6 Safe sex: how do you do it? Safe sex: how to talk about it Talking about contraceptives ADRIENNE, AGE 17: ‘I‘ve had a boyfriend for a little while. We haven’t had sex yet, but we will at some point. Last week we talked for the first time about what we should do to prevent pregnancy. He actually had some good ideas. I was really pleased.’ GUILLIANO, AGE 16: ‘My girlfriend has started taking the pill. She’s told me all about how it works. About the pill pack, and that you stop taking it for a week. I’m glad I know that now.’ SORAYA, AGE 18: ‘My boyfriend mentioned it recently. How should we make sure I don’t get pregnant when we have sex? I was really pleased I didn’t have to bring it up. That he feels responsible for it too and he’s serious about us.’ How to bring up condoms? Bringing up the subject of condoms can be quite difficult. But once you’ve talked about it, you’ll feel a lot better. It was actually brilliant ELINE, AGE 18: ‘We’d been going out for three months and were lying on the sofa cuddling. I said to him: If we were to go to bed together, what do you think about condoms? So we talked about safe sex and who would bring the condoms. It was actually brilliant. We immediately talked about our first time.’ Just get one out RUBEN, AGE 17: ‘I think I’d feel a bit awkward. What should you say first? You could just take out a condom. Then you’d see how he reacts.’ Nice when the boy does it WESLEY, AGE 15: ‘I was talking to my brother about it the other day. He said that girls like it when boys do it. So I’d just ask: shall I bring condoms?’ We both thought of it JADE, AGE 17: ‘We hadn’t really talked about it beforehand. I found it quite difficult to do. But the evening we had sex for the first time, my boyfriend showed me that he had condoms with him. I also had some in my bedside cabinet. Funny really.’ Tips Ways to talk about it • Work out beforehand how and when you’ll bring it up. • Be clear. Just say honestly: ‘I only do it with…’ • Bring it up while you’ve still got your clothes on. • Show the condom or put it where it’s visible. • Bring it up with a joke. Then it won’t be such a big deal. • Give the other person a condom as a gift. That’ll make it clear immediately. How would you bring it up? 44 LONG LIVE LOVE Tips For boys • Ask your girlfriend if she’s taken her pill today. • Read the instructions to see how the pill works.
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