Teen Sexual Health Summary During your teens you go through puberty and become sexually mature. If you’re a girl, you develop breasts and begin to get your period. If you’re a boy, your penis and testicles become larger. If you have sex, you could get pregnant or get someone pregnant. Whether you choose to have sex or not, it is a good idea to know about safe sex and how sex affects your health. Besides pregnancy, having sex puts you at risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease, such as herpes or genital warts, or HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The only way to be completely safe is not to have sex. If you choose to have sex, however, latex condoms are the best protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Condoms are also a form of birth control to help prevent pregnancy. Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Teen Sexual Behavior National Institutes of Health Specifics Dating and Sexual Feelings Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Delayed Puberty Nemours Foundation Especially for Teens: Birth Control American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Expect Respect: Healthy Relationships American Academy of Pediatrics Helping Teens Resist Sexual Pressure American Academy of Pediatrics Homosexuality: Facts for Teens American Academy of Family Physicians Making Healthy Decisions About Sex American Academy of Pediatrics Making Healthy Sexual Decisions Children’s Hospital Boston Masturbation American Academy of Pediatrics Sex Education: Talking to Your Teen about Sex Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Sexual Attraction and Orientation Nemours Foundation Talking to Your Parents about Sex Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Talking to Your Partner about Condoms Nemours Foundation Teaching Teens To Use Condoms Faithfully American Academy of Pediatrics Virginity: A Very Personal Decision Nemours Foundation Start Here Especially for Teens: You and Your Sexuality American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Sexual Health Nemours Foundation Teenage Sexuality American Academy of Pediatrics Diagnosis and Tests Estrogen Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Testosterone Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Reference Desk Female Reproductive System Nemours Foundation Male Reproductive System Nemours Foundation Find an Expert KidsHealth Nemours Foundation Journal Articles Teen Sexual Health Statistics and Research Sexual Health of Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Sexual Risk Behavior: HIV, STD, & Teen Pregnancy Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Games Stay Teen: Games National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy Teenagers Telling Your Partner You Have an STD Nemours Foundation Latest News Condom Use Falls When Teen Girls Opt for IUDs Vs. the Pill HealthDay
