Prevention

If you do not want to get pregnant, you need to use contraception (birth control) every time you have sex. 

Some clinics in Texas will not let you get contraception without involving your parents.  There are others, though, where you can get condoms, the pill, and other types of contraception confidentially.  For information on the different types of contraception, and to find a clinic in your area where you can get them, see the list below or contact a clinic in your area from the Find a Clinic page.

Emergency Contraception
If you are 17 years old or older, you can buy emergency contraception over the counter at a pharmacy (even men can buy emergency contraception, even though they aren't the ones who take it).  If you have unprotected sex, taking emergency contraception within 72 hours (3 days) makes it MUCH less likely that you will get pregnant.  Depending on the type you choose to take, you will either take a single pill or two pills 12 hours apart. 

Emergency contraception is NOT the same thing as the abortion pill, which you can only get from a clinic.

Teenwire
1-800-230-7526
http://www.teenwire.com
Website about relationships, contraception and pregnancy options for teens.  Affiliated with Planned Parenthood.

Emergency Contraception Website
 http://ec.princeton.edu/locator/under18.html

A searchable database of emergency contraceptive providers in the United States and information on how to get emergency contraception if you are under 18.  Emergency contraception is also called the “morning after pill.”

Coalition for Positive Sexuality
http://www.positive.org/Home/index.html
Website of information about all aspects of sexuality created for young people.

My Sistahs
http://www.mysistahs.org
Information website about sexual health run by and for young women of color.

Texas Department of Family Planning
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/famplan/default.shtm
Phone: (512) 458-7796
Statewide list of family planning clinics.