My Teen Issues

Pregnant & Dont Know What To Do

Mark Else — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:46:35 +0000

Am i pregnant?

The only way to be sure is to have a pregnancy test, you can either get one from the doctor or but a home pregnancy test from the shop, if either of which come back positive it means that you are pregnant.

Sometimes you can take a pregnancy test and it will give a false negative, this is due to taking it too soon after your first missed periods, sometimes the HCG hormone is too low to show on a pregnancy test.

If you ever suspect that you could be pregnant and receive a negative on a pregnancy test, i would recommend that you took a second test a few days later to double check.

Im pregnant – im scared.

OK so the test has come back positive, if the test you took was a home use pregnancy test then first thing to do is get it confirmed by your local GP, this will set the ball rolling and your doctor should discuss the available options with you. The doctor will also be able to set dates with you and the hospital so that you can get your pregnancy scans done and also fit you in with the nearest midwife appointment so that you can heave regular check-ups.

It may now have fully hit you that you are pregnant and what your feeling right now might be a huge mixture of different emotions that range from happiness to fear and worry, you might be worries what others might think and you are worried about the financial costs of having a baby all the time excited at the big change in your life.

When you first find out you are pregnant you will have millions of thoughts in your head, it is important that as soon as you realise you are pregnant, you sit down and discuss what you plan to do.

What are my options now then?

The next life choice that you make will be one that affects you for the rest of your life and something that you will remember for the rest of your life too, but you didn’t expect the consequences of unprotected sex to be easy did ya?

Firstly you need to be sure that any choice that you make is one that you are fully happy with, do not let anyone push you into a choice that you are not happy with, this includes family and partners. Chances are everyone that you speak to will have a different idea as to what you should do. You will have the choice of the following 3 options

continue with the pregnancy and keep the baby to raise yourself.
continue with the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption.
have the pregnancy terminated by having an abortion.

Following option 1 is a big responsibility, and means the next 20 or so years will never be your own again. Everything goes from being about you to being about the baby.

Option 2 means that you still stay pregnant for 9 months, then you give your baby to a family that will raise him as their own, this is a good option if you feel you are not ready for a baby but do not believe in abortion.

Option 3 means having the pregnancy terminated (i.e. the growing baby inside you is killed), abortions do happen and are a way out of an unwanted pregnancy, however a lot of people are against abortions and there are plenty of debates going on about whether they are morally right or not.

Unfortunately there is no close your eyes and everything will go away option, and the more you avoid it the harder it gets, the longer you ignore it, the less time you will have to make a choice. Be sure that you look up your options, speak to family and friends and also your local GP. If you need to speak to someone who is not going to pressure you into a choice, you could speak to the family planning agency on 0845 122 8690.

Some others that can help include Marie Stopes (www.mariestopes.org.uk) and bpas ( www.bpas.org), both websites offer valuable information that you will probably find useful. Also there is Brook, a service for under 25’s, you can reach brook on 0808 802 1234.

Whats important is that whatever choice you make is the choice that you feel is right for you, and that the information that you recieve is accurate, you should also note that some websites/groups offer biased information, although their information may be correct it may lead to you feeling pressured into making a choice.

What choice should i make?

The choice you make should be based on what you think is best, some things that you would want to consider are;

what is your life like now? – would you still have as much time for friends and family? would you still have time (or would you be able to work around) your education?
how does your future look like without a baby? do you have any dreams that need fulfilling? or do you have any career prospects?

Then you should consider how much would a baby change your current and future lifestyle and plans? the following statements may help you put things into perspective

am i ready to be a parent?
am i ready for the body changes that come with being pregnant?
will having a baby stop me from doing the things that are important to me?
am i too young to have a baby right now?
am i ready to give up some things so that i can take care of a baby?
my family would/would not support me?
my family would/would not approve of me having a baby?
i do/do not agree with abortion?

I am going to . . .

continue the pregnancy

If you have not already started you will need to set up your antenatal care, this is regardless of whether you decided to keep the baby or give it up for adoption, antenatal care is important as it can pick up and spot any potential health problems in both the mum-to-be and the growing baby. You can usually set up antenatal care at your local GP.

During the antenatal care sessions the doctor or midwife will talk to you about healthy eating, folic acid, smoking, drinking, drugs and other information based around what is happening to you and your body.

have an abortion

I am not going to go into the debate of whether abortion is right or wrong, however i do hope you have at least read about abortions before you decide to take it as an option, anyway, abortion is a legal way of terminating a pregnancy. Age is not a factor when choosing to have an abortion.

