Below are several questions submitted to TeenGrowth related to myths about having sex. If after reading this article, you still have questions talk to a trusted adult. It’s always important to arm yourself with accurate information.

My boyfriend says we don’t need to use protection because he masturbates and this means he won’t be able to get me pregnant. Is this true?
Absolutely NOT! Your boyfriend is either misinformed or deliberately misleading you. Seminal fluid ("cum") contains sperm whether it's released the first time or the fifth time in any given day, and it contains sperm whether it's released by masturbation, nocturnal emission ("wet dream") or sexual activity. Even after ejaculation (“cumming”), some live sperm remain in the penis. Condoms are absolutely essential both to help prevent pregnancy and to help prevent sexually transmitted infections.

Before you go any further in your relationship, it's important that you both obtain more information - this Web site is a good place to start.

What are the chances of getting pregnant if you have intercourse during your period?
Pretty low if your periods are regular (once a month.) But the chances aren’t zero! It depends on if you happen to ovulate close to the time your period comes. Most women ovulate (release an egg) about half way between the start of two periods (about 2 weeks before the next period is due). Sperm can live in the vagina up to seven days, and it’s possible for the egg to live for up to three days. This means that it is possible to get pregnant from seven days before ovulation to three days after. So if your periods are closer together than 28 days, or if they are irregular, it could be possible to get pregnant during menstruation. The rhythm method of birth control (periodic abstinence, or having sex only during “safe days” of the menstrual cycle) works best for women who keep track of their periods very carefully and estimate the time of ovulation by examining changes in the thickness of cervical mucous or daily body temperature. Using a more effective form of birth control (birth control pills, injectable hormones, condoms) is recommended.

Is there a safer time to have sex with the period cycle? I heard that the safest times are right before your period and right after-is this true?
You are referring to what is called “The Rhythm Method” of birth control, which relies on fact that yes, there are certain days of the monthly cycle when you are less likely (safe days) or more likely (fertile days) to get pregnant. What you heard about the timing is basically correct. The days of the female monthly cycle are numbered. The first day of your period is Day 1. The typical menstrual bleeding ends on Day 5. In an average woman, the last day of her cycle will be around Day 28, and then the next period starts a new cycle with Day 1 again. The egg is usually released in the middle of the cycle, around Day 13 or 14. We used to think that sperm could live inside the woman’s reproductive tract for only about 3 days, and the egg could live 1 day. Therefore, the “fertile” period was between Days 9-16, when you should not have sex (to avoid pregnancy) or should have sex (if you are trying to get pregnant). Since we now know that sperm can live up to 7 days, and the egg for up to 3 days, the “fertile period” is more likely between Days 7-17. So the “safe” days are a couple of days right after your period (Days 5-7) and the week before the next period is due (Days 18-28).

The huge problem with the rhythm method is that few monthly cycles are absolutely regular, especially in teenagers, and so the day the egg is actually released is unpredictable. It may happen earlier or later in the cycle than expected. (There are techniques to help predict the time of ovulation, involving taking daily temperatures and checking the stickiness of cervical mucous, but these are complicated and unreliable.) That’s why we say that to prevent pregnancy, NO time is safe for unprotected sexual intercourse. And as you know, condoms should always be used to help protect against sexually transmitted infections.

If you are considering entering into a sexual relationship, we strongly recommend you visit your doctor or health clinic and get information about reliable methods of birth control.

I need to know what the chances of getting pregnant are if the male pulls his penis out before he comes.
You are describing an unreliable method of birth control called "withdrawal." Before a male actually comes to a climax (ejaculates), drops of semen are present at the tip of his penis. One drop contains hundreds of sperm. These sperm can travel up your reproductive tract and get you pregnant, even if he tries to pull out in time. And remember that a second before climax is a very bad moment to expect a guy to use good judgment and pull out. Your chance of getting pregnant from any specific episode also depends on how close you are to the fertile time in your own monthly cycle (the time your body releases an egg from your ovary). The effectiveness of withdrawal in preventing pregnancy in teens is usually stated as 60 percent. (That means there is a 40 percent chance of getting pregnant in partners who try to use this method.)

