TeenHelp - Am I pregnant?

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Ok so... I'm 15. My boyfriend and I had sex I'd say... About two weeks ago without a condom. When he came, he pulled out. But I fear it wasn't in time. I'm a week late from my period, and I have symptoms of pregnancy. My boyfriend said that if I am, he will help support me and stay with me. If I am... There's no way I could tell my mom. What should I do? Advice?

Re: Am I pregnant?

You should take a pregnancy test. That's the only thing to do right now. You can buy them over the counter at any pharmacy or grocery store.

Re: Am I pregnant?

Do you think your boyfriend would be able to take you to the store or pharmacy to get you a pregnancy test, if you are unable to get there on your own? You can also ask a friend to, if you trust them. That way, you won't have to get your mom involved until you truly know for certain what is going on. If you want, you can also go to a doctor or clinic such as Planned Parenthood and they can administer a test there.

I'd try and stay calm until you know for sure whether or not it is a pregnancy, though. Try and take some deep breaths, because things like stress can also alter a person's menstrual cycle.

If you are pregnant, it is wonderful your boyfriend would be supportive! This is something that would take a lot of communication, since you do have options when it comes to pregnancy (keeping the baby, giving the baby up for adoption, or having an abortion) and it is important to pick the best option for you. I'd also try and make an appointment with an OBGYN, since they would be able to monitor throughout your pregnancy.

If you aren't (and in the future in general) I'd start using a backup method. The pull-out method isn't always effective for the reason you described - sometimes it doesn't happen on time. A condom or the birth control pill would add extra protection.

I wish you the best of luck!

Re: Am I pregnant?

Hey there,

The first thing you want to do is take a pregnancy test. You need to figure out if you are pregnant or not and the only way to do that is by taking a pregnancy test. You can get them at your local grocery store.

If you do turn out to be pregnant then you and your boyfriend are going to have to talk about what options you have available to you. This is a pretty serious matter and it's great that he is saying that he will stay by your side. If you do turn out to be pregnant you will probably have to tell your mom, eventually.

If you aren't pregnant you really need to consider other methods of contraceptive such as birth control. The pull out method is never very effective. So, go down and talk to someone about the options that you have available. If, for whatever reason, birth control isn't available to you then you and your boyfriend need to invest in some condoms so that you at least have that protection. Although, birth control and condoms are the best method, in my opinion.

I hope that this helped and I am wishing you the best of luck.

Re: Am I pregnant?

Hey girl, so you should get a pregnancy test. I don't know if the recommendation is still the same, but it used to be that you should get 2-3 of them to double and triple check before seeing a doctor, but I guess they could have improved the quality of at-home pregnancy tests since then. If you get even 1 positive see a doctor to get everything done up.

If you are pregnant, I'm sorry, but you're mom will probably have to know. I know it is scary and that she'll be angry, but you'll need her support. Either you'll need an abortion (which will probably require health insurance or some sort of financial support) OR you'll be growing a baby, which isn't something you can keep a secret for that long. It will be ok though, there are a lot of other support systems out there - friends, boyfriend, teachers, support groups, social services etc.

If you are pregnant you have options and I promise, you will be ok. I have friends who became parents as teenagers and they're fine. It wasn't easy, and most of them had their education and/or careers affected by it (ex. took longer to graduate or something), but it's not like their lives were ruined. Three of my friends even went to college while being parents. They had a lot of support (ex. one had a boyfriend take pat leave, another had a lot of family help etc.) but it worked out.... You can also choose adoption.

If you are not pregnant, you should get some kind of birth control. Condoms are the obvious and most accessible choice, but if remembering to use this is a problem for you and your boyfriend, I recommend something like the Nuva Ring: you just put that in, forget about it for 3 weeks, then take it out for a week to have your period, and repeat with a new one.