In most parts of the UK setting up an abortion is easy, but this does vary from place to place so you will need to arrange everything in hand so that your all ready to go once you have made up your mind.

The other thing that makes choosing an abortion harder is that it is time-restrained, the earlier in the pregnancy an abortion is performed the easier and safer it is to do. Almost all abortions are carried out before 20 weeks, with the majority being before 12 weeks. Abortion after 24 weeks is uncommon and is only considered in certain circumstances. The other thing that you need to remember is that most people are often 5-8 weeks pregnant before they even realise it and an abortion can take up to a month to be carried out.

You can have an abortion without telling your parents, partner or your doctor, plus your partner (babies would be dad) has no legal say in whether you should have an abortion or not.

Many women often feel sad or upset after having an abortion and by having an abortion you are not affecting your chances of having a baby in the future.

give the baby up for adoption

As with keeping the baby you still need to arrange all you antenatal care and ensure that everything is fine during the pregnancy.

Many women choose adoption as an option because they feel they cannot raise a child at that moment in time but do not want to go through with an abortion. By giving your baby up for adoption it will mean that the baby will be brought up by another family as if they were their own, usually the adopter is someone who cannot have child of their own or have tried but not succeeded at getting pregnant.

Once an adoption have been made legal (by a court) the decision cannot be changed.

You can prepare for the adoption during any stage of the pregnancy however it will not be final until the baby is born. Once the baby is born you will be asked to sign a formal agreement. You cannot be asked to sign this until the baby is 6 weeks old and this signing does not make the agreement final.
During this time the baby will usually go into foster care until the final arrangements are confirmed.The adoptive parents will then take care of the baby and apply to the courts for an adoption order.Once the adoption order is granted (ie agreed by the courts) then the adoption is final and there is no going back. You can decide to take care of the baby yourself even after you have said you want it adopted, however this must be done before it is agreed by the courts, it will also then be down to the courts as to where the child would be best placed (with you or the adoptive parents), so even if you do change your mind you could still end up without a baby.

I will say once again that which ever of the options that you choose it must be you that chooses it and it must be because it is what you want to do and not because someone is telling you to do it.

STIs: Syphilis

Mark Else — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:35:10 +0000

All about syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), it may not be as common as some other STIs, however if left untreated it can leave both men and women with serious damage.

Syphilis is caused by a bacteria called treponema pallidum.

Syphilis is easily passed from one person to another, just sexual contact is enough, so in other words you could catch or pass on the infection without actually having sex.Like other STIs, syphilis usually only contains mild symptoms and can often go unnoticed, even without any symptoms showing, you can still spread syphilis.

If left untreated it can cause serious problems to the heart, brain, eyes, bones and nervous system, it may also cause problems to other internal organs.

Signs and symptoms

There are 3 stages to syphillis

stage 1

One or more sores, usually painless. (can appear anywhere, women’s are usually on their vulva, clitoris, uterus and anus. men’s usually appear on the penis, foreskin or anus – sores can sometimes also appear on lips, tonsils and fingers).
These first sores that appear are highly infectious, this means that simple skin to skin contact risks spreading the infection elsewhere, these take up to 6 weeks to heal, once the sores heal it means that stage 2 has begun.

stage 2

A painless rash appears, either all over the body or in patches (palms of hands and feet are common places to notice this rash). This rash is usually not itchy.
Warty looky growth appear, these can look similar to the growths caused by genital warts, these appear around the vulva in women and around the anus in both men and women.
A flu-like illness can develop, lasting anywhere from weeks to months, usual flu-like symptoms will appear, loss of appetite and tiredness is common.
White patches on the tongue and the inside of the mouth will also appear.

stage 3

Stage 3 syphilis can lead to serious health problems and at this point it can lead to death, luckily stage 3 is very rare in the UK

Syphilis treatment

Treatment for syphilis is usually done via a course of anti-biotics (either tablets or an injection). Penicillin is the most commonly used anti-biotic for treatment, but if you are allergic to it let the doctor know beforehand as there are other anti-biotics that can be used.

The treatment will usually last 1 to 2 weeks but will vary depending on how far the infection has gone and whether or not any other infections have been picked up along the way.

Some anti-biotics used to treat syphilis will interfere with contraceptives that contain the hormone estrogen and progestogen. If using any hormonal methods of contraception, do let your doctor know this before treatment is prescribed to you.

Treatment for the stage 1 and stage 2 syphilis is usually pretty effective, stage 3 can also be cured, however if the infection has already caused problems to your insides then this damage will be permanent.

