…Almost every time he ejaculates inside of me, sometimes twice. Could I get pregnant from this? Does this increase my chances of getting pregnant?

First of all, good work—it’s great that you’ve chosen a birth control method and are sticking with it! Depo is more than 99% effective when you receive your shot on time.

It’s good to realize that no hormonal birth control is 100% effective.  Even the most effective methods on the market—like IUDs and Implanon—prevent pregnancy only 99.9% of the time.  In very rare cases, someone becomes pregnant even though they are using a method correctly. Teen Clinic recommends using condoms 100% as a backup and to prevent STI transmission.

So the answer is yes—allowing a partner to ejaculate inside you does increase the risk of pregnancy (although the risk will be low if you’ve received your Depo shot on time). But more importantly, allowing a partner to ejaculate inside you increases your risk for STIs! Talk to your partner about their past sexual history and whether or not they’ve gotten tested, and consider going to get tested together. (It’s free at Teen Clinic!)  Remember, it’s your health! Even though we all want to trust our partners, using condoms is a great way to keep the risks of sexual activity as low as possible.

If you have more questions, consider talking to your practitioner at your next Depo appointment. Our nurses are non-judmental and here to support you! And thanks for asking this important question!

…and I can’t have my mom or dad or anybody drive me because I don’t want them knowing. What do I do?

Thanks for asking! First, there is no age limit for purchasing a pregnancy test. If there is a pharmacy or grocery store within walking distance, you can buy a pregnancy test over the counter without any trouble.  Pregnancy tests are available at most Dollar Stores for just $1!  Otherwise, most cost $10-$20.  Some teens are most comfortable visiting a store with self-checkout; this is something you might consider.

Teen Clinic is also easily accessible by bus!  Check out this page to see which you’d need to hop on.

Last, consider talking to another trusted adult in your life. Do you have a mentor, sibling, teacher, or friend of the family you can turn to?  It’s important to feel supported as you make these big choices, and another adult may be able to help you get to Teen Clinic. If your pregnancy test is negative and you still plan on being sexually active, it’s a good idea to start a birth control method—so visiting Teen Clinic may be your best option. (At TC, pregnancy tests are free of charge and available on a walk-in basis.)

It’s smart that you’re figuring out your options—it’s important to know for sure whether or not you’re pregnant! Give us a call if we can help in any way.

Great question! The answer is yes: after a male becomes aroused, a liquid called pre-ejaculate can seep out the tip of the penis. Although pre-ejaculate itself doesn’t contain sperm, it travels through the urethra in the process of leaving the body, and can pick up sperm left over from previous ejaculations.  That means pregnancy is possible even before ejaculation has occurred. Teen Clinic recommends wearing condoms 100%, for the duration of sexual activity, to best reduce the risk. Remember, your partner may not have complete control over when ejaculation occurs; it’s better to be safe if you’re not ready for pregnancy.

To learn more about pregnancy, using condoms, or other birth control methods, make an appointment at Teen Clinic. And thanks for asking!

Hormonal birth control methods work by preventing ovulation—in other words, by keeping the ovaries from releasing an egg.  When someone starts a method for the first time, we don’t know for sure whether or not she has already ovulated, so we recommend she use back-up birth control for the first week.  If she has already ovulated and the egg is still in the uterine tubes, there could be a high risk of pregnancy from unprotected sex.

Unfortunately, that means you’re not protected immediately on the shot.  Take Plan B if the unprotected sex occurred less than five days ago to reduce your risk of pregnancy. If it’s too late for Plan B, consider taking a pregnancy test two weeks after the unprotected sex. Teen Clinic offers free pregnancy tests on a walk-in basis.

In the future, getting your shots on time will keep you 99% protected from pregnancy, even the first week after the shot. If you get a shot late, however, you’ll need backup birth control again.  Talk to your medical provider to make sure you understand your method—it’s an important part of being sexually active!

Great question! There is a risk of pregnancy any time semen enters the vagina. Most hormonal birth control methods are known to be at least 99% effective with perfect use. However, this means there are rare cases—less than 1%—when a hormonal method fails to prevent pregnancy.

It’s also important to realize that many people don’t use their hormonal methods perfectly. They take their pills late or forget to change their NuvaRing on the right day. When this happens, hormonal methods become less effective. With typical use, they prevent pregnancy about 92% of the time.

The risk of pregnancy from sex without a condom depends on which method your girlfriend is using and how well she is using it. Teen Clinic recommends using condoms 100% as a backup and to reduce the risk of infection. However, it’s your health!  Talk your partner about what will work best for the two of you. Consider visiting Teen Clinic to chat with a nurse if you’re not sure how to weigh the risks. Being sexually active requires a lot of responsibility; thanks for asking this important question!

