Handwritten question: How do you have sex without a condom and not get your girlfriend pregnant?
A real question from a young person, submitted anonymously.

How do you have sex without a condom and not get your girlfriend pregnant?

Contraception & Pregnancy

If you don't want to use a , your girlfriend would need to be using another form of to prevent . That's her decision to make, not just yours, so it's something you'd need to talk about together.

The most effective options that don't involve condoms are the (a small rod placed under the skin of the arm, lasts three years), the or coil (placed inside the by a doctor, lasts 5 to 10 years depending on the type), the (given every 8 to 13 weeks), and (taken daily). All of these are available for free through a GP or .

These methods are very effective at preventing pregnancy when used properly. But none of them protect against . Condoms are the only form of contraception that does both. So if you're not using condoms, you're only protected against pregnancy, not infections.

is not reliable contraception. can contain , and the failure rate is about 1 in 5 with typical use.

If you're thinking about ditching condoms, both of you should get tested for STIs first. And make sure whatever method you're using is something your girlfriend is comfortable with and has chosen for herself.

If you don't use a , your girlfriend would need to use a different type of to stop . This is something you should talk about together.

The most effective options are the (a small rod in the arm), the coil (put inside the womb by a doctor), the (every few months), and (taken every day). All of these are free from a GP or .

These methods stop pregnancy, but they do not protect against . Condoms are the only thing that does both. So if you stop using condoms, you are only protected against pregnancy, not infections.

is not reliable. It does not work well enough to count on.

If you are thinking about not using condoms, both of you should get tested for STIs first.

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