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Wyoming Health Council
Contact
Webmaster
In Memory.
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Teens, Western Wyoming Family Planning
can help you!
This
page has a lot of information about health problems that can
face
teenagers. Please use the navigational links on this page to find
the info you
need:
Why Family Planning?
(Back to Top)
- Family Planning is able to offer services to teens for:
- Birth Control
- Reproductive Care
- Pregnancy Tests
- STD Testing & Treatment
- These services can be offered to the teen
without the need for parental consent.
- (Public Law 91-572, WY State 35-4-131,42-5-101)
- Fees are based on a sliding scale, based on wage. We ask
for a small donation, but teens are considered low income.
(see our Pricing Page)
- Teen pregnancy is down because more teens are using
abstinence (delaying sexual relations) and working on future goals or
they are using birth control (which can be obtained from programs
such as family planning).
- Services are offered to both female and male patients.
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Exams
- Wellness exams
- Reproductive – Pap (check for cervical cancer)
- Deferred – three months of pills or one injection of DMPA
before pap
- STI/STD – sexually transmitted disease testing
- Exams are available for both male and female patients.
(Back to Top)
Birth Control/Pregnancy
- Useful Information:
- Sexual activity in adolescence is often sporadic, and many
relationships do not last very long.
- Most men use a condom the first time they have intercourse,
but use subsequently declines and a reliance on female methods increases.
- Six in 10 pregnancies involving teenage fathers end in a
birth; four in 10 end in an abortion. Thirteen percent of abortions each
year involve teenage men.
- Birth Control:
- No birth control is 100% effective except abstinence.
- If you use no method of birth control, you have an 85-90%
chance of getting pregnant.
- Saying “no” (abstinence) is the most effective form of birth
control. (It is 100% effective). By saying “no” you are delaying sexual
relations until you are really ready. Remember to say “no” firmly.
- Thousands of teens who say “yes” will tell you they wish
they had waited. Even if you don’t get a disease or get pregnant, you can
still get hurt. Breaking up with someone after you’ve had sex feels twice
as bad. Having sex is no guarantee that you will stay together.
- Teens have a higher incidents of STI/STD’s. Teenagers are
getting AIDS at a faster rate than any other group in America. Condoms
sometimes break, slip, or don’t get used at all. Birth control methods
such as the pill do not protect against STI/STD’s.
- We urge teens who choose to have sexual relations to use
some method of birth control. The following is a list of some available
options. New options are coming up as well.
- Male Condom: Thin latex or polyurethane (should be
lubricated with a strong spermicide) disposable sheath worn over the
penis. Condoms catch sperm so they can’t cause a pregnancy and they
protect you from Aids or other STI/STD’s. Condoms are 86-98% effective if used
correctly. It is more effective if used with a film or foam. Condoms
should still be used even if the female is on the pill or other form of
birth control or if the male has had a vasectomy to protect against
STI/STD’s.
Never reuse a condom. Do not use with the female condom/pouch!
- Female Condom (pouch): Pre-lubricated pouch with open
ring at one end, closed ring at other. Closed ring is anchored between
cervix and vagina, open ring just outside body. Like the condom, the
pouch helps protect against pregnancy and STI/STD’s. In fact, if used
correctly, the pouch is more effective than the male condom. Pouches are
79-95% effective if used perfectly. Do not use with the male condom!
- Spermicides (film/foam/suppositories): Inserted into
the vagina before having intercourse. Foam is only 71% effective if used
alone, but it is 98% effective if partner uses a condom too. Films are
72-94% effective alone if used perfectly and 99% effective if used with a
condom.
- Diaphragm/Cervical Cap: Diaphragm and cervical cap are
barrier birth control devices tailored to fit over the cervix to prevent
sperm from entering the uterus. Medical professionals must fit the
diaphragm and some caps. Before having sex, spermicide is added and the
diaphragm or cap is inserted into the vagina. This method is 80-94%
effective. Using a diaphragm or cap alone won’t protect you from getting an
STI/STD. Use a condom also.
- The “pill”: Pills are made of synthetic hormones.
You need a prescription to take the pill. Pills prevent the ovaries from
releasing an egg. There are several kinds of pills, each with its own
instructions. The pill is 95-99% effective if used perfectly. The pill
does not protect from STD’s. Because of health risks never borrow a pill
from a friend.
- Skin patch: Contraceptive adhesive skin patch,
applied once a week to one of four places on the body. Contraceptive
material enters the blood stream to protect the user against pregnancy. If
used correctly the patch is as effective as the pill. Because of health
risks, never borrow a patch from a friend.
- IUD (intrauterine device): Small plastic or metal
device inserted in the uterus by a medical professional. Different types
work different ways. Some cause a mild irritation that prevents
fertilization or implantation others cause hormone changes. An IUD is
97.4-99% effective. With the IUD there is an increased risk of pelvic
inflammatory disease or tubule pregnancy. IUD’s do not protect against
STI/STD’s
- Injections: Depo Provera and Lunelle are two
injectable forms of contraception (given as shots). The shots must be
given at specific times by medical professionals. They work by preventing
eggs from being released. These injections must be prescribed and must be
given when scheduled. Injections are 99.7% effective. Injections do not
protect against STI/STD’s.
- Emergency Contraception: If you have unprotected sex
or contraceptive failure emergency contraceptive pills (ECP’s) are
available by prescription. The pills prevent pregnancy after known or
suspected contraceptive failure or unprotected sex. The pills must be
taken within 72 hours after having unprotected sex. They do not cause
an abortion. They prevent implantation of the egg but are not
recommended for birth control. They are about 75% effective. ECP’s
provide no protection against STI/STD’s.