STIs: HIV

Mark Else — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:03:41 +0000

All about HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV for short is a non-curable infection, once infected you will have the virus remain in your body for the rest of your life. Research into HIV is progressing, and even though there is still no cure for it, new drug treatments have been used to successfully delay the effects of HIV and prolong the life of those infected with it.

It is a virus that weakens and damages your immune system, once the virus kicks in it eventually breaks the immune system down so much that just catching a normal common cold could be fatal as your body would not be able to vend of the infection. HIV only turns into AIDS once their immune system has shown that it cannot cope.

HIV can be passed on through sexual contact, and a number of other ways, including blood to blood contact. Other ways of passing on the infection include, contact from semen, precum, vaginal fluid or breast milk. You cannot tell just by looking if someone has HIV or not.

You cannot contract HIV from hugging, kissing, being sneezed on, sharing a toilet seat, cup or cutlery.

Signs and symptoms

Many do not show any signs that they are infected, around half may develop flu-like symptoms within a few weeks of being infected. A lot of HIV infections go undetected until the immune system starts to break down and you have check-ups for stuff that your body would normally cure itself.

The HIV test

If you have had unprotected sex, or have sex with someone who is infected with HIV you should not delay in getting a test done, there are 2 types of test, one looks for the anti-bodies that are produced by your body to fight the HIV infection, the other looks for the proteins that are produced by the virus itself, some test will look for both things at once.

If you are diagnosed as HIV negative then that means that no antibodies or proteins were found, if the test was taken within 3 months of coming into contact with the virus, then a second test will be done at a later date, if it is done after 3 months of exposure then you do not have HIV.

If antibodies or the HIV proteins are found then this means that you are HIV positive, the test will be re-done to confirm the infection. If both tests are positive then you have HIV.

Contraception: Vaginal Ring

Mark Else — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:01:29 +0000

All about the contraceptive vaginal ring

The contraceptive vaginal ring is a small, flexible piece of plastic, that if you have not already guessed is shaped like a ring and is around about 5×5cm in size. The ring is placed inside the vagina where it releases 2 hormones, estrogen and progestogen. These are similar to the natural hormones that women produce.

The contraceptive vaginal ring is over 99% effective and less that 1 out of every 100 women using it will become pregnant. It works by releasing the hormones into your bloodstream, these hormones work by stopping an egg from being produced, prevents sperm from penetrating and prevents an egg from being able to settle in the womb.

Because of the hormones used in the vaginal ring it is not suitable for everyone, so be sure to check with your doctor/nurse beforehand to ensure that it is suitable for you.

Advantages

each ring lasts a month so you don’t have to think about contraception everyday.
it wont interrupt sex.
it is easy to insert and remove.
the ring is not affected if you vomit or have diarrhoea.
bleeding usually becomes lighter and less painful.
it may reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Dis-advantages

some women do not feel comfortable inserting/removing the ring.
temp side-effects can include vaginal discharge, vaginal infections, headaches, nausea, breast tenderness and mood swings.
unexpected vaginal bleeding can occur during the first few months.
you will not be protected against STDs.

Some serious but rare risks include blood clots which can block a vein, the risk of thrombosis is also greater during the first year. Some research into cancer and hormonal contraception use suggest that user of hormonal methods of contraception have a greater risk of developing certain types of cancer.

Contraception: After A Baby

Mark Else — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 09:51:54 +0000

Contraception choices after the birth of your baby

So you have just finished giving birth and have now brought a beautiful baby into the world, now its probably the only thing you think and care about. The baby is your new life, however unless you want to go from 1 baby to 2 babies you really should think about contraception straight away, even if you have no plans on having sex for a while.

Women tend to be extra fertile for the first few months after pregnancy and this means that you’ll have more chance of becoming pregnant. You may not be planning on another baby, but one is likely to come along if you do not take precautions before sex.

You can start having sex as soon as your ready to after the birth, a lot of couples tend to use most of their energy on getting used to having and caring for the new born baby, some experience emotional and physical changes, and some seem to lose their sex drive all together. Me and my partner never had sex for the first month or 2, however once you gain confidence with the baby, and get used to planning him into your life and stuff, your sex life will start to return to normal, the first couple of times you have sex afterwards it will likely be unplanned and you’ll be unprepared unlike you are already aware of contraception.

