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Youth Week 2025: our place for young people and the questions they ask

  • News
  • Youth Week 2025: our place for young people and the questions they ask
19 MAY 2025 EDITORIAL

  • It’s easy to feel whakamā or embarrassed to talk about topics like relationships, sexuality, sexual health and wellbeing – but there’s no reason to be. Actually, the truth is, there are no silly questions! Our health promotion team explain in the following videos.

  • If you’re worried or unsure about something, someone else probably is too. We find that young people often have the same sorts of questions. And by speaking up and asking your question, you may help them too. 
    We’ve pulled together some questions that young people regularly ask us – in clinics and in the community.  

    • Why are my periods painful?

      • It’s common to have a little bit of pain for one or two days during your period. But it’s not normal to have lots of pain. If you have a lot of period pain, this is a period problem. This could be caused by a medical condition or a medication. Find out more about period problems and how we can help.

    • Is my bleeding pattern normal?

      • It’s common for periods to be irregular when you’re a teenager. But it’s always worth talking to a health professional to check that everything’s okay. If you need to take time off school or work each month because of your period, we recommend booking an appointment with us or with your GP.

        More information about periods

    • Can I bring my partner, friend, or whānau to my appointment?

      • Yes! You’re welcome to bring a support person to your appointment – whoever that is for you. If you want to come alone, that’s totally okay too.  

    • What can I talk to the nurse or doctor about?

      • Talk to your doctor or nurse about why you’ve made an appointment. Remember, there’s no need to feel shy or embarrassed, and there are no silly questions. We’ll ask you questions that will help us work out how to give you the best possible care, but you don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to. Find out more about visiting our clinic.

    • What is contraception? What’s the best option for me?

      • Contraception helps prevent pregnancy. There are lots of different types available – like condoms, the pill, implants, and IUDs. Each type of contraception works differently and has different pros and cons. Find out more about contraception types, or book an appointment with us to talk about which contraception would work best for you.  

    • Can I have an IUD if I've never had sex?

      • Yes. Lots of people use hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) for managing heavy bleeding and painful periods. You don't need to be sexually active to have an IUD for managing your periods.

    • What are STIs? How can you get them?

      • STI stands for sexually transmissible infection. STIs are infections that you can get from unprotected sex, or sexual activity. This includes unprotected vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, or close skin to skin contact with someone. 

        Lots of STIs don’t have obvious symptoms. This means it’s important to get tested for STIs regularly, including before and after unprotected sex, or anytime you have sex with a new person. Find out more about STIs.

    • Where can I test for HIV and syphilis?

      • Both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis are sexually transmissible infections (STIs). But unlike other STIs, we can’t test for them using a swab or wee (mimi) sample. To test for HIV and syphilis, you need to have a blood test.

        Book an appointment with us and we can organise a blood test for you, or you find out more about HIV testing through the Burnett Foundation. 

    • What is HPV?

      • HPV stands for human papillomavirus (HPV). It’s the most common sexually transmissible infection (STI) in the world. You can catch it from having unprotected sex and from having close skin to skin contact with someone. Some types of HPV can cause genital warts, and some types can lead to cancer. 

        You can protect yourself from HPV by having the HPV vaccine. It’s free for New Zealand residents aged 9-26. Tamariki are normally offered the HPV vaccine at school. You can also get an HPV vaccination through some of our clinics, your GP, and some pharmacies. Find out more about the HPV vaccine.

        Regular HPV screening, plus using condoms and oral dams, are also good protection against HPV and genital warts.   

    • How can I protect myself from HPV? Can I still get HPV if I’ve had the vaccine?

      • The HPV virus is very common. You can protect yourself from HPV by having the HPV vaccine. It’s free for New Zealand residents aged 9-26. Tamariki are normally offered the HPV vaccine at school. You can also get an HPV vaccination through some of our clinics, your GP, and some pharmacies.

        You can still catch HPV even if you’ve had the vaccine, but the vaccine protects you against the types of HPV that can lead to genital warts, and the types that can lead to cervical cancer. 

        It’s important to have regular HPV screening when you’re 25 years old, even if you’ve had the vaccine. Condoms and oral dams are also good protection against HPV and genital warts.

        Find out more about the HPV vaccine

    • How can I feel more confident in my body?

      • It can be hard to feel comfortable and confident in your body. Especially when your body is changing, like during puberty – or when you feel like your body doesn’t match who you are on the inside. Social media and porn can also make you think that your body needs to look a certain way, but that’s not true. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes.

        Talking about how you’re feeling with your friend, partner, or whānau, can help you feel better. Sharing what you’re feeling whakamā about means you can reassure each other. 

    • What can I do the condom broke when I was having sex?

      • Condoms are a popular type of contraception. They also protect against many types of sexually transmissible infections (STIs). But they can break, especially if they don’t fit properly or you haven’t used enough lube.

        If a condom breaks while you’re having sex, there’s a few things you can do:

        • if you’re worried about pregnancy: use emergency contraception (“the morning after pill”) within 72 hours. You can get this from one of our clinics, a doctor, or a pharmacy
        • get an STI test

        You should also tell your sexual partner what’s happened, in case they want to get emergency contraception or an STI test. 

        Find out more:

    • What makes a good or bad relationship?

      • Good relationships – or healthy relationships – are when you feel safe, supported, and free to be yourself. All types of relationships (https://sexualwellbeing.org.nz/adv/relationships/) should be healthy, including romantic, sexual, friendships, family relationships – and relationships with people that help you, like doctors, teachers, carers, and other professionals.

        Sometimes relationships can become unhealthy over time. Check out our relationship red flags page for information on warning signs of an unhealthy or abusive relationship.

    • I might be pregnant – what should I do?

      • A pregnancy test or a blood test is the best way to find out if you’re hapū. You can get pregnancy tests for free from us. If you’re pregnant, it’s important to reach out to a medical professional.

        If you’re hapū, it can be hard to know what to do next. If you don’t know whether or not you want to keep the pregnancy, explore your options.

        If you want information about abortion, head to the DECIDE website.

    • How old do I have to be to get an abortion? Is it free?

      • Any pregnant person of any age can have an abortion – so long as you understand what is happening and can agree to it. You don’t need your parent’s or guardian’s consent to have an abortion, but it’s a good idea to talk to a parent or another trusted adult if you can.

        Abortion is free for most New Zealand citizens and residents. Find out more about the costs of abortion.

    • What is PreP and DoxyPEP?

  • There’s so much information available online these days that it can be hard to know what you can trust. So how can you tell? Below are some useful questions to ask when you’re trying to figure out if content is reliable. Keep it real online has some great tools and tips for checking information online. 

    • 1. Who’s sharing the content?
    • 2. Is there one opinion shared, or multiple options?

      • Trustworthy organisations and individuals will discuss different options and opinions and encourage you to make your own decision.  
         
        Others may present their opinion as the only valid option. There may be a reason they do this. For example, a social media influencer could be sponsored by a company to promote a certain product or service. Or a commercial organisation might want to sell you something or to get noticed by promoting a particular point of view. 

    • 3. Do other sources agree?

      • Don’t just go to one place for your information. Search around and see whether the message is the same across different sites, platforms, and authors.

    • 4. Is it real? Or AI generated?

      • It’s becoming harder to tell whether images and videos are real or have been created using AI. So how can you know? For now, there are a few things to look out for, such as small details within images, and images that look a bit too polished, as this BBC article explains. But as AI is changing so fast, these clues may not last. This means it’s even more important to consider content analytically, as NPR explains.