Pregnant? Please help!

[Sarahann12]

The last day of my last period was September 22, I had sex on October 15 and was supposed to get my period on the 17th. We used a condom and made sure it was put on correctly, after we even filled it with water to see if there were tears and there wasn't. I'm 17, please no lectures! But my periods have always been kind of irregular, some days they come as predicted but some months it'll come a week late or even up to 15 days early. I'm 13 days late now and I just started to have tender breasts. If my period tracker app is correct, then I wouldn't have been ovulating that day, but if my schedule wasn't accurate is there a chance I could have been ovulating? Please help!

[Eternal]

Pregnancy symptoms do not start until about four weeks or more after implantation. So it's likely your tenderness is actually just a sign that your period is about to start. When I was 17, my periods were really irregular, sometimes I wouldn't even have a period each month. If you used a condom and there were no holes, then you very likely are not pregnant. Take it easy because if you stress, it will mess with your cycle even more. After two weeks, you can take a pregnancy test, so if that will help you feel better you can go ahead and take one.
I think you and this guy need to make a plan in case something does happen, though. I also recommend you talk to your mother about getting birth control. She doesn't have to know you are sexually active, birth control can do many things like clear up acne and regulate your period. Having two methods is a really good idea if you are going to be sexually active.

[Lizzie]

While it is most common for women to ovulate around the 14th day of their cycle, this is not true for everyone. It is also possible to ovulate more than once in your cycle and at any point in your cycle. This is not as common, but it is possible.

Filling a condom with water to check for leaks wont be a very accurate way to know if there was an issue with the condom. Sperm are microscopic, so even the tiniest of tear, one you can't see with the human eye, could cause an issue with the effectiveness of the condom. Condoms are only about 80% effective against preventing pregnancy when they are used correctly.

Since you are almost two weeks late, I would suggest you take a pregnancy test. An over-the-counter test can be purchased at any grocery store or pharmacy. Enough time has passed that if you are pregnant, it should give a positive reading. They are really easy to use, you should know within a few minutes if you are pregnant or not.

If you are pregnant you will need to make an appointment with your doctor to confirm the pregnancy and to find out how far along you are. Once you know all of that information you can go over your options with your doctor.

If it comes up negative, that just means you missed a period due to stress or illness, which is entirely possible. I highly recommend that if you don't want to get pregnant you use a second form of birth control, like the pill, to reduce the likelihood of pregnancy in the future. Using two forms of birth control will greatly reduce the chance, but there is not form of birth control that can completely prevent pregnancy. The only way to do that is to refrain from vaginal sex, which is also completely OK to do as well. There are many other ways to be physically intimate with your partner.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

[Always *]

Don't worry, no one will lecture you for having sex here. You used condoms, and even if you hadn't, all we'd do is recommend that you use condoms or another type of birth control in the future. Many of us also had sex while teenagers, and we understand the benefits and risks.

In terms of your risk of pregnancy right now, the hormones don't typically change enough to reflect any signs of pregnancy until at least 2 weeks after conception, and you don't usually show any more direct symptoms until 4 weeks after conception like Nicole said; I've even heard of people still getting their "period" when they first got pregnant, which is technically called implant bleeding last I checked, although it'll typically be a pretty light "period", more like spotting, so it can be missed or not missed depending on if you think it's normal for your body or not.

Any how, my point here is that once it's been 2 weeks (14 days), you can get a pregnancy test just to rule that out as the cause for the lateness. Over the counter tests can be purchased at drug stores or the drug isle of your grocery store, I had to buy one before when I was 16. No one will judge you, people buy them all the time and the cashier sees them a lot and since your 17 you could rightfully be older than he/she thinks and therefore, no biggie.

If it is positive, you should go to your doctor to have it confirmed and you will be able to explore your options.

If it is negative or you get your period, I would like to suggest another kind of birth control; the pill, Nuva Ring, or IUD are just a few examples. The IUD is the easiest; Skyla/Jaydess is good for young women, its very effective (98%) and less prone to human error because the doctor pops it in and it stays there for a few years. The IUD is also easy - you just have to remember to take it out, 1 week, put it in, 3 weeks, repeat. It's a lot more comforting than the condom alone because it's less prone to accidents, based on what I can tell from numerous friends with children. Trust me, no judgement, I know how you feel, and I know exactly how comforting using the pill or nuva ring can be after a scare. Another benefit of the pill (or otherwise) is that it will help to regulate your period so that there wont be so much guess work in when your period will arrive and you'll know what it works out to.

Another thing I'd like to recommend is this app called Period Tracker; it shows up as "P Tracker" on your phone, you just click "period started" or "period ended" when it starts or ends. You can also track when you've been "intimate" (AKA had sex) so that if you are late, you know how long it's been since you did the deed and if it's time for a test.

[Arslan50]

Don't worry, no one will lecture you