Danielle, 20, the pill and not right now
-
By: health
-
June 15, 2016
Lighter periods. Fewer periods . No pain. Going on the pill has definitely changed Danielle’s life. Before the pill, Danielle’s periods were so bad that sometimes she couldn’t get out of bed on the first day of her cycle. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen now that she’s on the pill. And she’s fine not having sex […]
Taisha, 21, withdrawal and not right now
-
By: health
-
June 3, 2016
Taisha hasn’t dated men in a while, but when she did, she usually relied on the withdrawal method , or “pulling out,” to avoid pregnancy. Now that Taisha’s more interested in women, she doesn’t have to worry as much about pregnancy, but she still makes sure she’s covered against STIs by getting tested regularly. Taisha […]
Tee, 21, not right now
-
By: health
-
May 19, 2016
Tee used to be sexually active with guys and tried the pill but had trouble remembering to take it every day. (Bedsider reminders can help with that if you’re in the same boat.) The patch irritated Tee’s skin. Now that Tee only dates women, pregnancy protection isn’t an issue. Tee does use barrier methods, though, […]
How to be fabulously and unapologetically abstinent
-
By: health
-
December 14, 2015
By Alanna Bares. I’m currently a senior at Carleton College. For now I’ve decided to opt out of the hookup culture, as well as the relationship culture… Any kind of intimate culture really. I’ve had friends tell me how bad my timing is, like, “Girl, it’s senior year! You’re supposed to be living it up!” […]
Evan, 30, not right now and condoms
-
By: health
-
January 12, 2015
Evan is female-to-male transgender, currently practices abstinence (a.k.a. “not right now”), and uses condoms when sexually active. You’ll appreciate Evan’s honesty on everything from how to buy condoms with minimal embarrassment to how transitioning hormones affect sex drive and mood. And if you have more questions about whether or not transgender men and women need […]
Keeping the faith
-
By: health
-
August 31, 2011
Religious OB-GYNs, especially those who are Hindu, Catholic, or Protestant, are more likely to believe that abstinence counseling works than doctors with no religious affiliation, according to a recent study. This isn’t too surprising considering that doctors are people too and carry their beliefs with them to their jobs. The study didn’t look at whether […]
Avoid the gap
-
By: health
-
February 2, 2010
The story goes something like this… Girls meets boy. Girl goes on the pill. Girl breaks up with boy. Girl goes off the pill because she’s not dating anybody. Girl meets another boy. And he is hot. They hook up, but the girl is not on birth control at the time. Girl gets pregnant. We’re […]
Why should I?
-
By: health
-
February 2, 2010
Your sex life will improve. Sex is hotter when you’re not worried about getting pregnant. And who doesn’t love turning up the heat in the bedroom. By the way, have you seen our weekly Frisky Friday sex tip emails? Getting pregnant is easier than you think. With all the infertility hype in the media, you’d […]
Side effects: The good, the bad, and the temporary
-
By: health
-
February 2, 2010
We’re not gonna lie—sometimes birth control has side effects, and sometimes those side effects can suck. But we can think of (at least) three reasons why this shouldn’t get you down or make you give up on protecting yourself from accidental pregnancy. 1) Different strokes for different folks Everyone’s body is unique and a method […]
Hello, birth control
-
By: health
-
February 2, 2010
This article was updated on July 18, 2014. Birth control may seem like a modern idea, but it’s actually been around for thousands of years. They say women in ancient Egypt used crocodile dung suppositories to avoid pregnancy. (Um… ew!) Condoms made of animal intestines were used in Europe as early as the 17th century. […]