[Anonymous]

I'm not sexually active and I don't have a boyfriend, but I'm going to university in September and I would rather be safe than sorry. Having sex isn't always something you can plan, even though I know its best if it were planned, but I'm unsure about whether condoms would be enough to rely on? Or should I go on the pill?

I have no intention to have sex until I have a steady boyfriend, but things happen and I'd rather be on the safe side. I've not had sex before, so I don't know whats the best course of action to take. Any help would be great

[angelbones]

Okay. Hmmm.
I personally LOVED being on the pill, because, other than the obvious bonus of not getting pregnant, it settled my periods into a very specific routine. (When I switched to a POP pill later, it stopped them completely.)

I think it's very sensible of you to be thinking ahead like this. Condoms don't suit everyone (I hate them, the smell and feel of them is the most un-sexy thing EVER) and it's great to know that you're protected in case you do have any random liaisons.

You need to remember to take it every day of course, and remember that it won't protect against STIs.

[StarsAreFixed]

This seemed a bit strange to me (wise of course though) before I remembered you get the pill for free in the UK. By all means, go for it. Research it though, it's not suitable if you have certain conditions/your family does..but any decent doctor will ask you those questions anyway. Just a point to be aware of, it will be an awful shock to your body at first, you might bleed for 2 weeks or so and then more on and off..it could take 3 or more months for it to settle down altogether but everyone's different, might be a lot less than that. Another thing I would urge is to try a lighter-strength brand of the pill first...too many start on Yasmin, Dianette and Celest..they're all very strong and people are prone to side-effects on them. Lighter ones work just as well. Mercilon, Microlite and Minulet are examples of these.

[angelbones]

(Original post by StarsAreFixed)
This seemed a bit strange to me (wise of course though) before I remembered you get the pill for free in the UK. By all means, go for it. Research it though, it's not suitable if you have certain conditions/your family does..but any decent doctor will ask you those questions anyway. Just a point to be aware of, it will be an awful shock to your body at first, you might bleed for 2 weeks or so and then more on and off..it could take 3 or more months for it to settle down altogether but everyone's different, might be a lot less than that. Another thing I would urge is to try a lighter-strength brand of the pill first...too many start on Yasmin, Dianette and Celest..they're all very strong and people are prone to side-effects on them. Lighter ones work just as well. Mercilon, Microlite and Minulet are examples of these.

I should just add, those as far as I know aren't the ones normally given straight away in the UK.

The starter combined pill is usually Microgynon 30.
The starter POP pill is usually Cerazette.

You can fiddle around and try different brands (they have different levels of hormones and so affect your body in different ways) once you've seen how your body reacts to them.

[campy]

(Original post by Anonymous)
I'm not sexually active and I don't have a boyfriend, but I'm going to university in September and I would rather be safe than sorry. Having sex isn't always something you can plan, even though I know its best if it were planned, but I'm unsure about whether condoms would be enough to rely on? Or should I go on the pill?

I have no intention to have sex until I have a steady boyfriend, but things happen and I'd rather be on the safe side. I've not had sex before, so I don't know whats the best course of action to take. Any help would be great

If the only reason you're going on the pill is in case you have unexpeted sex, don't go on the pill. That's incredibly naive and stupid-you can still catch an STI, many of which are actually quite serious. Why not just keep condoms in your room and in your bag. And if you don't have a condom with you, don't have sex. Simple. Not to mention the hormonal havoc the pill wreaks on your body. You don't really want to have to deal with that unless it's helping you in some way (like in you have irregular, painful periods). It's a lot of bother, and potentially for nothing.