We get A LOT of questions about pre-cum. So we made this video—everything you need to know about pre-cum in 90 seconds.
Ask us anything. No judgments.
Is it possible to be pregnant and still have your period?
Someone asked us:
Is it possible to be pregnant and still have your period?
Hundreds of people ask us this question every day on our chat and text lines. Maybe your aunt said she had her period the whole time she was pregnant with your cousin, or maybe you’ve had unprotected sex and even though you got your period you want to be really sure — and there’s nothing wrong with that!
So here’s what you need to know: Women who are pregnant don’t get a period (meaning a monthly shedding of the uterine lining) during the time that they’re pregnant. But sometimes bleeding happens for other reasons. Some women experience light spotting in the beginning of their pregnancy, called implantation bleeding, but for most women this bleeding is much lighter and does not last as long as a normal period.
It’s definitely possible for women who normally have very light periods to mistake that for their period, just as it’s possible for women who have irregular cycles to not notice if they miss a period, and not find out that they’re pregnant until several months down the line. But if you get your period at the time you expect it, and it’s not unlike the bleeding you usually have, then it’s super unlikely that you’re pregnant. If your bleeding is much lighter and/or shorter than usual, there’s no harm in taking a pregnancy test to be certain.
Other than implantation bleeding, there are a few other reasons why pregnant women have vaginal bleeding. The causes vary and depend on how long a woman has been pregnant. A pregnant woman who discovers that she has vaginal bleeding should contact her health care provider immediately to make sure everything is okay. Bleeding happens to one out of five pregnant women. What’s unlikely is for the bleeding to be as heavy or last as long as a regular period, or coincide closely enough with the time you normally get your period for you to mistake it as one for nine months in a row.
The vast majority of pregnant women find out they’re pregnant long before their due date, and most of them do not bleed at all during pregnancy.
- Emily at Planned Parenthood
Great news! A federal judge has ruled that emergency contraception be made available over the counter without age restrictions! Read more from Think Progress: http://bit.ly/16BHTmc.
What does it mean if I need a colposcopy?
Someone asked us:
I have received an abnormal pap smear and have been called in for a colposcopy. Is it likely that this is HPV?
Yes - it is likely that the abnormal cells detected from your Pap test are the result of HPV. But no need to freak out yet - there are more than 100 types of HPV (human papilloma virus), and most have no harmful effect at all and go away on their own. Certain types of HPV may cause cell changes that sometimes lead to cervical cancer and certain other genital and throat cancers. These are called high-risk types.
A colposcopy will provide a closer look at whatever cervical cell changes were detected during your Pap test. During a colposcopy, a health care provider uses a colposcope — an instrument that looks like a pair of binoculars with a bright light mounted on a stand. Depending on what the health care provider sees, they’ll either recommend a follow-up Pap test in a few months, or they’ll collect a small amount of tissue in order to perform a biopsy.
Sometimes, the biopsy is also the treatment. The health care provider may be able to remove all of the abnormal cells during the colposcopy and biopsy procedure. If so, no further treatment is needed.
Another procedure may be needed for further treatment if it’s determined you do have pre-cancerous cells. The following procedures are very effective at removing the abnormal areas of the cervix and preventing cervical cancer:
• Cryotherapy — abnormal tissue is frozen off
• LEEP — abnormal tissue is removed using a thin wire loop that carries an electrical current
• Laser — abnormal tissue is destroyed with a laser beam
• Cone biopsy — a cone-shaped wedge is cut out of the cervix
You should know that HPV is extremely common, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that as many as 80 percent of women — and 50 percent of men and women combined — will get HPV at some point in their lives. However, most of those infections go away or are suppressed by the body within one to two years, without causing any problems that require treatment.
- Emily at Planned Parenthood
Learn more: http://gytnow.org/
Should virgins use vibrators?
Someone asked us:
I was thinking about getting a vibrator, but I’ve never had sex. Should I wait?
There’s no reason to wait. Lots of people masturbate for years before they have sex. You can read about the many benefits of masturbation here.
Because you’ve never had sex, you may be worried that using a vibrator will somehow spoil sex with someone else for the first time. But even if your vibrator rules, having sex with someone else will be a different kind of experience. Sex can make you feel more connected to someone you love, or it can be a really fun thing to do with someone you like or feel passionate about. As long as both people feel respected and take steps to reduce their risk of STDs or unintended pregnancy, seeing and touching someone else’s body, being seen and touched by them, getting to know what you both like doing together, and being surprised by trying new things are all thrills that (despite being a great little invention) your vibrator alone can’t give you.
So even if you sit around having great vibrator-induced orgasms for years before you have sex with someone else, you’ll still find that it’s only one way to enjoy yourself.
- Emily at Planned Parenthood
What did you do on your first date? Put it in your reblog.
Can I get pregnant from anal sex?
Someone asked us:
I’m still a virgin, virgin but yesterday I had tried protected anal sex for the first time. 2 out of the 3 condoms have broke, and he had came.. After he changed one of the condoms he put it back in and started to finger me. He’s also afraid that cum may have dripped off of my back, down on to my vagina. Is there any possible way I’m pregnant?! I’m kind of freaking out.
Don’t freak out: you can’t get pregnant from having anal sex. The only way you can get pregnant is if semen gets inside your vagina. If there’s a chance that happened (and it sounds like maybe it did) and you don’t want to get pregnant, you can take emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill). Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy up to five days after unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the more effective it is.
It’s also important to know that unprotected anal sex carries just as much of a risk of STDs as unprotected vaginal sex. So if a condom breaks during anal sex, talk to a health care provider or your nearest Planned Parenthood health center about STD testing. While you’re there you can also talk about getting started on birth control so you won’t have to worry about pregnancy!
- Emily at Planned Parenthood
Is it easy to tell when a condom breaks?
Someone asked us:
please i want to know does condom breaks in a drastic way or there can be microscopic holes or tears in the condom that cannot be felt or seen with bare eyes??
It’s scary to think that you may not know if a condom breaks. The good news is that it’s usually pretty easy to tell when a condom has broken by looking at it. Usually a broken condom (whether it’s a regular latex condom or one made of polyurethane or polyisoprene) will have an obvious tear that guys can feel and sometimes both partners can even hear when it happens. But sometimes a guy won’t notice it’s broken until after he pulls out. So it’s important to take a second to make sure you don’t see any holes or leaking semen before the condom comes off.
Condoms are very effective at preventing pregnancy and STDs when used correctly. If a condom breaks and you’re concerned about pregnancy, you may want to consider emergency contraception and getting tested for STDs. Contact your nearest Planned Parenthood health center for more information on emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill) and STD testing.
- Emily at Planned Parenthood
Learn how to spot digital harassment and abuse. Here’s the full infographic.
