It might not be what some grown-ups want to hear but these days girls like us need to understand the risks and responsibilities of having sex - because if you understand from an early age what's going on, you'll make the right choices. After all, in the heat of the moment, nothing dampens the passions more than remembering just how easily you could get pregnant or how simple it is to catch a nasty sexual disease. Basically, the more you know now the safer you'll be in the future.
Of course, the only way to be 100% safe is to not have sex at all. But if that's not realistic for you, the next best thing is to make sure you know the basics - such as the difference between birth control and safe sex.
Birth control (or contraception) means using techniques, medications or products to stop yourself getting pregnant. This covers everything from condoms to the pill, diaphragms to coils.
Safe sex, on the other hand, is about protecting yourself and your partner from sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs). Importantly, STDs are not only spread through intercourse but also through oral sex and even (in the case of herpes) through kissing.
Some forms of protection are effective on both counts - for example, condoms are a fairly trusty form of contraception and simultaneously keep you safe from STDs. But it's not uncommon to double up on your protection; perhaps by using condoms and the contraceptive pill. Sex can be a dangerous game so it's only smart to make sure you understand the risks and most importantly how to minimise them.
Click here for a closer look at contraception
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