DEAR ABBY: Can I get pregnant when I am getting or having my menstrual period? Can a girl get pregnant having her first intercourse? -- WORRIED GIRLFRIEND IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR WORRIED GIRLFRIEND: Yes to both questions. Unless a girl's menstrual periods are 100 percent "regular," there is no absolutely "safe" time. Very few girls have perfectly regular cycles, and because of this, the rhythm method (also known as "baby roulette") is unreliable. Also, a boy can father a child from the time he experiences his first ejaculation, which usually occurs between the ages of 11 and 15.