I see a lot of misinformed girls and women in this group. Just wanted to share this mini lesson of the birds and the bees. (If you don’t read all of this just read the ovulation and sex part).

Menstrual cycle: upon reaching puberty a woman will undergo her menstrual cycle (varying from 21 to 36 days) in which the body prepares its self to get pregnant. The 1st day of your cycle is your period in which the uterine lining sheds and is replaced by a thicker lining that will sustain the egg that is released during ovulation and if fertilized will attach to that lining.

Ovulation: ovulation occurs between day 14- 16 of a cycle (this is usually true for women with 28 day cycles). Be aware you can ovulate early or later in your cycle but it usually occurs within the time frame above. During ovulation the mature egg is released from your ovaries and lives for 24-48 hours, this is a short window but since sperm (in good conditions ) can live up to 5 days in the reproductive tract, women have a fertile window that usually extends five days before ovulation.

Sex: So we know there are different kinds of methods of intercourse (sex) such as anal, oral, vaginal. You can not get pregnant from oral or Anal sex because the sperm is not reaching the reproductive tract. Vaginal sex, where the male inserts his penis into your vagina can cause pregnancy in situations where neither person is using a method of birth control and/or birth control is not used correctly. NOTE: the pull out method is not an effective birth control method.

Dry humping, in which both people have articles of clothing on, will not result in pregnancy.

It is best to use methods of protection to avoid pregnancy such as condoms, birth control, tracking your cycle etc.

Condoms are especially important protecting against STDs . Sexually Transmitted Diseases

For younger girls, the nurses office at your school has condoms (9 times out of 10). Do not be afraid to go and ask for some if you know you are sexually active.

If you have unprotected sex near ovulation (not the day of or after) and decide to take a Plan B pill ,which is an emergency contraceptive, be sure to understand how it may affect your period after. You may be late or experience symptoms you’ve never had, but I promise you it is the pill.

If you are concerned that you might be pregnant, the dollar store and Walmart carry cheap test $1 or less that you can buy if you are low on funds.

Remember to practice safe sex not only to prevent pregnancy but to protect yourself against STDs. I don’t want anyone to feel like this is judging or bashing them. This was solely for educational purposes for those who want to know how certain things happen. If you want to know more feel free to do some research on your own. For those who know this already, feel free to input more.