Sexual health

Sex and sexual health isn’t the ideal topic for most young people to talk to adults about, but you need to ask someone because, chances are, your mates don’t have a clue what they’re talking about and they’re just making it up to look good.

The main thing to remember is that there might be loads of pressure from your mates for you to say you have slept with someone, but you’ve got to make sure you’re ready to make that step and don’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.

You have to do what’s right for you and remember - the legal age for sleeping with someone is 16!

There are lots of places where you can get free, confidential advice, not only about sex, contraceptives, sexual health and pregnancy, but also if you need to talk to someone about making the first step.

You can visit your doctor or look at the websites below. Your local doctor’s surgery will usually have a family planning clinic that you can visit to get advice and free contraceptives.

Don’t worry, everything will be kept confidential. If you are worried about being seen going there are more anonymous, confidential centres you can visit.

For information on all aspects of sexual health go to www.likeitis.org.uk or look at www.ruthinking.co.uk

Sexually transmitted diseases

There are up to 25 Sexually transmitted diseases (STI’s) and 1 in 9 people have had one - so the chances of you picking something up are higher than you think.

Most STI’s can be easily treated, but some, like HIV, are untreatable.

STI’s affect both males and females and are caused by viruses or bacteria, passed on during sex. The best thing you can do to prevent getting an STI is to always use a condom during sexual activity.

It doesn’t take much to catch an STI, but the majority are pretty easy to treat and the sooner the better. Don’t just ignore it and hope it goes away as that could lead to permanent damage.

Here’s what to do if you think you might have an STI:

• First, you need to arrange to get tested at a Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinic. Ask your doctor for information about one near you.
• If you’re sleeping with someone at the moment, stop until you know what you’ve got
• The GUM clinic will advise you on what to do next

Even if you are under 16 you have the same right to confidentiality as adults. This means that doctors and nurses should not pass on any information about your visit unless they think you are in serious danger and even then they should discuss the issue with you first.

Pregnancy

If you are sexually active, one of the things you’ve got to deal with is the chance that you or your partner will become pregnant. The responsibility for this risk is down to both partners, and no form of contraception is 100 per cent reliable.

There are early signs of pregnancy that might make you want to take a pregnancy test. These include:

• Missed or unusually short period
• Morning sickness (sickness without any other illness like the flu or upset stomach). It doesn’t necessarily just happen in the morning
• Breast soreness, more than around the time of your period, to the point where it may be uncomfortable to wear a bra
• Headaches, not a sign of pregnancy on it’s own, but if you have headaches more often with any of these other signs it might be that you are pregnant
• Bloating. Some women become bloated almost immediately, in a similar way to the time around your period

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you might want to see a doctor or talk to a chemist in confidence about taking a pregnancy test.