I’m worried the condom might have broken during sex, and now I’m freaking out. What should I do?
By Kendall @ Planned Parenthood | July 11, 2013, 12:58 p.m.
Category:
I used a condom while having sex. My partner said the condom ripped but I’m not 100% sure it did and I don’t remember there being semen in my vagina or anywhere on me. I didn’t take birth control or anything other than the condom. And now it’s been about a couple weeks since that day. Is there still anything I can do to prevent pregnancy or is it too late? Also my period hasn’t come yet and I’m pretty sure it was supposed to a couple days ago. I’m freaked out, I’m too young to be pregnant. I’m not even old enough to go and buy birth control or emergency contraceptives. What do I do?!
First of all, if you think you could be pregnant and your period is late, it’s definitely a good idea to take a pregnancy test. An at-home pregnancy test is very accurate when taken after your period is already late. Anyone, regardless of age, can purchase a pregnancy test at a drugstore for about $15.
You may also want to make an appointment to talk with the staff at your local Planned Parenthood health center. They can give you another pregnancy test to confirm your results and, if you’re pregnant, talk with you about your options. If you’re not pregnant, they can talk to you about your birth control options so you don’t have to go through a pregnancy scare again.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of reasons why your period could be late. Pregnancy can definitely be one of them, especially if you’ve had unprotected sex. But your period could also be late because of stress, poor nutrition, or changes in any medicine you’re taking. It’s also completely possible that your period is just late because it’s a little irregular – that’s especially common for teenagers.
And just so you know for the future, you aren’t too young to buy emergency contraception. Anyone – no matter how old you are – can get Plan B One-Step, one brand of emergency contraception, over the counter without a prescription at a drugstore or Planned Parenthood health center. At many Planned Parenthood health centers, you can just walk in and get it.
In the future, using emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill) within five days of unprotected sex can help prevent pregnancy. (The sooner you take it the better.)
When condoms break, it’s usually because they’re not being used correctly. Check out this video for a step-by-step guide to using a condom.
Tags: emergency contraception, pregnancy test, late period, broken condom, am I pregnant