Welcome to Sex In-The-920! I’m the Carrie Bradshaw of UW-Oshkosh, or your college sex guru. With sex being inevitable, birth control may be an important material to consider. 

Whether it be condoms, or the pill, contraceptives should always be considered if you don’t want a baby. 

It’s also important to recognize that birth control isn’t always 100% effective. So I couldn’t help but wonder, how many people are having sex without protection? 

I talked to a few of my friends, and many of them are on birth control. Some on the pill, some on the patch, and some have intrauterine devices (IUD’s). With that in mind, they went into telling me that they no longer use condoms. Remember, birth control does not protect from any sexually transmitted disease, so it is important to use condoms when looking into intercourse. 

While it may be more acceptable to not use a condom with a partner that you have been seeing, there still may be the possibility of becoming pregnant. 

As mentioned, there are many forms of birth control. The pill is an oral method that is taken daily, while the IUD is inserted inside of a woman’s uterus which can last for years. The birth control patch is placed on the outside of the skin, and is replaced weekly. There’s also the shot, which is used on a specific schedule. Finally, most importantly the condom. 

All of these methods should be used with a condom, regardless of birth control or not. In case of an emergency, Plan B, is an over-the-counter contraceptive pill that you can take if you have unprotected sex. With there being multiple options as I mentioned, PlannedParenthood.org writes on many more that may work for you and your body. 

With all of this in mind, my question came with its answer. Many people are having unprotected sex, but that doesn’t mean you should too. With a clear mind, and less anxiety, using protection can make sex more enjoyable for you and your partner. 

Or, if you have sex with someone you don’t want to remember, use protection so you don’t have to worry about having a baby with them. 

Remember to always trust yourself and do what you want to do. Always remember protection. You should always use a latex, because you don’t want that “I’m late” text.