The Facts... without the Lecture
B4uDecide.ie is closing down at the end of May 2024.
Alternative sources of relationships and sexuality information and resources:
- For 16-25 year olds: SpunOut.ie is an information provision website, including relationships and sexuality issues.
- For 17+ year olds: Sexualwellbeing.ie is the HSE website that provides information and resources on a wide range of information such as consent, contraception, sexual transmitted infections, vaccinations and unplanned pregnancy
- For parents: The HSE’s ‘Making the ‘Big Talk’ many small talks’ series of booklets to help parents and children talk about relationships and sexuality is available online, and to order free of charge from healthpromotion.ie. HSE funded RSE workshops are available at npc.ie and ifpa.ie
- For teachers: Junior Cycle SPHE Resources are available to support the new 2023 SPHE specification , including the Relationship and Sexuality strand.
- For youthworkers: HSE funded training on relationship and sexuality issues is available at REAL U | Foroige and Tailored Training Courses – National Youth Council of Ireland
Teenage Pregnancy
Have you heard lots of different things about sex and pregnancy?
You may not be sexually active at this stage in your life, but if and when you do begin to have sex remember:
- Girls can get pregnant the first time they have sex.
- Girls can get pregnant if they have sex standing up.
- Girls can get pregnant if they have sex and have a shower or bath immediately afterwards.
- Girls can get pregnant during their period.
- Girls can become pregnant even before their first period, if they have already ovulated (released an egg).
- Girls don’t have to have sex every night to get pregnant.
- Keeping your eyes closed does not prevent pregnancy.
- Drinking alcohol before sex does not prevent pregnancy.
- If a boy doesn’t have sex his testicles will not explode.
- Going to the loo straight after sex does not prevent pregnancy.
Only abstinence from sex (not having sex) offers 100% protection against unwanted pregnancies and STIs.
It’s important that couples having sex use contraception every single time to protect themselves against pregnancy and STIs.
The Age of Consent for sexual intercourse in Ireland is 17.
Read Real Stories of Teenage Pregnancy.