BE SMART ABOUT SEX.

Are you really ready for Sex? Do you have birth control? Do you know how to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV (the virus that causes AIDS)?

When you know the facts about sex, pregnancy, STIs and HIV/AIDS, you can take charge or your sexuality. You will have the information you need to make the best decision about sex.

50 Things You Should Know Before You Have Sex


  1. About 750,000 girls under age 20 become pregnant each year.
  2. Eighty percent of these pregnancies are unplanned.
  3. About 63 percent of all sexually active teens wish they waited longer.
  4. More than half of all teens have not had sex when they turn 17.
  5. Relationships change when you start having sex.
  6. SEX DOESN’T EQUAL LOVE.
  7. Sex will not make someone stay with you.
  8. Sex will not fix your problems or make you feel better about yourself.
  9. A girl can get pregnant during her period.
  10. She can get pregnant even if it’s the first time she has sex.
  11. A girl can get pregnant if she has sex standing up (or in any other position)!
  12. NOT GETTING PREGNANT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LUCK – AND EVERYTHING THING TO WITH MAKING GOOD CHOICES.
  13. Nearly half of all STIs (also called STDs) are found in 15-24 year-olds.
  14. Having an STI such as herpes or syphilis increases your risk of becoming infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS).
  15. Many new cases of HIV are in people under 25.
  16. NOT HAVING SEX (ABSTINENCE) IS YOU BEST PROTECTION AGAINST HIV AND OTHER STIs AND UNPLANNED PREGNANCY.
  17. If you are having sex, using latex condoms correctly and each time gives the best protections against HIV and other STIs.
  18. Condoms are not guarantee – there is still some risk if HIV and other STIs.
  19. If you are drinking or using drugs, you are less likely to use a condom – or any form of birth control.
  20. IF YOU ARE HAVING SEX AND YOU DON’T USE BIRTH CONTROL, YOU HAVE A 90 PERCENT CHANCE OF GETTING PREGNANT WITHIN ONE YEAR.
  21. Birth control is the responsibility of both partners.
  22. Withdrawal – or taking the penis out of the vagina just before ejaculation (coming) – doesn’t work. You can still get pregnant.
  23. “Don’t worry, I’ll pull out,” is a line, not a form of birth control.
  24. IT ONLY TAKES ONE DROP OF SEMEN TO GET PREGNANT.
  25. When used correctly and every time you have sex, condom are very effective against unplanned pregnancy.
  26. “I HAVE A CONDOM” IS EASIER TO SAY THAN “I’M PREGNANT.
  27. If you have sex, use a new condom each time.
  28. You can get condoms at drugstores, supermarkets, convenience stores, vending machines, STI clinics and family planning clinics.
  29. You can get a prescription for birth control pills or fitted for a diaphragm at your doctor, family planning or health clinic.
  30. NO BIRTH CONTROL METHOD IS 100 PERCENT EFFECTIVE. YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE OF GETTING PREGNANT.
  31. A guy who gets a girl pregnant is financially responible for that child for the next 18 years.
  32. Pregnancy is the number one reason teen girls drop out of school each year.
  33. Teen marriages are twice as likely to fail as adult marriages.
  34. Teen parents are less likely to graduate from high school and tend to earn less money throughout their lives.
  35. YOU CAN HAVE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS AND NOT KNOW IT.
  36. Your partner can have an STI without you knowing it.
  37. Getting tested for STIs and HIV is the only way to know for sure if you are infected.
  38. You can get an STI more than once.
  39. You can have more than one STI at a time.
  40. BOTH YOU AND YOUR PARTNER(S) MAY HAVE TO BE TREATED OF ONE OF YOU IS DIAGNOSED WITH AN STI.
  41. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported STI.
  42. THE HIGHEST RATES OF CHLAMYDIA ARE AMONG TEENS.
  43. Some STIs, if not treated, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in girls and women.
  44. PID can cause sterility. That mean you may not be able to have children.
  45. You can be infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) for 10 years or more before you have any symptoms.
  46. YOU CAN’T TELL MY LOOKING IF SOMEONE HAS HIV.
  47. HIV is passed from one person to another through semen, blood, vaginal fluids and breast milk.
  48. REMEMBER – ANYONE CAN GET HIV. IT’S NOT WHO YOU ARE, BUT WHAT YOU DO, THAT PUTS YOU AT RISK.
  49. Having unprotected sex and sharing needles are the most common ways to get HIV.
  50. HERE IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: When you have sex with someone, it’s like having sex with all of their other partner, and all of their partners’ partners!