Human Sexuality 332
DB #2- Question 4
What Should My Friend Do?
In my circle of friends, we seem to be very supportive of each other, especially when someone is going through a difficult time in his or her life. There have been numerous occasions where my friends have come to me about problems pertaining to relationships and sexuality. I’m aware of the fact that, by no means, am I an expert in this field. I think my friends are just well aware of what I want to do with my future, possibly becoming a sex therapist, which I think lets them know that I am willing to talk about intimacy very rationally and openly. I, unfortunately, have had experience discussing with a friend what her next steps should be after having unprotected sex with the fear that she may be pregnant. I believe there are a handful of steps and decision-making processes that someone should go through when facing a possible pregnancy.
Assuming that this friend coming to me with this concern would be similar to most of my other friends, in college and in an age range from 18-23 years, my first instinct would be to suggest emergency contraceptive, such as Plan B. I would take into account that she is most likely a full time college student and would rather not have a child at her age or time in life, which she should have thought about before having unprotected sex. If the emergency contraceptive proves effective, which is 75-89 percent of the time (Hyde, 161), I would advise her to use other regular contraception methods such as a male condom or the combination pill. This would prevent further scares of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. If the emergency contraceptive did not prove effective, she did not take it within the next few days, or she decided to not take it, there would be a few more options and decisions to discuss.
The next step would be for her to find out if she is actually pregnant. This could mean going to a physician, taking a home pregnancy test, or waiting for her menstrual cycle to happen. I personally would not rely on