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Condoms and Teens
Why is knowledge about condoms necessary for teens?
That's because if they want to have sex with someone, condoms are important! Sex can be great, but there are risks involved like catching infection or a woman getting pregnant. If you don't want to end up with a STD (sexually transmitted disease) or with a unwanted baby, using a condom is a good idea. No unmarried teenage girl I suppose, will like the idea of telling her parents that she is pregnant or has herpes?
Whose responsibility is it anyway?
Women think it's the man's job to make sure he uses a condom while boys think contraception is a woman's duty. They're both wrong - it takes two to have sex, so both partners should take the responsibility and make a joint effort.
Why don't teenagers protect themselves if they are having sex?
It's not that they don't know. Sometimes they
- are embarrassed about buying or getting condoms
- feel date pressure
- use alcohol and drugs
- have a lack of knowledge
- believe that using birth control pills is enough protection
- don't think ahead of time
Should I feel embarrassed about using a condom?
No! Rather it makes you look more mature, and responsible enough to take care of yourself and your sexual partner.
So where can I get them?
Buying condoms can seem frightening or embarrassing, especially for a young person, but it really isn't. You can get them in most pharmacies or drugstores and a number of supermarkets sell them. If you're still too embarrassed to go and buy them, you can sometimes get them from vending machines or over the internet.
But there are so many different kinds and brands! Which one is best for me?
There are a lot of different varieties of condoms e.g. Lubricated, Spermicidal, Ribbed, Coloured, Flavoured etc which come in various sizes and materials. As long as you are using a good quality condom, it really doesn't matter which type or which brand of condom you go in for.
What is a female condom?
There is also now available a female condom, which is a type of pouch that fits inside the vagina.
Doesn't condom spoil the whole mood ?
One of the main reasons that teens say they don't like using condoms is that they think condoms interrupt a passionate moment.
But it doesn't really have to 'spoil the moment', because helping your partner wear a condom itself could be a very exciting and arousing act.
What if the condom breaks?
If a condom breaks while you're having sex, then stop right away and put a new condom on. If you think some semen has escaped from the condom, talk to your doctor about getting emergency contraception and a HIV/STD test.
Never re-use a used condom.
Do parents have any role in educating teens about condoms?
By recommending condom usage to teenagers, most parents think that they are actually conveying dangerous ideas to their children
- that "safe sex" is achievable;
- that everybody is doing it, so you can also go for it
- that it's a good thing to do; and
- that their peers know they know these things, breeding promiscuity.
But that's not true ?
On the contrary, teens can understand, accept and implement the abstinence message when their parents openly talk to them about safe sex mechanisms like using condoms.
If you are a responsible parent and feel that your son or daughter is thinking about engaging in sexual intercourse, you must talk to them about condom usage, other wise you are exposing them to several sexually transmitted diseases. Kids are going to enter this area anyway, so isn't it our duty as parents to make sure they are properly informed and protected?