Beat Depression

So you think you’re ready for sex? Take a deep breath, and please honestly answer this short quiz:

1. Do you care about your partner?

   Yes (5 pts.)
   No (0 pts.)

2. Are you educated in all the pros and cons of sex and are you prepared to handle it if something goes wrong?

   Yes (5 pts.)
   No (0 pts.)
   Sort of (2 pts.)
   I plan to learn (4 pts.)

3. Have you discussed birth control options with your partner?

   Yes (5 pts.)
   No (0 pts.)
   I am too embarrassed (-5 pts.)

4. Have you discussed openly and honestly your sexual pasts with your partner?

   Yes (5 pts.)
   None of their business (0 pts.)
   I don’t trust my partner, so I don’t know if what they told me is correct (-10 points)

5. Are you able to say no or accept no from your partner if there is any doubt once you’ve started?

   Yes (5 pts.)
   There’s no turning back once you start (-5 pts.)

6. Is it unfair for you or your partner to decide not to have sex anymore after the first time?

   Totally! If you’ve done it once, you’ve already decided to keep doing it. (-10 pts.)
   No, it’s totally understandable if they need more time to think (10 pts.)

7. Is a major reason you’ve chosen to have sex is because “everyone else is doing it”?

   No, it’s none of my business what my friends do, and this is a personal choice (5 pts.)
   Yeah, I don’t want to risk looking uncool (-20 pts.)

8. Is it legal for you to engage in sex with the partner you’ve chosen? (for a list of sexual legalities click here)

   Yes (5 pts.)
   No (0 pts.)

9. Does someone in your family (older, but not necessarily your parents) know your decision to start being sexually active? (Click here for tips to clue in the fam)

   Yes (5 pts.)
   No (0 pts.)

10. Okay, last thing: Describe what sex means to you:

    Fluid exchange (0 pts.)
    Fun, fun, fun (0 pts.)
    A way to express my love and caring for my partner (5 pts.)
    A way to get love from my partner (-5 pts.)
    A way to make my bad relationship better as a last resort (-10 pts.)

Add up your points and divide by 50. Then, times by 100 to get your percentage.

Okay, you’ve taken the test and scored at least an 80 percent (come on, you have to be ready mentally as well as physically) now you need the checklist:

• Condoms (duh, if you’re gonna do it, do it safely. If you truly care about your partner and yourself, don’t skip this step.)
• Spermicide (this is optional, but the more the better. They have foams and inserts out on the market, available at most drug stores, most under 15 bucks. And they last for a while. They are REALLY effective if used in conjunction with condoms.)
• An understanding partner. It’s one of the most important decisions of your life and if you can’t do it maturely (i.e. “I can’t talk about protection with my partner cuz I’m embarrassed”) then don’t do it now. You need to be able to communicate your feelings, worries, and thoughts about this whole thing to them. Don’t leave them out of what’s going on in your mind, because they’re part of this too. Also, if there’s any hesitation, whether it be from you or your partner, then this should be stopped. Put it off until a later date, at least… to see if you still feel the same way after a time.
• Practice using the condoms before hand, so that you know exactly what to expect when the time comes. This helps eliminate any mistakes that might occur for first time users, that might end up diminishing the effectiveness of the condom.

But I don’t want to have sex, yet!! Am I weird?

No!! You are not weird at all, in fact abstinence is the only 100% effective way to protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy. So it’s actually the smartest choice if you are not ready for any of the consequences that come with sex.