Are you Ready?

 So do you really want to be that one teen? You know, the one that gets stared at as she walks down your high school's hallways? I guarantee that you can think of one girl in your school who is pregnant. Admit it, you've caught yourself staring, thinking, "I can't believe she's pregnant in high school!" Well, guess what? Statistics say 1 in 3 teens in the United States will be pregnant by age 19, which means you could VERY LIKELY BE THAT ONE GIRL. 

Let's get down to the core of it: having sex. As we've discussed before, about half of teens in high school are sexually active. There's nothing wrong with taking it to that step if you're ready! But how do you know if you're ready? Planned Parenthood provides some things to consider before you do go that far:

• your personal values and goals
• your feelings about the kinds of emotional and physical risks you are willing to take
• whether this is something you really want to do or if it's something your partner is pushing you into 
• what sort of relationship you want to have with the person you have sex with

If you can consider each of these points in a positive, safe, and careful way, then you are ready to make that decision to have sex. Planned Parenthood claims that there are guidelines once you are ready:

1. Both people should want to have sex.
2. Never pressure someone into having sex.
3. Be honest about your sexual feelings.
4. Make sure sex is pleasurable for both people.
5. Use birth control if you don't want an unintended pregnancy, and protect yourself from STDs.
6. Be clear with each other about what you want to do and don't want to do.

"When to have sex is a personal choice. We usually make better decisions when we think through the possible benefits and the risks. It’s helpful to talk things through with someone you trust — a parent, a friend, a professional counselor, or someone else who cares about you and what will be good for you.
A good sex life is one that keeps in balance with everything you’re about — your health, values, education and career goals, relationships with other people, and your feelings about yourself."

- Chelsea


http://www.plannedparenthood.org/info-for-teens/sex-masturbation/am-ready-sex-33826.htm