You periods will return at around 6 weeks after the birth, if you are fully breastfeeding they may not return until you stop or breastfeed less. You can start using contraception again from 3 weeks after the birth, do not think that because your not having a period you cannot get pregnant, this is untrue as many women end up pregnant again before their periods even return. If you are fully breastfeeding you can use this as your contraceptive.

Condoms and the progestogen-only pill can be used at any time, the implant can be used from 3 weeks and providing that you are not breastfeeding you can used the combined pill, contraceptive vaginal ring, and the patch from 3 weeks.

The contraceptive injection can be used earlier but is recommended that you wait until week 6 before using it.

A diaphragm or cap can be used from 6 weeks after giving birth.

What contraception should i choose?

The contraceptive that will suit you best will depend on your preferences, your medical history and any medication that you may be taking, whether or not you had problems during pregnancy and whether or not you are breastfeeding.

A lot may also depend on whether or not you want a contraceptive that you take/use one and it lasts for weeks (for e.g. the injection) or whether you want one that you have to use daily (for e.g. the pill).

If you want a contraceptive that you have more control over then i would recommend the contraceptive patch or diaphragm or cap because with these contraceptives your fertility returns to normal pretty much straight away plus its not a contraceptive that you need to remember to use everyday.

Other recommendations are condoms, and either of the pills. Some contraceptives are not recommended if you are breastfeeding but not using it as a contraceptive, check with your doctor beforehand.

If you want a more permanent contraceptive (not recommended at teenage years by some doctors) you can go for the implant, injection, IUD or IUS.

Emergency Contraception

Mark Else — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:09:35 +0000

Emergency Contraception

Emergency contraception can be used when you have had unprotected sex or when you think that your contraception may have failed, an example of this could be that your condom split half way through and you want to make sure you don’t end up pregnant.

Currently in the UK there are 2 types of emergency contraception, one is the emergency hormonal pill, the second is the copper intrauterine device, better known as an IUD, out of the 2, the IUD is the most effective, but the pill is easier to use.

Both types of emergency contraception work by preventing pregnancy, they may stop ovulation depending on where in your cycle they are taken, however their main aim is to prevent an egg becoming fertilised and to prevent a fertilised egg from settling in the womb.

You can get the emergency hormonal pill or the IUD free from a variety of places including, any GP that provides contraception services, a contraception/sexual health clinic, GUM clinics and some young peoples services.

You can also get the emergency hormonal pill free from, most NHS walk in centres, some pharmacies, some NHS minor injury units, and some hospital A+E departments.

The pill can also be brought (if you are 16 or over) from most pharmacies, and some privately run clinics at a cost of around £25 per pill.

The emergency hormonal pill

A single pill that contains progestogen, and can be used up to 72 hours after unprotected sex, the sooner it is taken the more effective it will be. If taken within 24 hours then it will be around 95% effective, 25-48 hours it will be 85% effective and 49-72 hours after unprotected sex it will be 58% effective. Taking the pill after 72 hours may still help some people avoid pregnancy but it is not as effective.

The pill works by stopping/delaying an egg from being released and helping to prevent an egg from becoming fertilised or settled in the womb.

The copper IUD

An IUD is a small plastic device which is inserted into the uterus by a trained doctor or nurse, and can be fitted at anytime, providing you are not already pregnant.

The advantages of the IUD over the pill are simple, it is more effective, can be fitted up to 5 days after unprotected sex, and can be used as a contraceptive method in the future.

The copper IUD is around 99% effective, and works in the same way as the non-emergency IUD, it also comes with the same advantages, dis-advantages, side-effects and risks.

Contraception: IUD

Mark Else — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:42:02 +0000

About the intrauterine device (IUD)

An IUD is a small plastic and copper device that is sometimes called a coil. The IUD is t-shaped and will be fitted by a trained doctor or nurse, they will put it into your uterus.

It works by stopping sperm from reaching an egg, to make it effective it prevents sperm from surviving in the cervix, uterus or fallopian tubes.

Advantages

works for up to 10 years, so ideal for a more permanent method of contraception.
it wont interrupt your sex life.
it works as soon as it is put in.
it can be used even if you are breast feeding.
your fertility will return to normal as soon as the IUD is removed.
it is not affected by any other medication.

Dis-advantages

your periods can become heavier and more painful.
you will need 2 internal examinations to ensure the IUD will fit and then again to check it has been fitted properly.
you will not be protected against STDs.

There is also a small risk of you getting an infection in the first 20 days after having an IUS fitted.Although uncommon your uterus can push the IUS out or it can become dis-lodged.Their is also a smaller risk of the IUS perforating your uterus or cervix.

