Freaking out

Hi, my name is Tom. Last year, my girlfriend and I had unprotected sex. When she missed her period, my life turned upside down. Read on to do what I did to get through one of the scariest times of my 16 years.

She missed her period, and, immediately, my heart sank. I knew that telling my parents about my having sex would break their hearts. I also knew I was not ready for a child, since I’m still a child myself. The stress from a potential unplanned pregnancy is astronomical; the only way to get this off your mind is to get a pregnancy test, at all costs. I know I would have if I had access to a car, but I was only 15.

To overcome this stress, the pregnancy test must be used so you can know for sure. If it’s negative, you’re off the hook and you can go on with your life. But if you can’t get a hold of a test, the next month of your life will be wondering whether or not she’s pregnant.

During this time, friends are what helped me get through this. They all told me that this wouldn’t change our friendship, and they would help. It really meant something to me and helped me to not go mentally insane.

To sum it up, if she’s really pregnant, I cannot say anything that would help since I have not been down that road. But if you’re worried, try your best to get a test to end you’re anxiety. If you can’t, talk to trustworthy people about it. They can be your biggest support.

For some resources about sex, protecting yourself and dealing with pregnancy, check out these resources:

• FAQs about sex
• My girlfriend is pregnant
• Emergency contraception
• Becoming a parent