How Do You Know if You are Pregnant?

Published: October 16, 2017
Dear TeenHealthFX,

I had sex with my ex last week.. and I'm not sure if I'€™m pregnant or not.. I'm scared to tell my parents cause I'm only 16.. what should I do? And how do you know you'™re pregnant?

Signed: How Do You Know if You are Pregnant?

Dear How Do You Know if You are Pregnant?,

TeenHealthFX will start with your second question. The first sign for most women that they might be pregnant is a missed period. However, before we continue it is important to remember there are other reasons for a missed period other than pregnancy. Periods can often be irregular for young women whose cycles have not yet regulated following menarche (the start of a woman’s period). Menstrual cycles can also be irregular due to stress, poor diet, over-exercising and certain hormonal imbalances.

If a woman is sexually active and misses her period, it is possible she is pregnant. The chances for pregnancy will be significantly higher if she did not use any form of birth control. She can start by taking a home pregnancy test and then follow up with her doctor to confirm the results, or she can just go straight to her doctor to get tested. Pregnancy tests will detect the presence of a hormone called hCG in either the urine or blood. It is important to wait to take a urine pregnancy test at home or at the doctors until you have missed your period as it is possible there will not be enough of this hormone for a test to detect prior to a missed period. If a woman’s doctor confirms that she is pregnant, the doctor can review her pregnancy options in the event it was not a planned pregnancy.

Now for your question about what you should do. If you do not get your period as expected, you can either take a home pregnancy test or schedule an appointment with a medical health professional who can test you. If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-5199 for an appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist or contact your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood. A Planned Parenthood health center is a good option if you have concerns about cost or confidentiality issues. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers.

Even if you do get your period as expected and do not need to meet with a doctor about a possible pregnancy, TeenHealthFX would like to encourage you to schedule an appointment with your doctor to talk about safer sex precautions for the future. Doctors generally recommend that teens and young adults who choose to be sexually active use condoms each and every time they have sex to protect against unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STDs, as well as a back-up method of birth control such as the pill or birth control shot. Your doctor can make the best recommendations for you and discuss with you how to use properly use birth control to maximize its effectiveness.

FX also suggests that you check out the links in our Resource of the Month: Planned Parenthood Resources on Safer Sex so that you can learn about sexual readiness, how pregnancy happens, pregnancy tests, emergency contraception, birth control, STDs and more. The more educated you are about these topics, the more likely you will make healthy decisions for yourself when it comes to your sexual health.

FX can appreciate that this is scary situation and your mind is probably preoccupied with this. However, once this situation is resolved, FX also invites you to look at why you chose to have sex with your ex. When it comes to having sex, we need to take care of our bodies in terms of protecting ourselves from unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STDs. However, we need to take care of our emotions as well. That said, FX would like you to think about, and perhaps talk to someone about, what choices you are making with your ex so that you can ensure you are taking care of your emotional well-being, too.

Signed: TeenHealthFX

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