What are the main birth control methods?
Visit the
birth control methods page and find the list.
Where can I get birth control?
If you are in Pueblo, Colorado, contact the Family Planning Clinic from the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment.
English: Call (719) 583-4380. Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Español: Llama (719) 583-4376. Lunes a viernes 8:00 AM a 4:30 PM.
If you are somewhere else in the United States you can find
other resources here.
Visit the
about Go Ask Tara page to learn more
Tips for birth control maintenance
You will find a list with tips on the
birth control section.
What do you do if you’re pregnant?
If someone is pregnant, there are a few options
- Parenting: they could decide to continue the pregnancy and parent the child.
- Abortion: they could decide to end the pregnancy through a medical process.
- Adoption: they could decide to continue the pregnancy and have someone else parent the child through a legal process.
Visit the pregnancy page to learn more.
Who is at risk of getting STIs?
Any person who engages in sexual activity with someone who has an
STI could get an STI.
What is the difference between STIs and STDs?
None. In both cases the “S” and the “T” “stand from sexually transmitted”. The “I” in STIs stands for “infections” and the “D” in STDs stands for “diseases”. In this context, “infections” and “diseases” mean the same.
How do you use a condom?
Find the steps to use a condom on the
condom page.
How much is the service to be tested?
The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment Family Planning Clinic works hard to ensure care is available to all community members, regardless of their ability to pay.
- If you are under 19 the family planning (birth control) services are FREE. If you are visiting for Family Planning and are under 19, STI testing is included in your family planning visit and is also FREE. (We do sometimes bill insurance, but only if it doesn't interfere with the confidentiality of our client.)
- If you are over 19 the family planning (birth control) services and STI testing are on a sliding scale. A sliding scale means the price varies based on your income.
Visit the about Go Ask Tara section to learn more.
What are some common symptoms of STIs?
The most common symptom of STIs is no symptoms! The STIs symptoms are not common and they vary depending on the type of STI.
If there are symptoms, they probably will be
- Burning feeling when peeing
- Itching
- Bumps
- Sores
- Pain
Why learn about sexual and reproductive anatomy?
Our bodies change all the time – and that’s okay! Everyone needs to learn about every part of their body, including the sexual and reproductive parts.
Being familiar with the different parts of sexual and reproductive anatomy, including those that you don’t have, is important. Learning how they work is key to having
healthy sex and enjoying it, and preventing
sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) and
pregnancy. Identifying if something is wrong, like an infection, can be challenging – so let’s learn how our bodies work to stay healthy.
Visit the
anatomy section to learn more.
What is “normal”?
Puberty can be tough because it can feel like everyone else is normal except you – but that's not true! Most of what happens during puberty happen to other people in their unique way. So in other words, “normal” is looking different – celebrate that you are you!
In some cases, finding support from a medical provider or trusted adult is key:
- If someone is being hurt or not respected, suffering physical and emotional abuse.
- When identifying bumps on genitals or a burning feeling when peeing – this could be an STI.
- If the changes happening to someone's body don’t match their gender identity.
- If someone wonders if they might be gay or are trying to figure out how to come out.
Visit the puberty section to learn more.
What are periods?
Periods happen when hormones from the brain tell ovaries to release an egg. The inside of the uterus builds up a layer of tissue where a fertilized egg attaches to grow. If the egg is not fertilized, the uterus will shed its lining of blood and tissue. This is a period.
A period happens about once every 21 to 45 days and it lasts between 3 and 7 days each time. How often they happen and how long they last are different between people. At first, a period may happen every couple of weeks or suddenly take many weeks to show up. This is normal and, as you get older, your periods will become more regular.
Keeping track of periods is key to staying healthy! Some people use a calendar, a journal, or an app. If your periods are coming more often than every 21 days, take longer than 45 days to show up, or last longer than 7 days, you may want to talk to your doctor.
If you haven’t checked out our pages on
anatomy and
pregnancy yet, take a look.
What is consent?
Consent is someone agreeing to do something. We’ll be focusing on what consent means when it comes to sex and relationships, but people consent to lots of other things too. When it comes to consent in sex, it’s about someone understanding what is happening and having a choice.
Consent should be
- Freely given: You should feel comfortable and certain that it is what you want to do. If someone is threatened, tricked, or trapped, their consent is not freely given.
- Reversible: You have the right to withdraw consent at any time for any reason. Everyone has the right to change their mind.
- Informed: Each person should have the info they need to feel safe and comfortable with what is happening.
- Enthusiastic: You are agreeing because it is what you want to do and you’re feeling good about it.
- Specific: Just because you consented to one sexual act does not mean you consented to others.
Visit the relationships section to learn more.
Is it normal for someone to tell you who to hang out with?
No, it’s not normal. You have the right to be friends with and talk to whomever you want. Jealousy and possessiveness can be unhealthy. Just because you’re in a relationship with someone doesn’t mean that person owns you and can control everything you do.
Visit the
relationship myths page to learn more.
Who can you talk to about sexual assault?
An adult you trust is a good way to start. If that is not possible, talk to a friend. Asking for help is the first step. These are other options for someone who was sexually or physically assaulted:
- You can find support by calling the Pueblo Rape Crisis Services 24-hour hotline at 719-549-0549. The team offers case management among many other resources.
- You can go to a hospital and be seen by a healthcare professional. Usually, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (AKA SANE) assists victims of abuse. They will take you to a quiet room and talk to you confidentially. At the hospital,
- a social worker will help you understand your rights and options;
- you will get checked for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI);
- you can ask for an emergency contraception pill;
- you can ask to be treated by a therapist.
