Table of contents:
- What to do after unprotected sex
- 1. Urinate immediately
- 2. Understand your risk for venereal disease
- 3. Use the emergency birth control pill
- 4. Check and check your body
- 5. Get a gender test
- 6. Home pregnancy test
- How can you prevent the risks of having sex without a condom?
According to WHO, every year an estimated 17 million young girls aged less than 19 give birth from unprotected sex - either from lack of information about contraception, or under duress. Approximately 3 million of these girls undergo illegal abortion each year. Most of these phenomena occur in developing countries, including Indonesia.
Adolescents and adults alike, it is undeniable that safe sex is very important. But there are many other reasons that sex can be unsafe - torn condoms, missed birth control pills, spontaneous sex, or just pure ignorance.
Having an emergency backup plan is essential, especially if you are not using protection. Here's what you need to know to make sure you stay OK after unprotected sex.
What to do after unprotected sex
1. Urinate immediately
For the time being, put aside your worries about pregnancy and infectious diseases. There is not much you can do about it at this point. Now, it is better to shift your entire focus to reduce the risk of urinary tract disease. About 80 percent of women contracted a urinary tract infection (UTI) after having had unprotected sex in the last 24 hours.
ALSO READ: Why Do Women Get Urinary Tract Infection More Often?
One of the most effective ways anyone (yes, men included!) To avoid a UTI is to pee shortly after sex. The flowing urine will sweep all kinds of bacteria out with it, thus cleaning the urinary tract.
For women, one thing you should never do after unprotected sex is to clean the vagina with douching, aka vaginal cleaning sprays. Douching changes the normal balance of yeast and bacteria in the reproductive tract, which can increase the risk of pelvic infections and other infections.
2. Understand your risk for venereal disease
The incidence of sexually transmitted diseases due to risky sex in Indonesia continues to increase. However, your risk of infection after unprotected sex is not 100 percent 100 percent hammering. The determining factors include geographic location (certain areas have a tendency to endemic certain diseases); how well your body's immune system is at the time to fight off viral attacks; or whether you have open sores on your vagina, penis, anus, mouth, or other areas that have easy access to skin contact or are exposed to fluids.
ALSO READ: What Happens to the Body When Exposed to HIV?
3. Use the emergency birth control pill
If you have recently had unprotected sex but are also not using other contraceptives, take the morning-after pill a few hours after spontaneous intercourse. Emergency birth control pills are available over-the-counter in pharmacies and are proven to be 89% effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies when taken within 72 hours of having sex - and 95% effective when taken within 24 hours.
4. Check and check your body
Sex without a condom increases the chances of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection, equally in both men and women. The infection can remain active without showing any symptoms for years. However, watch out for the following common signs that can signal you that everything is abnormal with the body after the procedure: genital bleeding without cause, pain during urination, pain during sex, rashes and skin sores (including in the genital area).
ALSO READ: 9 Sexual Diseases You May Have Without You Realizing It
For women, symptoms include vaginal discharge that is different than usual - changes in volume, consistency (eg, fluid and lumpy), or color (cloudy, whiter, or pink / bloody) - as well as an unusual smell (fishy, foul). and feels itchy or painful.
5. Get a gender test
Experts recommend getting venereal disease testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C within a few weeks of unprotected sex. For cases like herpes, the doctor has to thoroughly wipe the open sores to make sure they are herpes bumps, so once the sores heal - they can go flat in a few days - there's nothing more to test.
So if suddenly a lump appears for no reason appears in the genital area or around your mouth, contact your doctor right away for a test. If the test comes back negative, you will need to come back in six months to run the test again to be absolutely sure.
Note: Regardless of whether you are female or male, gay or heterosexual, if you think there is the slightest chance that you may have been exposed to HIV, tell the nearest medical staff or emergency room doctor immediately. You may be prescribed PEP, a 28-day therapy that can prevent HIV from taking control of your body.
6. Home pregnancy test
Taking emergency birth control pills does not guarantee that you will be free from pregnancy. A study quoted from Health, reports that women who take emergency birth control still have a 1.8-2.6% chance of getting pregnant. If you have any doubts about an unwanted pregnancy and your period is delayed by a week in the following month, take a home pregnancy test to confirm your status.
ALSO READ: Causes of the Pregnancy Test Shows Wrong Results
But if you want to know for sure - and as soon as possible - schedule an appointment with your gynecologist. Your doctor can test your blood for markers of pregnancy. Remember, the sooner you find out about unplanned pregnancies, the better.
How can you prevent the risks of having sex without a condom?
With pregnancy, you can breathe easier after your blood test comes back negative. Unfortunately, you don't have the same guarantees as sexually transmitted infections. A person can have sex and be infected, but have no noticeable symptoms even after years. Therefore, it is important to have a sex test every year and always use a condom with all future sex partners.
Don't be shy about asking - straightforwardly - your partner to use a condom. There is no shame in insisting on keeping the two of you safe. If she doesn't have a condom, you can always be on the lookout for your own condom stash. It's also important to note: If the condom breaks, all of the above rules still apply.
With the image of an unwanted pregnancy and the potential for contagious disease, reckless casual sex can be a major weapon against which you blame yourself. But, if the rice has become porridge, use it as a motivating factor. What you can do is enrich yourself with all the information and learn to be more responsible next time.
ALSO READ: Signs of Pregnancy You May Not Know About
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