Times have really changed. I remember a while back, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. This was a topic that no blog or site would have ever covered. Look here we are now; in the middle of African society, a society we would like to call conservative. However, with young people banging left right and center and a bunch trying hard to get laid, this is a conversation we ought to have had ages ago. I know you are looking at me with googly eyes and wondering where I left the older generation. Okay, I have said it – They are banging too 😉.
Human bodies adjust with age and with the onset of puberty, exhibited in a lot of adolescent teenagers, the body is ready for reproduction. With this said as young as you think you are, you can be the newest father or mother in town.
This is usually an age that most of us are experimenting with and still do not know what we want in life and bringing a baby into this world doesn’t help the situation. This leaves us in a pretty hard situation and here is where I come in. Teaching you how to NOT get pregnant: a guide to both boys and girls.
So what ways am I talking about here?
I have compiled working methods since the creation of the earth; methods that worked well for our forefathers as well as other methods that would have “killed†them if they ever came back from the dead. Some of these methods are new technological advances from the ever inventing man.
Abstinence
Hey, easy! Seriously, you want to slap me? I know you must be hating me for coming up with a pretty obvious method, but truth be told this is 100% efficient. This method has been proven to work over the years. That is why, God through various scriptures, has asked of us to practice abstinence until marriage.
People have different definitions when it comes to abstinence. Frankly speaking, there is only one definition of abstinence in my vocabulary. It means no sexual contact of any kind especially contact that involves penises and vaginas.
The best thing about abstinence is that there is no specific time to start practicing abstinence. You don’t have to be a virgin to practice abstinence. It is free and available to each and every individual and you can rest assured of no hormonal or medical side effects.
It is not all rosy on this side of the world. Lives and careers have been destroyed by people banking on abstinence and end up changing their minds in the heat of very steamy moments. This is because just practicing abstinence doesn’t mean your sex drive gets low or goes away. Without ways to redirect your sex energy, you are just a “sex bomb†waiting to explode.
Withdrawal method
This is when a man timely removes his penis from the vagina before he ejaculates what is also known as cumming. This prevents sperms which are contained in the semen from entering the female reproductive tract. If you ask me, using withdrawal as a way of preventing pregnancy is like giving a loaded gun to a chimpanzee or a monkey. However, after asking some friends at Options for Sexual Health, they claim that typical withdrawal is 73% effective and 96% effective when used perfectly. Despite the reassurance, I still won’t be giving guns to monkeys anytime soon.
Just like for abstinence, this is a cost-free method that has neither medical nor hormonal side effects. However, some of us men face difficulties when it comes to figuring out a perfectly good time to withdraw. This has been known to cause both partners a great deal of anxiety thus decreasing the joy and excitement that comes with sexual intercourse.
Contraceptives
Here is where technology has taken reign. I would love to explain them all in this post but it would take forever. For more detailed information please check this post about all methods of contraception. As I had mentioned above, there are different methods and these are generally dictated by one’s lifestyle and budget. The vast list can be roughly divided into five categories:
- Hormonal contraceptive methods
- Natural Methods
- Barrier contraceptive methods
- Emergency Contraception
- Intrauterine device(UID)
A lot can be said about preventing pregnancies, but the bottom line is both partners should be informed on the choices of the method used. The effectiveness of any method used will depend on the consistency and correct use.