"Not right now": Basic Info

"Not right now" as a method for pregnancy prevention means not having penis-in-vagina sex. That means no sex where your partner's penis goes into your vagina, and no other sexual activities that involve your partner's semen (the whitish fluid that comes out of their penis when they ejaculate) getting on your vulva.

A quick anatomy lesson: the vulva is on the outside, and the vagina is on the inside. The vulva is actually ALL the sexual parts that are on the outside of your body, including the clitoris and the inner and outer labia (sometimes called the inner and outer lips). The vagina is on the inside—you can't see it. It's the stretchy tube that connects your vulva to your uterus, which is deep inside your vagina. Your vagina is what period blood comes out of, and it's what tampons go into (as well as fingers, toys, and penises, if you want them to).

"Not right now" is super effective at preventing pregnancy, but only if you use it perfectly—and it's not the easiest method to use perfectly. But if you never have penis-in-vagina sex, you're guaranteed to not get pregnant. And if you're avoiding sexual activity with a partner (like oral sex, anal sex, or sharing toys) altogether, you'll be safe from STIs, too.

Lots of people who are planning to say "not right now" to prevent pregnancy ultimately end up having penis-in-vagina sex. If you don't have another birth control method in place because you weren't planning on having sex, it's easy to find yourself deciding to have unprotected sex in the heat of the moment. It's totally okay to change your mind and decide you want to have sex! Even if right now, you don't think you'll change your mind, it's a great idea to have a birth control method on hand that you can use at a moment's notice, like condoms or internal condoms, and to get emergency contraception ahead of time just in case you need it.