i’m 14 and i just had unprotected sex with my boyfriend. i’m very scared a d i want to take the morning after pill and start using birth control but i dont want to talk to my parents about it, is there anyway i can get help with this?
Only women and men 17 and over can purchase the morning after pill (also known as emergency contraception) over the counter. People under 17 will need to go to a health center or a private health care provider to get a prescription. (The morning-after pill can be less expensive at health centers like Planned Parenthood.)
You may also need a prescription for birth control, depending on what birth control method or methods you choose to use. In general, parental permission is not needed for prescription methods of birth control, like the pill or emergency contraception. However, there may be certain locations where, for one reason or another, a health care provider will require parental permission. Check with your provider about her or his policy.
When taken within 120 hours after unprotected sex, emergency contraception can reduce the risk of pregnancy. However, it offers no protection against sexually transmitted infections.
Condoms are a method of birth control that can greatly reduce the risk of both pregnancy and infection. Condoms can also be used with other methods of birth control, such as birth control pills, for additional protection. Learn more about your birth control options.
Some teens find it scary, intimidating, or embarrassing to talk with their parents about sex and birth control. If and when you feel ready to bring it up with your parents, you could try using a magazine article or TV show as a jumping-off point to start the conversation. It might take more than one conversation about this issue before you feel comfortable disclosing information about your personal feelings and intentions. You could break the ice with something like, “This feels weird for me to talk about, and it may be for you, too, but I want to ask about birth control …”