Talk about using condoms with your partner before you have sex. Check out these tips on how to talk to your partner about STD testing.
Ask us anything. No judgments.
Whether you live an hour away or an ocean away, long distance relationships can be challenging. Here are some tips on how to make it work. Have a tip to add? Tell us in your reblog.
Reblog if you agree.
Women go public about masturbation, sex, and relationships. Check out the trailer for Subjectified.
“Is it bad that my parents haven’t talked to me about birth control yet?” Read more.
Someone asked us:
Dear Planned Parenthood- You guys rock. But why can’t my school teach responsibility instead of teaching abstinence? I just think it’s unrealistic. I mean we learn about STD’s and stuff… but I’d rather they teach us how to be street smart and safe instead of just telling us not to have sex. That doesn’t help me. Thank goodness I got you guys. And thank you so much for all the great advice you give.
No, Anonymous, you rock! Thanks for the Tumblr love. We’ll always be here for you!
We totally agree. By providing misinformation and withholding accurate information that young people need in order to make informed choices, abstinence-only programs deny young people life-saving information. Plus they don’t actually reduce unintended pregnancy and STD rates.
We think all young people deserve medically-accurate, age-appropriate, honest information about sex, sexuality, and safe and healthy relationships that can help them make responsible decisions. We think abstinence is a great option, but we also think young people deserve to know about other ways to protect themselves if and when they choose to have sex.
Because so many students don’t have access to comprehensive sexuality education, and because there’s so much misinformation about sex out there, we encourage teens to talk about this stuff with their parents. October is Let’s Talk Month, and we have a bunch of tools and tips for helping families talk. While talking about sex might seem like a really challenging conversation, it’s actually easier than you think.
-Nathan at Planned Parenthood
You might be talking with your teen about sex. But are you really communicating? We’ve got resources and advice that can help.
Getting Birth Control Without Your Parents
Someone asked us:
If I go in to get birth control or something and I’m under 18, do you tell my parents/guardians?
Planned Parenthood’s policy is to protect patient confidentiality as much as state law allows. Most health care providers keep their clients’ information confidential, but specific laws about what health care providers have to tell a minor’s parents can vary from state to state.
In general, you don’t need a parent’s permission to get a prescription for birth control. But for one reason or another, there might be certain situations where you do need a parent’s permission. So we can’t tell you exactly what the situation will be at your local Planned Parenthood health center. But we can tell you with 100% certainty that:
- You can contact your local Planned Parenthood health center to ask about their specific policy before you go.
- You can always get condoms without a parent’s permission, at a health center or most drug stores and grocery stores.
But just because you may not need to talk to your parents about getting birth control, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. The very idea of talking about sex with your parents might make you cringe, but the chances are actually really good that it’ll be worthwhile — they can help you make the best sexual health decisions, and might be able to offer some great advice, too. October is Let’s Talk Month, which can be a great excuse to bring up the conversation and test the waters. Learn more about how to talk to your parents about sex.
- Alex at Planned Parenthood
Talking about Sex
A new study shows that talking about sex can make sex better! At Planned Parenthood we’re big fans of good communication, especially when it comes to consensual sexual activities. High fives to everyone out there talking with their partner about what they want
October is Let’s Talk Month! Keeping your teens healthy and safe means talking with them about relationships and sex. Here are some handy videos to help you get comfortable with having those conversations.
