If you're going to have vaginal sex, I hope you already know what you're getting into - for instance, that there's a whole boatload of STDs you can catch (even if your partner swears that they're clean), and that if you're not careful, sex can lead to pregnancy (even if it's your first time, even if you're on your period, and even if the guy pulls out before he's finished).
If you know that, then you know that you absolutely must use a form of birth control every single time you have sex. Get to know the list of birth control methods below, and make sure that the one you want to use actually works.
1. Abstinence from Vaginal Sex
What it is: Refraining from having vaginal sex (the one kind of sex that leads to pregnancy), at least until you're ready to do it in a safe way.
Pros: Abstinence is the only form of birth control that works 100% of the time. And as long as you engage in safe oral sex, you can't get an STD, either.
Cons: None, considering that you can still engage in sexy stuff like mutual masturbation and oral sex (which still carries a risk of STDs if it's not done safely).
2. Total Abstinence
What it is: Refraining from having all types of sex (including vaginal, oral and anal).
Pros: Total abstinence means zero chance of pregnancy or STDs.
Cons: Studies have found that when teens who only learn about and practice abstinence finally do have sex, they're more likely to have it unsafely. Practicing abstinence is awesome, but make sure you learn about the other forms of birth control on this page, just in case.
3. Condoms
What they are: Cute little raincoats (usually made out of latex) that guys can roll over their penis before they have sex.
Pros: Condoms are the only method of birth control (besides abstinence) that can protect you from STDs as well as pregnancy. Also, they're cheap (less than a dollar apiece), easy to find (they're at every drug store, supermarket and gas station) and don't require a prescription to buy.
Cons: Condoms can break if you don't use them right. And some guys complain that condoms make sex less fun. But if you're not using any other form of birth control, you can't have sex at all - and sex with a condom feels better than no sex at all, so those guys should stop complaining.
4. Birth Control Pill
What it is: It's a pill that women take once a day to trick their bodies into thinking they're already pregnant, so their bodies stop them from getting pregnant for real. You can read a more scientific explanation here.
Pros: It's easy to get a prescription for birth control pills - just talk to your doctor about which pill might work best for your body. Pills can help regulate your periods, and some pills can help clear your acne, too.
Cons: As easy as it is to pop a pill a day, some girls forget - and when they do, the pill stops being effective. Also, some girls have reported nasty side effects like weight gain, nausea and crappy moods. Plus, birth control pills don't protect against STDs.
5. Birth Control Patch
What it is: A flesh-colored adhesive patch women wear on their skin that delivers the same hormones as birth control pills (tricking their bodies into thinking they're pregnant, so they can't actually get pregnant).
Pros: It has the same advantages as the pill, plus you don't have to remember to take a pill every day.
Cons: It doesn't protect against STDs, it causes ugly side effects in some women, and for 3 weeks out of every month, you have to wear a sticker on your skin.
6. Diaphragm
What it is: A little rubber dome that women fit over their cervix with their hand right before they have sex. Since the right size is everything, you have to be fitted for one by a doctor.
Pros: Like with a condom, you don't need to prepare much in advance before sex - just drop some spermicide on the diaphragm, put the diaphragm in place and you're ready to go. Plus, diaphragms can last for a couple of years before they need to be replaced.
Cons: Women who leave their diaphragms in for too long are at risk of getting urinary tract infections or even toxic shock syndrome. Plus, diaphragms don't protect against STDs.
7. IUD
What it is: IUD stands for "Intrauterine Device." It's a T-shaped frame (made out of copper or plastic) that's inserted by a doctor into a woman's uterus.
Pros: It can last for up to 10 years, and once it's inserted, there isn't a whole lot of maintenance (no pills to take or stickers to tack on your skin).
Cons: It doesn't protect against STDs, and some IUDs make your periods heavier than normal. Also, if something goes wrong with your IUD (like a tear or infection), it might affect your ability to get pregnant when you're older.
8. The Rhythm Method
What it is: Also called fertility awareness, the rhythm method is when you avoid having sex for the week that the woman is most fertile (during ovulation), and then have unprotected sex for the rest of her cycle.
Pros: None.
Cons: Well, it doesn't work. Studies have shown that as many as 25% of teen girls who use the rhythm method end up getting pregnant anyway. Plus, you're not protected from STDs.
9. The Withdrawal Method
What it is: Also called "coitus interruptus" or just "pulling out," the withdrawal method is when the man pulls his penis out of the woman's vagina right before he ejaculates.
Pros: None.
Cons: It's easy for guys to misjudge when they're about to come. And since there's plenty of sperm in pre-cum (the stuff that comes out of your penis before you ejaculate), girls can get pregnant even if the guy pulls out in time. Plus, both guys and girls are at risk for every STD.