Caring for your sexual health is something that you need to think about when you become sexually active, and preferably before then too. Women need to think about the chance of pregnancy, as well as preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and men don’t get to escape these things either. To protect your sexual health, you often need to make some important decisions. These can include what contraception you want to use, and even whether you want to have sex at all. You need to be able to think about some of the important issues surrounding sex and sexual health to make healthy decisions.
Your Choice to Have Sex
The first decision you should consider is whether to have sex at all. This can feel most difficult when deciding whether to have sex for the first time, but that doesn’t mean it stops being an issue to consider later. It’s always important to think about whether you want to have sex, who you want to have it with, and even what types of sexual activity you’re not just willing to consent to but are enthusiastic about participating in. These decisions aren’t just for your first sexual relationship but for later relationships and sexual encounters too.
What Contraception to Use
Contraception is another big issue to think about. Contraception is used to prevent pregnancy, but it’s also important to think about preventing STDs. There are many types of contraception to consider, but most only protect against pregnancy and won’t prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Most contraceptive options are also made for women, which means that, apart from condoms, they fall on women to think about. If you want to try contraceptives such as the pill, implant, or other options, it can take a while to find the right one. There can be side effects, or you may just not like a particular option.
Using Emergency Contraception
As well as regular contraception, it’s also a good idea to think about emergency contraception options. If you have an accident, would you use the morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy? Would an abortion clinic be an option if you discovered that you were pregnant? As well as thinking about these things yourself, you might also discuss these things with your partner. It’s ultimately up to the woman to make these decisions, but they are smart to talk about before having sex to see if you are both on the same page.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Checks
Another important area where you might need to make sexual health decisions is health checks. You don’t always know when there might be something wrong, so it’s important to have health checks to pick up on any potential issues. This might include tests for STDs, which you might choose to have if you notice any symptoms but can also be carried out routinely. Another important health check is cervical screening, which is an important test to check for signs of cervical cancer.
Take control of your sexual health by making important decisions that help you to protect yourself.
