Condoms...Wear One!!

This is a touchy subject I know...but I feel it's one that you can never 'over-expose' to a young person.

Talking about safe sex is always something that makes all parties uncomfortable...even the person who does the same seminar over and over has one part of their speech where it is very uncomfortable, they just don't show it...I don't remember the details of what I was taught about condoms in school, but I do remember it was very brief and it went by very quickly!

I wanted to talk about this topic because I want all of you out there to know just how important it is to wear a condom if you do decide to have sex...if you feel that you are truly ready to start a sexual lifestyle then you need to know how to do it responsibly.

1) Are you really ready?

If you have to ask yourself this question then you are NOT ready...I can't type the ways you will know if you're ready for sex because only you can answer that question..you know yourself and you know what you can handle in terms of everything that comes with having sex..thinking or even knowing you're in love is not a reason to begin having sex, because you can love someone, but when the idea of having sex comes up you could find yourself getting nervous or even feeling sick...so again only you know yourself and if you truly have to question whether you're ready or not...you are NOT ready to be in a sexual relationship!

2) Health Risk

Before having sex you need to do your research and know the risk that COULD happen to you...like all the diseases, you need to pay special attention to the diseases that may not have symptoms...yes there are sexually transmitted diseases that will NOT have any symptoms...you could be walking around with a STD right now and not know it!...so my advice is if you are already having sex then you need to go see a doctor and let them know this and get regular check ups...oh and tell your partner to do the same!...if you go to the doctor and find out that you do have a STD then please take the measures your doctor tell you to and please tell your partner to get checked out as well so the disease does not spread to anyone else...even if you are in a committed relationship...I know this could be something embarrassing for both you and your partner but having sex is very important and a very big deal and is a very adult thing to do...so you need to act like adults and do what a responsible adult would do.

3) Getting Pregnant

Are you ready to raise a baby? if you're a woman, do you know for sure that the father of your child is going to be with you forever? and if not is he they type that will take care of his child no matter what happens between you and him? Do you have a job? or a good career? who will take care of the baby when you have to go back to that job? are you going to be able to graduate high school? and if not, will you be able to go back to school in the near future? who will watch the baby while you do that? Are you parents going to help out? is your partners parents willing to help? are they willing to take care of the baby if something happens to you or your partner? these are just a few of the questions you'll have to think about before having sex because getting pregnant COULD happen to you...if these questions scare you then you should NOT be having sex.

4) Your Parents Reaction

If you are having sex I guarantee you that they know...as much as you have been trying to hide it...they know...hiding that you're sexually active is not as easy as it seems...a lot about you changes once you start having sex...so my advice is to talk to your parents about it...if you can't talk to both of them, then talk to at least one of them...because they will be able to guide you through this...it's a tough thing and it's not something you should be only talking to your friends about...yes your parents will be in shock and will be very mad at first, but it's something that they can't have you take back...it's done and if you decide it's something you're not going to stop doing then they will see that they need to support your decision and help you do it as safe as possible....your parent is the one who will make you feel safe, they will help you make decisions you didn't think about like choosing the right birth control...they may have to tell you about a certain illness that is in your family that may prevent you from using certain birth controls...so if you do decide to have sex please please talk to at least one of your parents...it's hard to know your child is having sex because as a parent you will never feel they are ready...but if that child comes to you in a mature manner you will do what you have to make sure they are taking the proper precautions...because there is nothing worse than a parents guilt if something bad did happen to you as a result of having sex... if this is too scary to bare, then you are NOT ready to have sex.

It kills me how on TV people are having sex and making out with so many different people in the same day and the only risks that they discuss is the possibility of the woman getting pregnant! I mean REALLY??...no, no, no!!!...getting pregnant is not the worst thing that can happen when you have unprotected sex...dying is!...they hardly ever show someone on tv getting an STD it's always a pregnancy scare and never a STD scare...this is very scary to me because the media which is so influential today is not shedding light on STD's....If you have unprotected sex there is a good chance that you WILL get an STD...If you have unprotected sex with multiple people there is a good chance that you WILL get HIV or AIDS or any of the other deadly STD's....and if you do get pregnant that doesn't mean that you don't have an STD...you could have an STD while you're pregnant.

If you don't know how to put on a condom don't use that as an excuse not to wear one...if you don't know how to put one on then you should NOT be having sex...and this goes for both males and females...you should all know how to put on a condom.

One more thing if you are embarrassed to walk into a store to buy condoms, you are NOT ready to have sex...there should be nothing embarrassing about having sex, if there is then you are NOT ready...believe me sex will always be there...listen to that inner voice...if something in you is saying you don't want to then listen to it...no matter when that voice comes to you...it's never too late to say no!