Parents often wonder if their teenage children are having sex. Although there is no way to be sure unless you catch your teen in the act or your teen admits it to you, there are a number of signs which may indicate it. Here are some of the different things to look out for if you’re trying to determine whether your teen child may be sexually active.

Birth Control Pill

If your daughter has asked to go on the birth control pill, there is a possibility that  it may be because she wants to become sexually active. Keep in mind that there are other legitimate reasons that your teenage child may want to go on the birth control pill, such as an irregular period or acne. However, there is a possibility that these may even be used as excuses to get on the pill. It is hard to know either way.

Condoms

A huge indicator of your teen being sexually active is if he or she has condoms. Most teens will keep condoms in their drawers unless they are smart enough to know that you would look there. Be sure to check their receipts to find out if they have purchased condoms. Also keep in mind that if your child is having sex in your home, there is a possibility that you will find used condoms in the garbage.

Dating

When teenagers begin dating, there is a possibility that they may be sexually active. This is especially true if your son or daughter is in an exclusive relationship. Most teens will not have sexual intercourse while their parents are at home, though some will. If the teens ever have the house to themselves, you may need to worry, however.

These are just a few of the different signs which may indicate that your son or daughter is sexually active. Unless you catch your teen child having sexual intercourse, there is really no way to know for sure, however. Remind your teen that in the event that they do have sex, you want them to come to talk to you about it beforehand. This is a good way to encourage them to be prepared and use contraception when the time for them to have sexual intercourse does come.

Many people are under the assumption that all sexually transmitted diseases can be prevented with the use of condoms. Can Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) be spread even with the use of condoms though? HPV is known to be the cause of genital warts and certain kinds of cervical cancer. It is a STD which is often not taken too seriously, even though it really is. Here are some of the things that you should know about whether or not condoms will prevent HPV from spreading.

HPV Affects the Skin Itself

Most STDs are spread through bodily fluids, such as sperm and vaginal fluid. The main difference between HPV and other STDs is that it affects the skin. This means that HPV can be spread from direct skin to skin contact. This also means that condoms may not necessarily provide the protection that you need to prevent HPV.

Condoms Don’t Always Protect Against HPV

Depending on where the HPV is located, it is possible that condoms may not protect this STD from spreading. If a guy has HPV on area that is not covered by a condom, he can pass it to a girl during sex. If a girl has HPV on an area that a guy’s skin touches while it is not covered by a condom, he can also catch the STD. In fact, he is more likely to experience a severe case of HPV on his skin due to the fact that a larger amount of skin is likely to come in contact with an infected area.

Should You Still Use Condoms to Prevent HPV?

If you or your partner has Human Papilloma Virus, it is important to continue to use condoms anyway. Not only will you be protecting yourself from other STDs, but there is also a strong possibility that the HPV affects an area of skin that may be protected by a condom. Condoms are in any couple’s best interest when trying to keep protected from any type of STD, including HPV.

Can You Tell if Someone Has HPV?

Many people think that they can tell if their partner has HPV just by looking at them. It is important to keep in mind that this is not at all true. Although there are certain types of HPV which can cause you to experience genital warts which may be seen by the naked eye, there are other types of HPV which cause precancerous changes in the cervix that can only be seen during a colposcopy and do not actually affect men. In fact, there is no way to know if a man has HPV at this point unless he experiences genital warts. Keep in mind that it is not possible to visually tell if someone has any other type of STD, for that matter. Since you will not know for sure if your partner has HPV or another STD, it is important to use a condom.

While condoms do not always provide full protection against HPV, it is safer to use one than to risk not doing so. They can be effective at protecting you from HPV depending on the area of skin that is infected, and will help ensure that you do not contract any other STDs.