The ParaGard IUD is effective immediately after it’s inserted. The Mirena IUD is effective immediately if it’s inserted within seven days after the start of your period — if it’s inserted any time after that, you’ll need to use a backup method of birth control for seven days. So either way, it’s safe to say that at this point, you can absolutely depend on your IUD to prevent pregnancy.

The IUD is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, making it one of the most effective forms of birth control around. Since the IUD is inserted by a health care provider and can stay in for years, you can’t forget to use it or use it incorrectly — factors that can make other birth control methods less effective.

One more thing: the IUD protects you from pregnancy, but it doesn’t protect you from STDs. Condoms are the only form of birth control that also protects you from STDs. So even if you have an IUD, it’s still a really good idea to keep using condoms.

Testing and treatment are important first steps, but it’s critical that your boyfriend also get treated for chlamydia, if he hasn’t already. Even if he doesn’t have any symptoms, he needs to get tested and, if positive, treated. That way you won’t infect one another when you have sex again.

Chlamydia is easily treated with a round of antibiotics. Your nurse or doctor will tell you exactly what type of antibiotics you need, and when to get tested again to make sure the antibiotics worked. And your boyfriend needs to get his own treatment — don’t share your antibiotics with him.

It’s always a good idea to use condoms, but it’s especially important to use them until both you and your boyfriend test negative for chlamydia and other STDs. Learn more about chlamydia.

On April 30, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided that Plan B One-Step – one brand of emergency contraception — can be sold over the counter to anyone 15 or older. That means anyone 15 years old or older can buy Plan B without a prescription in their local drugstore’s family planning aisle, as long as they can show proof of age.

This change hasn’t gone into effect yet but it will soon, so check back with Ask the Experts and PlannedParenthood.org for future updates. You can also follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Yes, it’s totally okay for a health care provider to perform a pelvic exam when you’re on your period. But most health care providers do encourage you to schedule your pelvic exam for a day when you aren’t menstruating. That’s because menstrual fluid can affect the results of some lab tests. But if you have a bleeding problem or another issue with your period that you want your provider to take a look at, go ahead and schedule your pelvic exam during your period. Learn more about what to expect during a pelvic exam.

Masturbation can’t change your menstrual cycle or make your period come earlier or later. Some women masturbate to relieve menstrual cramps and muscle tension before, during, and after their periods. Masturbation also can’t cause pregnancy. Pregnancy can only happen if sperm enters the vagina – read more about how that works.

Masturbation is considered the ultimate form of safer sex. There’s no risk of pregnancy, and very little risk of spreading STDs (if you masturbate using a sex toy or another object, make sure you clean it with soap and water in between it touching you and your partner’s genitals). Plus, masturbation can be good for you, mentally and physically. It’s one of the best ways we can learn about our own sexuality. It can help us explore what we like and don’t like, which can make sex with a partner a lot more enjoyable. People who feel good about their bodies, sex, and masturbation are more likely to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. You can click here to learn more about masturbation.

If your partner has open cuts or sores on their genitals, it’s a good idea to wait until they heal before having sex. Having unprotected sex with a partner who has small cuts in or on their genitals can increase the risk of spreading certain STDs. For example, HIV is transmitted in blood, semen, and vaginal fluids. Getting HIV-infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions into open cuts or sores can spread HIV. Herpes, another STD, is most contagious when the sores it causes are open or leaking fluid.

It’s important to use condoms every time you have oral, anal, or vaginal sex. When used correctly, condoms can significantly decrease the risk of giving or getting an STD. But condoms don’t offer 100% protection against all STDs. That’s why getting tested regularly is also really important.

In general, it’s recommended that women start getting Pap tests at age 21. Once you turn 21, you should have a Pap test every three years. Your health care provider might tell you to have them more frequently, depending on your personal health and history. Pap tests look for abnormal cells in the cervix, which can eventually lead to cancer. These cells don’t often show up in younger women, so there’s no need to get a Pap test when you’re under 21, even if you’re having sex. Learn more about Pap tests. 

That said, if you’re having sex, thinking about having sex, or just concerned about something else that’s going on with your body, it’s a really good idea to go see a gynecologist or another health care provider for a checkup, a pelvic exam, to get on birth control, or just to talk about your questions or concerns. Find your local Planned Parenthood health center here. 

If you’re taking the birth control pill every day as prescribed, you’re protected from pregnancy all the time, no matter how often you have sex. Whether you have sex a few times a day or a few times a month, you’re equally protected. The pill works by preventing your ovaries from releasing eggs. No egg means no chance for fertilization, regardless of how much semen enters your vagina. Since the pill doesn’t offer any protection against STDs, using a condom every time you have sex is still a really good idea.

Read more about how the pill works.

You don’t have to wait until the morning after to take the morning-after pill. It’s commonly known as “the morning-after pill,” but we call it emergency contraception because it doesn’t have to be taken the morning after. In fact, the sooner you start it, the more effective it is. As long as you’re taking it after unprotected sex, it’s never too early to take emergency contraception.

Emergency contraception can be started up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex. For most brands, the sooner you take it, the better it works. Typically, they reduce the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, and get slightly less effective when taken on day four or five. The only exception to this is the prescription-only brand ella, which has the same effectiveness over the five days. Read more about emergency contraception.

These are a bunch of really good question that boil down to one question we get a lot around here: how do I know if I’m good at sex.

It’s a pretty common myth that a guy can always tell whether a woman’s had an orgasm or not. But in actuality, there’s no way to tell if a woman’s had an orgasm — the only way to know for sure is to ask her.

Women experience orgasms in different ways, and they can feel different for an individual woman at different times. So there’s no reason to feel intimidated or freaked out about asking if she’s had an orgasm — asking shows that you care about making her feel good, which is super important in being good at sex. In general, communicating about sex — before, during, and after — helps both of you understand what the other one likes and doesn’t like, which can make sex better and strengthen your relationship.

Now let’s talk size. The size of a man’s penis has very little to do with whether or not anyone has an orgasm. Women can have orgasms through different kinds of sexual stimulation, both inside and outside of their bodies. For example, a lot of women experience orgasm through stimulating their clitorises rather than penetrating their vaginas. Some women can’t reach orgasm through vaginal intercourse at all. So that brings us back to the whole communication thing: ask her what feels good to her. And while you’re at it, let her know what feels good to you, too.