If he didn't put it in all the way, could I still be pregnant?
Yes, you can get pregnant from that kind of close encounter. Part way is just as risky as all the way. Even if he didn't put his penis inside you at all, if there was any contact with your genital area, the sperm could have been deposited and it can travel through moist tissue and enter your vagina. If he ejaculated you would be most at risk, but even if he didn't, a few drops of semen could still leak out. All it takes is one single sperm to find your egg and make you pregnant. So always insist that your partner wear a condom if you have any sexual contact.

Is it true that it's not possible to get pregnant until you have had sex for a few months? My boyfriend told me that a body that is new to sex will reject sperm. Is this true?
No, this is absolutely not true. Many young women can tell you that they got pregnant the first and only time they ever had sex. Tell your boyfriend that your future is far too important to ever risk unprotected sex. If you choose to have intercourse, insist that he wear a condom, and you should use another form of birth control too. It sounds like you should also carefully think through your own feelings about sex. If you are considering having sex for the first time, then you are about to make a very important decision for your life. Sex is risky business as you know and can lead to unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and lots of emotional turmoil. Never let anyone pressure you into sex that you are not ready for. Wait until you are certain that this is the right time in your life, and the right partner, for such a serious decision.

My friend told me that there are some herbs you can take in the morning after you have had sex that can keep you from getting pregnant. She doesn't know what they are. Do you know if there are any herbs that can do this?
Your friend is wrong. There are no herbs we know of that work this way. You need to be very careful in fact because some "herbs” or "natural medicines" can actually be poisonous or toxic to the body. Perhaps your friend was thinking about "hormones" you can take. Emergency Contraception is now available by a doctor’s prescription or from pharmacists in some states. It has been widely discussed in magazines and newspapers. Emergency contraception consists of 2 pills taken 12 hours apart. Once called the "morning after pills,” they can keep you from getting pregnant if started within 5 days of having had sex. But at the present time there is nothing you can get without a health care provider or pharmacist prescribing it to use “the morning after.”

Can you get infected with HIV by saliva?
We're assuming you’re asking if can you get the HIV virus from kissing (deep in the mouth or “French” kissing) someone who has HIV or AIDs. It would be very rare to get HIV from saliva. Although HIV can be transmitted when swallowing breast milk or semen from an infected person, this usually isn’t seen when swallowing saliva. In fact, even most people with AIDS usually don’t have the HIV in their saliva. It also seems that saliva may inhibit the virus. So just kissing is probably safe.

If you have sex for the first time with a person infected with HIV, you can't get infected with HIV, right? It takes more than one time to be infected doesn't it?
No, it does not necessarily take more than one time. A single exposure to the HIV virus may result in infection, as many infected people can testify. If you are exposed to body fluids containing the HIV virus, and the virus finds a way to enter your bloodstream (such as through a tiny abrasion or tear in your mucous membranes), then you can become infected. The virus doesn't know if it is your first sexual encounter or not. The only way to find out if you are infected is to get a baseline HIV blood test now and a repeat test in three to six months. It usually takes three to six months after exposure for the virus to show up in your blood test, depending on the type of test. If you are still negative after a year, then you are probably safe. We cannot say this often enough: sex is risky business. If you are a teenager considering it, be sure it's the right choice for you, the right relationship, and use condoms and reliable birth control every time. Deciding not to have sex is always a safe choice.

A friend told me he has a STD, We are both on the wrestling team. Can I catch it from him?
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) are infections that you get from having sex with someone who has the infection. The germs that cause most of the common ones can be transmitted with any kind of intimate sexual contact involving mucous membranes (vaginal, oral, anal). The germs usually don't live very long on normal skin so ordinary skin contact usually isn't a problem. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU), herpes, syphilis, venereal warts and HIV are the most common STDs. You didn't say which STD your friend has, so I'm assuming it's not syphilis because it isn't too common among teenagers. Herpes is the only STD that could be spread from wrestling because of the skin contact. But most herpes sores are located around the genitals (penis and testes) or mouth (cold sore), so unless your team practices without clothes or he has herpes of the mouth you and your team are safe. I hope your friend thinks about safer sex and uses a condom all of the time from now on.

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