In Colorado, the law states that minors can access reproductive health care services without parental notification or consent. That means it’s legal for you to take a pregnancy test, start a birth control method, or get tested for STIs without your parents knowing or agreeing to it.

However, we do not perform blood pregnancy tests at Teen Clinic. Here’s why: urine pregnancy tests and blood pregnancy tests are both looking for the hormone HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin).  A urine pregnancy tests measures whether or not the hormone is present. A blood pregnancy test, on the other hand, measures how much of the hormone is present. Because of this, blood pregnancy tests are more expensive. They are used to estimate how pregnant someone is.

Because Teen Clinic does not offer obstetric care, we do not offer pregnancy tests that determine how pregnant someone is—only whether or not they are.  If you are pregnant, we do offer free options counseling.  Patients who decide to continue their pregnancies will be referred to another doctor who offers pre-natal services.

Thanks for asking a great question! Feel free to walk in at Teen Clinic any day we’re open for a free urine pregnancy test.

…but he didnt ejaculate in me. Is there a high possibility I am pregnant?

In order for hormonal birth control pills to work correctly, we recommend that patients take them within the same hour every day.  According to these instructions, you are taking your pills the right way.  Good work! Continue to aim for the same time every day to keep your birth control as effective as possible.

It’s impossible to tell if someone is pregnant over the internet. If you are concerned, take a pregnancy test ten days after the unprotected sex. (This is the earliest the test would be effective.) Even though pills are more than 99% effective when used perfectly, we recommend continuing to use condoms 100% as well. Condoms prevent infection and can serve as a backup pregnancy prevention method—so you never have to worry! 

Visit Teen Clinic to learn more about your pills, pick up free condoms, or take a free pregnancy test.

Condoms can be a great method of birth control when used correctly. They’re cheap, easy to find, and can prevent the transmission of some STIs. However, it’s important to realize that condoms—like any birth control method—aren’t 100% effective.

When used correctly, they can be up to 98% effective. With typical use, however, condoms are only 82% effective.  That’s because many people aren’t using them correctly.  While it’s possible your brother’s condom failed for manufacturing reasons, it’s also possible he forgot to check the expiration date, used two at once, or chose the wrong kind of lubricant.  Many of the reasons condoms fail aren’t intuitive—so a person who has taught himself to use a condom might not know some of the things to avoid.

In some school districts, health classes are a safe place to learn to use a condom correctly. Don’t hesitate to ask your teacher (or a visiting sexual health educator) to explain the process in detail. If your school has different educational standards or you don’t feel comfortable, consider visiting Teen Clinic. One of our health professionals can work with you one-on-one to make sure you know everything you need to. You can also check out this website if you are looking for an anonymous way to check your facts.

When it comes to pregnancy prevention, it’s a great idea to combine methods.  Using a hormonal birth control method and condoms gives you a back-up in case something goes wrong.  Teen Clinic offers free birth control to anyone under 20, so make sure your sexually active friends know it’s a good idea to make an appointment and choose a reliable method.

It’s smart that you’re looking to learn from your brother’s experience! Thanks for asking this great question.

…Three days after the abortion, I started on the pill. I take it every day but not at the same time. Sometimes I forget but take it a couple of hours late.  I had unprotected sex two weeks after the abortion.  Is there any way I could have gotten pregnant?

During pregnancy, the body produces high levels of human gonadotropic hormone, or HCG.  Urine pregnancy tests work by measuring whether or not HCG is present.  Because HCG levels rise quickly at the beginning of a pregnancy, HCG can still be present in the blood and urine for up to six weeks after a miscarriage or abortion procedure. This can cause a false positive on pregnancy tests.

However, if you’re not ready to be pregnant, it’s important that you take your pill within the same hour every day. Taking your pill late makes it less effective at preventing pregnancy! If you’re having trouble remembering to take your pill, consider other birth control options, like the patch, the ring, the shot, Implanon, or IUDs, which don’t require you to remember quite as often (or at all!).

And consider wearing condoms 100% even though you’re on a hormonal birth control method. Condoms can help prevent infection; they also serve as a great back-up birth control. (Check out this great question from the archives: “Can you still get pregnant on birth control?”)  Visit Teen Clinic if you want to talk with a practitioner about how you can best prevent unintended pregnancy.

For most females, the first sign of pregnancy is a missed period.  Since periods can be late for lots of reasons (like recent illness, trauma, Plan B, or stress), it’s important to take a pregnancy test to be sure.  Other signs of pregnancy can include nausea, extreme fatigue, spotting, and nipple or breast tenderness; however, not everyone experiences these symptoms, and they are common signs of other conditions.

If you think you’re pregnant, it’s healthy to find out for sure. Walk in to Teen Clinic any time we’re open for a free, confidential pregnancy test. We offer unbiased options counseling if your test comes back positive.  Pregnancy tests are accurate about ten days after unprotected sex, so you may need to wait if the situation occurred recently.