Pregnancy 101
By Candace Pearson
Over the holidays, I had a chance to read through the message boards, and it seems to me that many of the teens writing in have a lot of questions and fears about getting pregnant. So, I thought for this month I would do an article on teen pregnancy, and hopefully help readers out there by providing some facts about pregnancy and general resources for further information.
The first and most important thing to know about is the reproductive cycle – the actual time when a girl can get pregnant. As I wrote on the message board, ovulation generally occurs about 14 days from the start of your period, counting from the first day. However, it can happen as early as the 9th day or as late as the 18th day, depending on your particular system, and everyone is different. So unless you really know your body (and it can take years to figure your cycle out correctly, if ever), it pays to protect yourself all of the time!
Here are some other facts:
- You can get pregnant even if you are on your period; some girls actually ovulate during that time.
- You can get pregnant even if intercourse doesn’t happen; if there is “close contact” during foreplay and semen gets inside the vagina, pregnancy is possible.
- You can get pregnant even if your cycle isn’t regular; not having a period every month doesn’t protect you from pregnancy. In fact, it makes it much more difficult to keep track of when you ovulate.
- “Pulling out” (the Withdrawal Method) probably has one of the highest failure rates of all birth control options. No birth control method is 100% dependable, although some options are better than others. The only fail-safe way to avoid pregnancy is to practice abstinence.
Also, you need to know that pregnancy can occur:
- The first time you have sex.
- Even if you douche afterwards.
- Whether or not you have an orgasm.
If you think you might be pregnant and need help, or want more general info on pregnancy, here are several online resources you can contact:
- Teen Wire is a website for teens by Planned Parenthood. From the main index, click on the pregnancy link to access basic articles on reproduction, pregnancy, and teen parenting.
- Teen Pregnancy.org is an organization who has the goal of preventing teen pregnancy through providing information and resources to teens and their parents. This link will take you to their pregnancy facts page.
- Sex, Etc. is a great website written by teens for teens on sex, pregnancy, and general health topics. This link will take you to the pregnancy FAQs page, but check out the entire site.
Finally, if you are a teen mom or will soon be one, be sure to visit the Teenage Mothers topic here at Suite101.com. Tery knows all about being a teen mom because she was one herself! Read her story, and you can also connect with other teens in the same situation.
The best way to avoid teen pregnancy is to be informed and take the necessary precautions against it. According to Teen Pregnancy.org, almost one million girls aged 15-19 get pregnant each year. Don't become a statistic!
Article courtesy of www.suite101.com.
