How can you tell if you are pregnant? In order to get pregnant, a girl has to have had sexual intercourse or had a boy ejaculate near the opening to her vagina. If this has happened, you could be pregnant.

First signs of pregnancy:

You miss your menstrual period or your period is lighter or shorter than usual.

Your breasts are tender and seem to be bigger.

You have to urinate a lot.

You feel sick to your stomach.

You feel more tired than usual.

Not everyone who has these symptoms is pregnant. But if you have had sexual intercourse and have some of these symptoms, you should have a pregnancy test. At Links we do a urine test to determine whether a special hormone called HCG is present. In order for the test to be accurate, we do not recommend the test be done before a girl is a week to ten days late with her menstrual period. Then a pelvic exam will be done so the doctor can look at your cervix and feel your uterus to see if you are pregnant and how far along in the pregnancy you are. Remember, a pregnancy will not go away if you ignore it.

What happens if you are pregnant? If this is an unplanned pregnancy, a Links counselor will discuss all the options and help you to make a decision that is right for you. You have the right to choose to carry the baby to term, to parent the child or place it for adoption. If you choose to not continue the pregnancy, Links will give you referrals to several clinics to terminate your pregnancy. Choosing whether to continue a pregnancy or to end it can be a difficult and emotional decision. We will support you no matter what your decision is. If you decide to be sexually active, it is better to avoid becoming pregnant by using birth control in the first place.