Yes, a single sexual contact can lead to pregnancy or STIs (sexually transmitted infections), even if it is the first time for either or both the partners. A girl can get pregnant even on the first intercourse because getting pregnant is dependent on whether or not an egg has been released in her body (ovulation). Since there is no 100% guarantee that the egg will be released on a particular day or time, one cannot say for sure that she will or will not get pregnant. Similarly, one cannot tell whether or not one will get any infection because just by looking at a partner one cannot make out whether or not the partner has an infection. Also, many infections (including HIV) do not have symptoms. Sometimes one takes the risk of having unsafe sex assuming that the partner belongs to a “respectable” family or looks “clean” and therefore will not have engaged in risky behavior. People’s socio-economic status is no shield against infection as infections do not pick and choose their clients. These reasons make it essential to use a condom each time one has sex or engages in activities that pose no/less risk to self and partner.

Yes, it is — except for women who should not take the pill at all. Likewise, it is safe to continuously use some other hormonal methods, like Depo-Provera injections, the Mirena IUD, or the vaginal ring to suppress menstruation.

Many women would rather not menstruate using hormonal contraception to control their cycles for various reasons — to plan a trips, travels, athletic event, to alleviate medical conditions such as endometriosis, to avoid discomforts like PMS, for convenience, or simply because they don’t like menstruating.

The pull out method (also called withdrawal) is much more effective when you do it correctly.

• Of every 100 women whose partners use withdrawal, 4 will become pregnant each year if they always do it correctly.
• Of every 100 women whose partners use withdrawal, 27 will become pregnant each year if they don’t always do it correctly.

Couples who have great self-control, experience, and trust may use the pull out method more effectively. Men who use the pull out method must be able to know when they are reaching the point in sexual excitement when ejaculation can no longer be stopped or postponed. If you cannot predict this moment accurately, withdrawal will not be as effective.

Even if a man pulls out in time, pregnancy can still happen. Some experts believe that pre-cum (fluid released right before ejaculation), can pick up enough sperm left in the urethra from a previous ejaculation to cause pregnancy.

Men who use withdrawal as a contraceptive method must always be able to feel when they are reaching the point in sexual excitement when ejaculation can no longer be stopped or postponed. And they must pull out when they reach this point. Its users say that withdrawal has the advantages of being easy to access, easy to use, and free of side effects and cost. Non-users believe it causes anxiety and decreased pleasure during sexual intercourse. The most important disadvantage of withdrawal, even when used consistently and correctly, is that it offers no protection against sexually transmitted infections.

Many people are concerned to a greater or lesser degree with some aspect of their appearance. If looking good becomes a significant distress or handicap in at least one area of your life then it my be defined at body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). For example, someone with BDD might avoid certain social and public situations to prevent themselves from feeling uncomfortable and worrying that people are rating them negatively. Alternatively a person may enter such situations but remain very self conscious. He or she may camouflage themselves excessively to hide their perceived defect by using heavy make up, brushing their hair in a particular way, changing their posture, or wearing heavy clothes. They may spend several hours a day thinking about their perceived defect and asking themselves questions that cannot be answered (for example, ”Why was I born this way?”, “If only my nose was straighter and smaller”) They may feel compelled to repeat frequently certain time consuming behaviors such as:

• Checking their appearance in a mirror or reflective surface
• Seeking reassurance about their appearance
• Checking by feeling one’s skin with one’s fingers
• Cutting or combing their hair to make it “just so”.
• Picking their skin to make it smooth.
• Comparing themselves against models in magazines or people in the street

While BDD is a very medical term we need to remember that the social context in different places of the world may skew the intensity of it. In Lebanon looking good is too connected to being “decent” “classy” “clean” and from “good” upbringing; all of which are also problematic.

Pregnancy tests can detect pregnancy after a missed period — some can even detect it before a missed period.

Despite what some people think, pregnancy doesn’t start the day a couple has intercourse. It can take up to seven days after sex for the sperm and egg to join and form a fertilized egg. Then, it can take up to eight days, or more, for the fertilized egg to bury itself in the lining of the uterus. Pregnancy begins when this happens.

If you do not want to be pregnant and you’ve had unprotected vaginal intercourse, don’t wait to find out two weeks later with a pregnancy test. Emergency contraception can be started within 120 hours (five days) after intercourse. Emergency contraception is available without a prescription from pharmacies, under the name NorLevo or PlanB.

