I’m 15 and I have had a relationship with my girlfriend for quite a while. We are ready to have sex for the first time. But is it safe enough if we use only a condom?

Condoms offer good protection but unfortunately they are not 100% safe. Of couples who use only condoms, about 12-15 will become pregnant during the first year of typical use. Common causes are the condom slipping off or tearing. For better protection you can combine the condom with oral contraceptives. This is called “Double Dutch” and used by about 18% of the Dutch girls. It’s extremely safe. But there are other possibilities. Condoms are somewhat safer if you use spermicides at the same time. If your girlfriend doesn’t menstruate heavily she can also use an IUD. Or you can combine condoms with a diaphragm, which she puts inside her vagina before you start making love. A diaphragm by itself is not very safe, but if combined with condoms it’s close to perfect.