- Pregnancy:
- Most states now require men to help support the babies they
father.
- Don’t assume your partner has taken precautions against
getting pregnant (or getting an STI/STD). Always ask..
- Pitfalls of Teenage Pregnancy:
- Low income – ˝ of mothers on welfare are teen mothers.
- Children from teen mothers are more likely to serve jail time.
- Two thirds of teen mothers never finish school.
- If you are pregnant, receiving adequate prenatal care is
vital to your health and the health of your baby. PLEASE see a qualified
physician. Contact you local family planning for a list of physicians.
(Back to Top)
STD’s
- The following is a list of the 10 most common STI?STD’s and
their symptoms but there are at least 50 others!
- Syphilis: 1st Stage: 10-90 days
after exposure, hard, red, painless sores anywhere there has been sexual
contact. Get help immediately. They may disappear after 2-6 weeks but it
is still spreading through the body. 2nd Stage: months
later a rash, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, weight loss, headache,
and hair loss occur. These heal in 2-6 weeks. 3rd Stage:
without treatment symptoms may disappear to return years later to
damage the heart, cause paralysis, dementia or even death. There is a
cure
- Chlamydia: In Men: Painful urination, whitish
discharge from penis or testicular pain. In Women: Itching, burning
in genitals, greenish vaginal discharge, dull pelvic pain. You must have
a medical diagnosis. Insist on careful testing. Diagnosis without tests
can be inaccurate. There are often no signs of infection. There is a
cure.
- Gonorrhea: Nothing for 2-9 days, then frequent
painful burning urination and whitish, greenish or yellow discharge from
penis or vagina. In men, the opening of the penis may be red or sore.
Other symptoms include, sore throat, swollen glands, discharge from anus
or urethra. Sometimes there are no symptoms. There is a cure. Your sex
partner should be treated at the same time to prevent re-infection.
Chlamydia is often present with gonorrhea so both should be treated at the
same time.
- Herpes: Symptoms range from none to severe. Within
2-10 days after contact, painful blisters may appear on contact area.
Symptoms may include swollen lymph glands, aching muscles, fever,
headache. Blisters dry up, leaving painful sores. Blisters return when
victim is under stress. Recurring attacks are less painful and heal
faster. Early treatment gives best results, but there is no cure.
- AIDS: (1) Many have no early symptoms. Positive
antibody test means person has HIV antibodies and is considered “HIV
positive.” May not feel sick but is a carrier and dangerous. Should get
medical counseling. (2) Important to identify early signs of AIDS related
infection: swollen lymph glands, night sweats, fever, diarrhea, weight
loss, fatigue, possibly thrush and shingles. See a doctor! (3) Full-blown
AIDS: immune system shuts down. Victim gets fatal “opportunistic”
disease. There is no cure for AIDS. Early testing is very important to
diagnose and treat HIV with new drugs that are coming on the market with
increasing frequency and improved results.
- Hepatitis: Symptoms may appear within a month after
contact. In some cases: muscle ache, fever, tiredness, loss of appetite,
headache, dizziness. In other cases: dark urine, light stool color,
yellow eyes and skin, tenderness in liver area. Some have no symptoms or
mild “flu” symptoms. Hepatitis can be spread by mouth or genital
contact. It can also be spread by food or water. Medical diagnosis is
important. Get bed rest until symptoms disappear.
- Genital Warts: There may be no symptoms at first.
It’s called a “silent” epidemic. Then 1 to 3 months after contact
cauliflower-like bumps may appear inside and outside genitals and/or
rectum. May cause irritation or itch. Often painless. Bumps may be very
tiny and almost invisible but they spread. There is a treatment, but no
cure. Research indicates that this infection is the leading cause of
cervical cancer.
- Chancroid: Painful swelling and draining open sores
that ooze pus. Messy or just sticky. There may be very few symptoms.
Early treatment is the next best thing to not getting it in the first
place. Must be diagnosed treated by a health professional who will
prescribe proper antibiotic for cure.
- Pubic Lice & Scabies: Sometimes you can see lice in
hairy part of your body. Severe itching, sometimes blood on underwear if
lice get under your skin. With scabies you itch a lot and have reddish
zigzag furrows under skin in genital area and buttocks – or between
fingers, skin folds of elbows, wrists, under arms, feet. See a health
professional for treatment/cure.
- Trichomoniasis: In Women: Greenish yellow
vaginal discharge with bad odor, frequent painful urination, inflammation
in genitals, sometimes pain in lower abdomen. In Men: Discharge
from penis, mild discomfort in penis. You can harbor Trich in your body
for years with or without symptoms. This disease is treated by
prescription. You and your partner should be treated so you won’t
re-infect each other.
- For more information on these or other STI/STD’s contact your
local family planning or other health care facility. If you are
experiencing any of these symptoms or suspect you may have contracted an
STI/STD contact your local family planning or other health care facility.
- Family planning offers easy exams & we have medication for
treatment.
- Remember!: Birth Control pills DO NOT protect against STI/STD’s.
(Back to Top)
Education
- Parent-teen communication
- Teen pregnancy
- Saying “No”
- Contraceptive methods
- Women’s health care exams
- Cultural values and attitudes
- Information on choices available to you
(Back to Top)
Counseling Services
- Pregnancy counseling for teens and adults
- Sexual responsibilities
- Contraception
- Infertility
- Health problems
- Sterilization
- Adoption
(Back to Top)
Useful Links:
- National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association
www.nfprha.org
If you need to make an appointment you can find the closest office on our
Locations page.
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