To begin with there is no absolutely “safe period” during the period cycle if you mean safety from conception. This is especially true for those with irregular cycles like yours. The maximum chance of conception usually occurs 14 days before the next period. That’s the day when ovulation takes place (an egg is released in the woman’s body). If a woman has unprotected sex with a man at that time, she can get pregnant. If you do not know for sure when you will have your next period, it is not possible to calculate when ovulation has occurred. So, you will have to be on a contraceptive method or your partner will need to use a condom every time you have sex if you want to avoid getting pregnant. Bleeding twice a month is not always a healthy sign. You may want to consult a gynecologist to discuss the frequency and irregularity of your periods as well as get a prescription for a contraceptive pill.

No, it’s not true, and there is no limit to how long a woman can take the pill. Millions of women around the world have taken the pill since the FDA approved it in 1960. It has been the most scrupulously tested medication of our time.

Countless women take the pill from adolescence through perimenopause. Many stopped taking the pill only when they wanted to become pregnant and started taking it again after giving birth. Women not only rely on it for contraception but for menstrual regularity and other benefits. These benefits include

• less menstrual flow and cramping
• less infection of the fallopian tubes (pelvic inflammatory disease), which often leads to infertility
• fewer ectopic pregnancies (those in a fallopian tube)
• fewer noncancerous breast growths
• fewer ovarian cysts
• reduced risk of cancer of the lining of the uterus and of the ovaries
• less iron-deficiency anemia that results from heavy menses
• less acne
• fewer premenstrual symptoms, as well as related headaches and depression
• protection against osteoporosis — loss of bone mass
• less excess body hair
• less vaginal dryness and painful intercourse associated with menopause

The fact is that over the long term, use of the pill has offered many health benefits to millions of women worldwide.

There are conflicting study results around the link between the hormonal pill and mental health. While some research findings support the relation between depression and hormonal methods, others do not necessarily draw a link between them. However, we know that a lot of women report increasing feelings of anxiety, sadness and depression after taking the pill, especially if they have a history with mental health fluctuation. If you start experiencing such symptoms, you can try to rule out other factors that may be contributing to that, or switch the brand you’re using to another that may have less impact on your well-being. Interestingly, a lot of women on the pill also report inclination to be more violent after getting on birth control. While taking a pill does not excuse being violent or abusive, feelings of anxiety and increased sensitivity can lead to less management of anger, especially if the person is already going through stressful times.

No, the daily combined oral pill cannot be used as an emergency contraception because most brands do not contain levonorgestrel, the main component responsible for preventing ovulation and implantation of a fertilized egg. Contrary to popular belief, taking multiple daily combined oral pills at once does not carry out the same impact.
Most common brands such as Yasmin, Yaz, Diane, and Diva do not contain levonorgestrel. However, few brands do and if administered properly, can act as an emergency contraceptive. In Lebanon for example, microgynon, a daily combined oral pill, does have levonorgestrel, and when taken through the yuzpe method, acts as an emergency contraception.

It’s a common myth, but it’s not true. IUDs — intrauterine devices, increasingly referred to as IUCs (intrauterine contraceptives) — are among the safest, most effective, and least expensive methods of birth control available. In fact, they are the most popular form of reversible birth control in the world. More than 85 million women use IUDs.

The myth started in the 1980s. An insufficiently tested, defective brand of IUD — the Dalkon Shield — had to be removed from the market because of the damage it caused, including infections that led to infertility. Today’s IUDs are safe, effective, and do not cause infertility.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) cause infertility, not IUDs. If you have an IUD inserted while you have an STI, you increase your chance of infertility. That’s why most health care providers test for STIs before inserting IUDs.  IUDs do not protect against STIs.

An internal condom is a polyurethane pouch that has a flexible ring at both ends. It is approximately 7 centimeters wide and 18 centimeters long, and is inserted in the vagina. Its efficacy is known to be around 79-95%. It reduces the risk of STI and HIV transmission. It can be used by those with latex allergies and can be inserted up to 8 hours prior to intercourse. It can increase pleasure for both partners because the rim of the outer ring stimulates the clitoris and testes during sex. It does not affect fertility. However, it can be expensive and sometimes produces a noisy crackling sound during intercourse. Also, some women find it difficult to insert.
Usage: Add lubricant. Insert the closed end of the condom deep into the vagina to cover the cervix. The open end stays outside the vagina to partially cover the labia. After sex, remove the condom by twisting the outer ring and pulling it out gently to avoid spilling any semen.
Precaution: Do not use the external and internal condom together. Recommendations for the internal condom indicate a single usage for each condom. However, there is research being done to study whether disinfecting and cleaning an internal condom can allow for multiple usage.