Things to Know Before You Have Sex

 

• About 750,000 girls under age 20 become pregnant each year.

• About 63% of all sexually active teens wish they had waited.

• Sex doesn't equal love.

• Relationships change when you start having sex.

• Sex will not make someone stay with you, fix your problems, or make you feel better about yourself.

• A girl can get pregnant during her first time having sex and can get pregnant during her period.

• Not having sex is your best protection against HIV and other STIs and unplanned pregnancy.

• Nearly half of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are found in 15 to 24 year-olds.

• Condoms are not a guarantee - there is still a risk of HIV and other STIs.

• Birth control is the responsibility of both partners.

• If you are having sex and you don't use birth control, you have a 90% chance of getting pregnant within 1 year.

• "Don't worry, I'll pull out," is a line, not a form of birth control - you can still get pregnant.

• A guy who gets a girl pregnant is financially responsible for that child for the next 18 years.

• It only takes 1 drop of semen to get pregnant.

• "I have a condom" is easier to say than "I'm pregnant."

• No birth control method is 100% effective - you still have a chance of getting pregnant.

• Pregnancy is the number one reason teen girls drop out of high school.

• Teen marriages are twice as likely to fail as adult marriages.

• Teen parents are less likely to graduate from high school and tend to earn less money throughout their lives.

• You or your partner can have a sexually transmitted infection and not know it.

• Chlamydia is the most frequently reported STI and the highest rates are among teens.

• Some STIs, if not treated, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in females, which can cause sterility (you may not be able to have children).

• Remember, anyone can get HIV - It's not who you are, but what you do, that puts you at risk.

• Something to think about.....When you have sex with someone, it's like having sex with all of their partners, and all of their partners' partners!