How to Protect Your Fertility

culled from:wikihow.com

Steps

1

Never have unprotected sex unless you are trying to get pregnant right then. If you want a baby on down the line, barrier protection is important. Even if you are on the pill. Here's why:

• Semen from your partner can induce your body to produce anti-sperm antibodies. The more exposure to semen, especially from multiple partners over the years, the more anti-sperm antibodies you can create.
• When time comes to get pregnant, your body can kill the sperm.

1. USE A CONDOM EVERY TIME you have sex. You aren't just preventing pregnancy, you are helping to keep your fertility there for later.
   • Another reason to use condoms EVERY time is that many women find themselves with blocked or scarred tubes when they want to get pregnant. This is often caused by low grade pelvic inflammatory disease. Just as raging gonorrhea can cause a young woman to have a hysterectomy at 17, lower levels of pelvic infection from a variety of germs can scar delicate tubes relatively silently. Keep those germs OUT OF YOU -- USE A CONDOM every time.
   • Condoms aren't perfect -- they have a failure rate of about 10%, so using a second barrier form of birth control, such as a diaphragm will help block those germs from getting up into your very delicate Fallopian tubes. It won't help with Anti-sperm antibodies, however.
2. 3
   Be rude if you have to be. No condom, no sex. So keep your own supply, even an assortment so the guy can pick his favorite from a discreet stash in your bedside stand.
3. 4
   Remember that delaying childbearing into your late thirties may mean your chances of success diminish rapidly. Our sexual mores have contributed to this. Men want to "sow their wild oats" all through their twenties -- looking not for Ms. Right, but for Ms. Right Now.
4. 5
   Earlier generations started the sexual revolution never realizing that there were downsides. Certainly, a couple should be sexually experienced, especially with each other, before marriage. Sexual compatibility is important.
5. 6
   All young women should be less available sexually. Why? It will help young men and women to get to know each other better before hopping into bed. Think about it -- what's more intimate -- being seen holding hands in public or sleeping with someone? If it is holding hands in public, you've put the cart before the horse.
   • For men, the turn on is the hunt, the chase. When a woman is more elusive, less available, a man is more interested. A man wants to work for a woman he will value. If he snaps his fingers and you jump in his bed, he'll jump on you, but he will not see you as the ideal woman.
   • The more you know about your partner before you go to bed with him, the better your sexual experience will be.
6. 7
   If you go out with someone for a while and find you don't gel, and haven't slept with him, breaking up is easier and vice versa. No one likes being dumped by someone who was their first sexual partner!
7. 8
   Let guys you like know that you are a "take it slow" kind of person. Pursue your own likes and plans, see how he adapts. If he's a sex NOW kind of guy, he's not the guy for you. If he can't delay gratification, do you really think he'll be useful in the middle of the night with a sick baby? Remember, you aren't just looking for a husband, you are looking for the father of your children. Take your time. There's a Japanese saying, "Know your love through all the seasons." It's a wise one.
8. 9
   Get annual exams with all the bells and whistles. If something seems amiss, make an appointment to check it out. Ask your doctor any questions you have -- she is an unbiased source. If you are using Planned Parenthood for your well woman care, remember them when you are able to do charitable giving. Or better yet, volunteer there and give back directly.