For partners and loved ones

What she's dealing with

Most of the work of preventing pregnancy usually falls on the person who can get pregnant: appointments, prescriptions, side effects, remembering a pill every day. Most methods are for her body.¹ Only condoms and vasectomy are for his.¹

What helps

• Share it. Talk about birth control before sex, not after. Offer to share the cost and the planning, and go to appointments if she wants company.
• Use condoms for STIs. Most birth control methods don't protect against STIs; latex condoms do.¹ Get tested, and do it together if you can. Chlamydia, for one, often causes no symptoms, so feeling fine doesn't mean you're clear.²
• Know the backup plan. If a condom breaks, emergency contraception works best the sooner it's used, and the progestin pill can be bought ahead of time.³
• Respect her choice. She decides what goes in her body. Side effects are real, and her reasons are enough.
• Consider your own options. A vasectomy is one of the most effective methods there is, for those who are sure they're done having children.¹

Consent is part of it

Pressuring someone into a yes through guilt, fear or intimidation isn't consent.⁴ A clear, freely given yes is needed every time.⁴

If you're a parent

If a teen comes to you about sex or birth control, listening first keeps the door open. Help them reach a doctor, nurse or clinic, and make sure they know about condoms and emergency contraception.