Frequently asked questions about sex

If you’re like most of us, you have some questions about sex. Here’s some of the questions we get a lot and the answers to them.

Q: Can a girl get pregnant before she has her first period?
A: Yes. Before she has a period, a girl produces an egg which can be fertilized.

Q: How many sperm does it take to fertilize an egg and get a girl pregnant?
A: One

Q: How many sperm does a boy ejaculate during an orgasm?
A: Between 200 and 400 million.

Q: What’s the most effective method of birth control?
A: Abstinence, not doing it. It’s the only method that is 100% guaranteed to prevent pregnancy.

Q: Are condoms an effective method of birth control?
A: Condoms greatly reduce the risk of pregnancy, by about 90%, if they are used correctly, if they are used every time you have sex or put the penis near the vagina, if they don’t break or leak (doesn’t happen often, but it happens), if they don’t slip off, and if the contents are not spilled near the vagina after sex. 

We couldn’t resist pointing out two things here: 

1. It sounds like a lot has to go just perfect for this to protect you. 
2. Condoms don’t protect you from the some of the bad emotional feelings you may get when you have sex.

Q: Are other methods of birth control more effective and easier to use than condoms?
A: Some of them are. They include birth control pills, Depo-Provera (a shot) and Norplant (a surgical implant in the arm). However, they offer no protection against sexually transmitted diseases, something that 3 million teens a year catch.

Q: What’s the most effective method of preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s)?
A: Abstinence, not doing it. It’s the only method that is 100% guaranteed to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Q: Do condoms protect against STD’s?
A: Condoms greatly reduce the risk of catching an STD but again they must be used every time you have sex or put the penis near the vagina. You have to make sure the condom doesn’t slip off, that the contents are not spilled near the vagina after sex, and you have to hope they don’t break or leak (doesn’t happen often, but it happens). And there are a couple of STD’s that condoms don’t protect you against, including Herpes, an STD that is incurable and painful.

You may want to read our comment on condoms and birth control (above).

Q: Can you have an STD without knowing it?
A: Yes.

Q: Can a girl get pregnant the first time she has sex?
A: Yes.

Q: Are you practicing abstinence if you only have oral sex?
A: No, you are not practicing abstinence. Oral sex, anal sex and mutual masturbation are all sex. Oral sex and anal sex still put you at great risk of catching an STD (including oral cases of the type of herpes normally found in the genitals). Mutual masturbation also puts you in danger of catching a few STD’s. And all of these things can quickly lead to vaginal sex. 

Q: Can a girl get pregnant if she has sex during her period?
A: Yes.

Q: Does douching prevent pregnancy?
A: No.

Q: Can you get an STD again if you’ve had it and been cured?
A: Yes, you can get an STD as many times as you have sex with an infected person.

Q: Is there a time of month a girl can not get pregnant? Can she tell when those days are?
A: Yes, there is a period during a girl’s monthly cycle when she can not get pregnant, but she can not be sure which days those are.

Q: Does a boy have to go all the way once he has an erection (hard on)? Will it hurt him physically?
A: A boy does not have to go all the way because he has an erection. He will not be harmed physically.

Q: Can a girl get pregnant if the boy pulls out before he comes?
A: Yes. If sperm are released anywhere near the vagina, they can find their way into the vagina, and sperm may be released even though the boy is trying to withdraw before that happens.