably won't know what you are doing or if you are doing it "right" - try not to worry too much about it, as long as it is consentual there is no one "right" way.
9. Your body may not cooperate, even if your mind wants to be having sex, your body will have an opinion too.
10. You can change your mind and say "NO" whenever you want to before doing it - just because you agreed to have sex doesn't mean you have to go through with it.
Your Feelings
1. It will NOT go the way you plan, it is best to plan only the birth control, time and place.
2. If you are a girl; it will not feel very good - if you are a boy; it will be over so fast you won't know for sure how it felt.
3. You WILL be nervous and maybe a little scared - not necessarily in a bad way.
4. You will feel different about yourself and the other person - not necessarily in a bad way
5. . You will NOT suddenly be a woman or a man.
6. You may feel guilty that you are actually wanting to have sex - try to remember sex is perfectly natural and normal and not something to feel guilty about.
7. As long as you know you are ready, and care about the person you are with, you will enjoy yourself.
8. If you don't respect your partner, or you know they don't resepct you, you will have regrets.
9. If you love, or are loved by your partner, you may still have regrets.
10. Regrets are normal. You have lost something - your virginity - it is natural and normal to mourn that loss.
How To Have Sex
From Mike Hardcastle,
Your Guide to Teen Advice.
Some tips to help you have sex safely and responsibly.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: LOTS
Here's How:
1. Talk about it with your partner-to-be well before hand and know that you are both sure. If there are any doubts, stop here, abstinence in a relationship is normal and "OK".
2. Go over your birth control needs and options and make sure that you have waited long enough for the choice you make to be effective. Consider talking with a friend or family member about their experiences.
3. Use a condom no matter what other birth control arrangements have been made and regardless of what your partner-to-be tells you about his/her sexual history.
4. Do not be drunk, on drugs or otherwise unable to make an informed decisison, and make sure that your partner-to-be is in a decision making state.
5. Make sure that you care about your partner-to-be and that you are not "doing it" for reasons other than what YOU feel. Looking cool, fitting in or just wanting to lose your virginity are not good reasons to have sex.
6. Go somewhere comfortable, quiet, private and (preferably) nice. Choose a place where you are unlikely to be interrupted.
7. Don't think too much about how nervous you are, relax and take a deep breath. This should be something you WANT to do.
8. Spend a long time kissing and caressing your partner. This is called "foreplay" and the more there is of it, the better.
9. Talk to your partner, say kind, gentle and loving things. First say with words what you are about to express with your body.
10. As you get into it never stop listening to what your partner says and remember he/she has a right to stop no matter how far things have gone.
11. Slowly undress each other paying close attention to your partner's body language - are things moving too fast, or do they seem on target? If you sense any hesitation at this point you should slow down or stop.
12. As you kiss and start to relax listen to what your mind tells you to do, follow your instincts and your partners cues.
13. Enjoy what you are doing, take time to get to know your partner's body and let them get to know yours. You never get another first time or another first time together.
14. Before moving on to intercourse (penetration) make sure that you both still want to "go all the way", it is hard to turn back and can't be undone. Sex is not a test of love, it is a way of expressing it.
15. Follow your instincts and listen to your heart. By the time you are physically ready for intercourse you should be relaxed and comfortable enough to let nature take it's course.
Tips:
1. It is best if you feel deeply (and even better if you feel love) for your partner; emotionally empty sex is always a let down.
2. There is more than pregnancy to worry about when having sex, you must also think about STDs and the emotional after effects.
3. As hard as it sounds don't think too much about what it will be like, this is asking for problems, performace anxiety and disappointment.
4. Foreplay is essential as it gives you time to get used to the new feelings (both emotional and physical) that you are sure to have - don't cut it short and don't be afraid to stop at this point if you start having doubts.
5. There is no such thing as owing someone sex. You can talk about it for weeks, get the birth control handled, be "right into it" and still change your mind.
What You Need:
* Condoms
·Birth Control
http://teenadvice.about.com/cs/sexuallyactive/
http://teenadvice.about.com/
http://teenadvice.about.com/library/weekly/aa051500b.htm
http://teenadvice.about.com/cs/sexuallyactive/ht/havesexht.htm
2006-11-04 13:01:19
·
answer #7
·
answered by ? 1
·
3⤊
1⤋