Are teens having safe sex?

By April Perry
Hurricane High School

Television, radio and magazine advertisements for contraceptives are widespread, and more teens are becoming sexually active everyday. But whether they’re having regular sex or oral sex, are they taking the time to use some form of protection?

“I believe in abstinence as my form of birth control, but most people don’t want to wait and save themselves until marriage, so it’s not always the right choice for everyone to make,” said Brittany, a senior at Hurricane High School. “Condoms, the birth control pill and any other means of protection are better than nothing.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she continued. “Teens who usually don’t use anything need to use better judgment.”

As teens spoke out on the subject, one thing became clear: girls and guys feel differently.

“I think that protection is important but I don’t use it,” admitted Coal, another Hurricane senior. “My girlfriend and I have been dating for a little over four years and we used to use it, but after about a year, we both agreed to stop because I think it dulls the sensation. We tried it once without a condom and haven’t used one ever since.”

Teens often focus on contraceptives as a form of protection against pregnancy, but contraceptives also protect against sexually-transmitted diseases.

“A lot of teens forget about STDs,” said Hurricane senior Lauren. “They are only thinking of ruining the moment or that the other person will think they’re stupid.”

Also, many teens don’t think about using protection when it comes to oral sex. “Most teenagers I know only use condoms when having sex, if even then — they never use one during oral sex,” Lauren said.

Regardless of the type of sex being had, using protection is an important way for teens to keep themselves safe from situations they may not be ready to handle.

“I always make my boyfriend wear a condom. I don’t want to ruin my childhood by having a child of my own to take care of for the rest of my life. I’m still a child myself,” said Hurricane junior Kayla. “If my boyfriend ever refused to wear a condom, he would have to choose between sex and me.”

Sophomore Elisse learned the consequences of unprotected sex the hard way.

“It’s a really good idea [to use protection] because most teenagers can’t handle having a baby to take care of,” she said. “I was 15 years old when I had my baby, so I know that it is really hard.”

Some teenagers who have unprotected sex believe that things like pregnancy or STDs could never happen to them, but take it from Elisse - they can.

“I never thought it would happen to me,” she said. “But I was very wrong.”

For more information on safe sex practices, visit www.teenwire.com, an award-winning website on teen sexuality from Planned Parenthood.