If you are thinking about having sex for the first time or you already are sexually active, you probably want to know about preventing an unplanned pregnancy. This handout discusses birth control methods most commonly used by teenagers. Although most methods depend on the girl to do or take something, it is important for guys to understand what is involved so that they can support their girlfriends. Unless you decide to practice abstinence and not have sexual intercourse, you are always taking some risk of pregnancy. However, if you are correctly using one of the birth control methods described, the risk can be quite small.
Many sexual activities are almost always safe without having to take any special precautions.
These include holding hands, hugging, touching, and kissing. Still, some teens decide to also have sexual intercourse. Having sex can be a very loving and special experience between two people. However, you should think about several important issues before you decide to have sex. Not only might sex give you a sexually transmitted disease or cause pregnancy, but you also can get hurt emotionally because of the strong feelings involved.