Dear Pastor,

I am a regular reader of your column. I have been reading it for a long time, and I have learnt a lot.

Pastor, I started having sex when I was almost 16. My boyfriend always uses the condom. One Saturday, I went to his house to help him wash. Then we cooked, and after we ate we decided to have sex. He asked me if we could have sex without the condom to see how it feels and I said yes.

That was six weeks ago, and I have not seen my period. I don't want a baby now because I am attending school, and my parents will kill me. I feel that I am pregnant, and I am worried. What are the signs of pregnancy?

R.E.

Dear R.E.,

First of all, I would suggest that you go to see a doctor, and that you do so early. I have to tell you that if you have been having your period every month, and you had unprotected sex and your period stopped, you may be pregnant. A medical doctor will confirm whether you are. If you are having morning sickness, that is a sure sign. Vomiting is also a sign. And the desire to pass urine frequently is also a sign. When a pregnancy is two to three months old, a woman may experience changes in her breasts. Your boyfriend should not have encouraged you to have unprotected sex with him. Both of you wanted to experience how it feels having sex skin to skin. So, now you know, and you will soon know whether you are pregnant. It did not have to be that way.

Pastor