What should I know about having sex

• You can get pregnant the first time you have sex.
• You can get pregnant any time you have sex without a family planning method (even if it is only once).
• You can get pregnant even if the man thinks he did not let his seed (sperm) come out.
• You can get an STI or HIV if you do not use a condom when you have sex with an infected person. And you cannot tell by looking at a person if he is infected.
• It is easier for a girl to get a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or HIV from a boy or man than it is for her to give these diseases to him. This is because of the way sex works — because she is the ‘receiver’. It is also harder to know if a girl has an infection, because it is inside her body.

Always use a condom for protection against STIs and HIV. But the most certain way to avoid pregnancy, STIs, and HIV is to not have sex.

Sources

• Burns, A. A., Niemann, S., Lovich, R., Maxwell, J., & Shapiro, K. (2014). Where women have no doctor: A health guide for women. Hesperian Foundation.
• Audiopedia ID: en020811