Did you forget to use a condom or other contraceptive methods recently? Did he pull off in the heat of the show, or maybe the condom got broken or slipped off? Try not to panic! These things happen sometimes and often put one into fear of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
The good news is, there are still many things you can do to take care of your health, reduce the chances of getting pregnant, or risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) after unprotected sex.
If your exposure was a rape case, it is important you move into a safer place, speak up and seek medical care where necessary. There are many sound minds out there who are ready to listen and help you out. You do not have to bottle up such trauma.
Here are lists of what you can do to avoid pregnancy and STIs as much as possible if you just had sex without protection.
Stop And Move Away.
Sometimes we get carried away by all the activities preceding actual intercourse that we forget the safe sex practices which are meant to protect us. As soon as you remember, or notice that the condom broke, stop every sexual activity and take some steps away from your partner. This will help bring the two of you back to reality.
Use The Restroom.
Take a quick trip to the bathroom and try to push out the body fluid from your vagina, cervix, penis, or anus. Urinating immediately can help push out bacteria, viruses, and any other disease-causing organism, that could have found its way into your bladder.
Wash Up
Wash your genitals with enough water but do not douche. This will help to clear up fluid that could get you pregnant or infected with diseases.
Spend Some Time On The Toilet Seat.
Try to push down with your genital muscles to help remove any remaining body fluid. Sitting upright will also help the force of gravity to work against the upward movement of sperm into the cervix.
Check Out Your Emotions
It is normal to worry after an unsafe safe practice. You may feel sad, anxious, or scared of undesired outcomes. But hey! these things happen and you are not the first person to have sex without protection.
Try to calm yourself down by speaking to a friend. Talk to your partner about how you feel, your fears, and resolutions to stick to safer sex.
Draw Out A Plan
The middle of your mixed feelings is the right time to decide never to engage in sexual practices that will put your life at stake. Plan on what to do the next day if the sex happened at night. Who to call, hospital, clinic, or pharmacy to visit as soon as possible, should all be outlined in your plan.
Take An Emergency Contraceptive
There are drugs you can take within 72 hours after unprotected sex to avoid getting pregnant. They are called the Morning After Pills since most sexual intimacies happen at night.
Go to your nearest pharmacy and get one for yourself. They are mostly over-the-counter medicines that do not require a prescription to obtain. Remember, however, that they will not be able to protect you from any sexually transmitted diseases.
Get A Post Exposure Prophylaxis
Post-exposure prophylaxis, PEP, is a short course of HIV medicines taken soon after a possible exposure to HIV to prevent the virus from establishing an infection in your body. Check-in at a clinic, or hospital to speak with a doctor and get you started. The earlier the better.
Consider Family Planning
If your fear of unprotected sex is just pregnancy, maybe because you are not ready to start childbearing, you want a good child spacing, or you already got the family size you desire, then you may have to consider any of the family planning or contraceptive methods discussed here.
Watch Out for Signs of Infection
Keep an eye on your body for anything unusual. Most STIs may not show any symptoms immediately but some changes like itching, burning sensation while urinating, difficulty in starting urine, and unusual discharge may be initial signs that something is going wrong. Write down all your symptoms and discuss them with your doctor.
Take an STI Test
You should get tested 2-3 weeks after exposure to ascertain your safety. The earlier an STI is detected, the better your treatment plan.
Take A Pregnancy Test
If you miss your period after unprotected sex, you will need to run a pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy. You can do this at home with some pregnancy test strips sold in pharmacies, or you visit a diagnostic center for the test.