You may also experience light bleeding between periods during the first few months, it is save however to use tampons if needed.

Contraception: IUS

Mark Else — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:36:08 +0000

About the intrauterine system (IUS)

An IUS is a small piece of plastic that releases a hormone called progestogen, this hormone is similar to the natural one that women normally produce. The IUS is t-shaped and will be fitted by a trained doctor or nurse, they will put it into your uterus.

It works by making the lining of your uterus thinner so that its harder for an egg to settle, it also thickens the mucus from your cervix, this makes it harder for sperm to penetrate. In some women it may also stop the ovaries from producing eggs.

The UK version of the IUS is known as Mirena and can work for upto 5 years and is over 99% effective. If it is fitted within the first 7 days of your menstrual cycle it will start to work immediately. if its fitted at any other time you will need to use alternative contraception methods for the first 7 days.

Advantages

works for up to 5 years, so ideal for a more permanent method of contraception.
it wont interrupt your sex life.
can make your periods lighter and less painful, some women may also experience complete loss of periods while using an IUS.
can be used whilst breastfeeding.
once removed, your fertility will return to normal.
it is not affected by other medicines.
useful for women that cannot use hormonal contraceptives that contain estrogen.

Dis-advantages

some reported side-effects include acne, headaches and breast tenderness.
some women produce non-dangerous, fluid filled cysts on their ovaries.
you will not be protected against STDs.

There is also a small risk of you getting an infection in the first 20 days after having an IUS fitted. Although uncommon your uterus can push the IUS out or it can become dis-lodged. Their is also a smaller risk of the IUS perforating your uterus or cervix.

You may also experience light bleeding between periods during the first few months, it is save however to use tampons if needed.

Contraception: Condoms

Mark Else — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:24:37 +0000

About the male condom

The male condom acts as a barrier that covers directly over an erect penis, and work by stopping sperm from meeting an egg. They usually come covered in a spermicide which kills sperm once they come into contact with it.

Most condoms are made of a thin latex (there is also a polyurethane made one available for anyone allergic or uncomfortable with latex ones) and are around 98% effective. There are many sizes and textured condoms available so saying it does not fit is not an excuse!!

Male condoms are free from family planning clinics, sexual health clinics, and most young people services (such as youth centres), some schools may also choose to give them to pupils. They can also be brought from just about anywhere, even most toilets have them.

About the female condom

Similar to the male condom in design, however a lot bigger in size, the female condom is around 95% effective and fits inside the vagina. The idea of the fmale condom is to line the inside of the vagina, preventing any sperm from penetrating. The only current UK female condoms are called Femidom.

Female condoms are also free from family planning clinics and sexual health clinics, some doctors and young people services may also offer them, however they are not as freely available as the male condom.

Advantages

only needed when you have sex.
they help protect both sexual partners from some sexually transmitted infections.
they come with no side-effects or health risks.
they come in a variety of shapes and sizes (male condoms).
they are easier to get hold off then most other contraceptives.
allows the male a chance to be in charge of contraception (male condoms).
a female condom can be put in any time before sex.

Dis-advantages

putting a condom on can interrupt sex.
they can become damaged by certain oil based products such as lubricants and lip stick (latex male condoms).
if you are using the wrong size condom then it can slip off or split (male condom).
they can be pushed too far in (female condom).
you need to make sure the mans penis enters into the condom and not between the condom and vagina (female condom).
some people are sensitive to latex.

Contraception: Diaphragms & Caps

Mark Else — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:13:11 +0000

About diaphragms and caps

These little things fit inside a women’s vagina and aim to cover the entrance to the womb. They can come in different shapes and sizes and are usually shaped like a dome. Caps are usually smaller in size.

In order for caps or diaphragms to be effective they must be used with a spermicide. If used correctly they are 92 and 96% effective.

The way in that they work is simple, they block the entrance to the womb so that sperm cannot get past, any sperm that makes it as far as the diaphragms or caps is then killed by the spermicide.

Advantages

you only need to use it when you have sex, if you don’t have sex for 3 days then you do not need to fit it.
it comes with no serious health risks or side-effects.
there are a variety of sizes and makes available.
it can be put in at any time before sex.
research suggest it can help prevent cervical cancer.

Dis-advantages

it can interrupt sex.
the spermicide chemical can be messy.
its not the easiest contraceptive to use.
some people have a reaction to either the spermicide or latex material.

Luckily unlike hormonal contraceptives, these do not come with major risks, although some women can develop cystitis if the wrong size is used.