- you can report to the police what happened, without leaving the hospital.
- If you feel comfortable, call the police. If that is not a good option, you can decide later if you want to report the crime.
Keep in mind that
- The consequences of what you suffered are real and you will probably experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for months or years after the assault. This means that your memory might not work well because it is protecting your mind from remembering what happened, you will probably have nightmares and anxiety, and you will be very vulnerable in the following months — which is why talking with a therapist will help you move on.
- Know that what happened wasn’t your fault — most victims feel like it was. You are a victim of a crime, and most importantly, you are a survivor and you have the right to receive immediate healthcare to recover from this incident both physically and emotionally.
- Know that what happened doesn’t define you as a person but the determination to recover from this probably will — which is why is so important to ask for help.
Visit the sexual violence page to learn more.
What are boundaries?
Boundaries are the limits that show under what circumstances you feel comfortable and safe, and where is the line where you feel exposed or in danger.
How do you figure out what your boundaries are?
- Boundaries are physical and non-physical: Think about what makes you feel secure or insecure. It could be physical like how do you feel about holding hands? Kissing? Having sex? Boundaries can also be non-physical things like if you’re ok with people posting about you on social media or how much alone time you need. Really think about what you would be okay with and then talk about it with your partner. Ask them what they’re comfortable with.
- Boundaries can change: Maybe you feel comfortable with more things as time passes and you feel closer to the other person. You might not know what your boundaries are until you are in the moment. Maybe you thought you would be okay with touching, but you get to that point and think, "Oh no! I want to stop." That is okay. You have the right to change your mind and say no.
- Boundaries are about mutual respect: Pay attention to how you feel and respect your partner's boundaries as well. Remember, they have the right to say no and stop the situation if they want to.
Visit the relationships page to learn more.
How do I know my sexual orientation?
There is not a “right way” to find your sexual orientation. Many people know at a young age what their sexual orientation is. You might not know what it is now. You might find one that works for you and then feel that that label doesn’t work for you anymore. No one is better than you to know what your sexual orientation is, although having open conversations about your emotions and ideas with peers, trusted adults, and family, helps :)
Visit the
sexual orientation page to learn more.
What is coming out?
Coming out is the process that an LGBTQ+ person experiences to accept and share their sexual orientation. There is no one “right way” of coming out. It can produce anxiety for some people because of a reasonable fear of being rejected and discriminated against.
Some tips for coming out
- Take your time. Coming out is a process of discovering yourself.
- Understand that coming out is not a one-time thing. It should be a journey to be enjoyed and celebrated!
- Consider coming out slowly, talking with the people you trust more first.
- Coming out has benefits and risks. What does it mean to your family? Could it put you in danger? That’s why thinking of it as a process helps.
- Be yourself and trust your heart!
- And remember, you deserve respect for you who are!
Do you need birth control if you’re LGBTQ+?
Yes, everyone needs to protect themselves from the risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection. The best way to do it is using condoms, internal condoms, and dental dams.
Visit the
STIs page to learn more.
Why do pronouns matter?
Pronouns are the words people use to talk about you other than your name.
These are some common pronouns
- she/her/hers
- ze/zir/zirs
- hi/him/his
- they/them/theirs
So, if Tara’s pronouns are they/them/theirs you could say “Tara knows a lot about this!” or “They know a lot about this!”. They/them/theirs are also used as a neutral way when we don’t know what’s the correct pronoun for a person.
Gender, how we express it, and how we feel about our gender, is deeply personal and important. Before using a pronoun with a person, a good way to go is to ask that person what are their pronouns. Assumptions about what pronouns to use for someone based on their name, how they dress, or what their body looks like can lead us to use an incorrect pronoun for them (AKA “misgendering” someone). Consistently using incorrect pronouns can be offensive or harassing. Imagine if someone had a nickname for you that made you feel bad, unimportant, or misunderstood. Using the correct pronouns is a way of showing respect, being welcoming, and inclusive.
Some tips to use pronouns
- When you meet someone, share your pronouns
- When you meet someone, ask their pronouns
- Practice including your pronouns where your name is shared like in an email signature, name in a Zoom room, or on a name tag.
- Gently correct someone when they misgender someone
- Get comfortable with the fact that you might make a mistake, it happens!
- Figure out how to acknowledge the mistake in a way that doesn’t make the other person feel any more uncomfortable
Visit the gender page to learn more.
How can I support LGBTQ+ people?
LGBTQ+ people don’t always feel welcomed and accepted due to discrimination and violence. For LGBTQ+ young people, having allies who are supportive of them dramatically helps their mental and physical health. Being an ally means that you are committed to learning and taking action to make sure that LGBTQ+ people feel supported and safe.
Here are some ways to be an ally
- Remember being an ally is not something you do, it’s who you are!
- It is never ok to "out" or share what someone else's sexual orientation or gender identity is. Doing that can be really unsafe for that person.
- Share your pronouns (how someone can refer to you other than your name, like “his” “she” or “they”) and use the correct pronouns for other people.
- Learn from and listen to LGBTQ+ people. And be proactive and learn on your own! Don’t expect them to explain everything to you.
- Speak up when someone says or does something that is hurtful to LGBTQ+ people. Ignoring the concerns of LGBTQ+ people is damaging.
- Use examples that include people from a wide range of sexual orientations and gender identities.
- Be open to feedback! Part of being an ally is being open to advice about how to make people feel more welcome.
Gender identity and sexual orientation are personal parts of everyone’s lives. Empathizing with different kinds of folks is key to becoming wiser and more responsible residents of this world. And remember, respect is always the first step :)
Visit the LGBTQ+ page to learn more.
