Birth Control
My boyfriend
and I are thinking about having sex. I've never done it before. I want it to
be romantic, but I am also worried about getting pregnant. My girlfriend told
me she and her boyfriend did it with just a condom the first time because
they didn't want to spoil the mood. Then, she was so afraid she was going to
get pregnant, she didn't sleep until she got her period. What should I do?
Once you start having sex, you
are unlikely to stop. So you need a long-term method of birth control. For
most girls having sex for the first time, I recommend using birth control
pills, since they are the most reliable method of contraception, and the
easiest to use. But you should do your own research into birth control
methods before you see your doctor to make sure that's what you want. And you
should use whatever method of birth control you choose the first time, and
every time after, that you have sex.
Many doctors, including me,
will schedule couples-counseling appointments that include a regular physical
for you, then birth control information for both of you, including how to use
condoms, which I consider absolutely mandatory.
I am fifteen
and I am having sex with my boyfriend. I want to get birth control, but I am
afraid the doctor will tell my parents. What should I do?
In New York State, a doctor can legally see a patient
without parental consent and without the parents present once they are either
18 or have been declared an emancipated minor (by the courts). It is illegal
for me to discuss a patient's medical information with an outside party such
as a parent if they meet these criteria.