IT'S a common confession which family counsellor Marge Roper says she hears from young ladies who fear they have become pregnant - "The condom broke when we were having sex."

But should you become one of these unlucky set of persons, there is hope for you, not just in preventing pregnancy, but also STDs.

So if you find your self in one of these oh! oh! situations, whether it is because the condom broke, or because you were too caught up in the moment and made a mistake, don't worry.

While we're not condoning any behaviour that warrants repetition of this mistake, we realise that errors happen and your energy ought to be refocused into doing something instead of worrying.

Here is what we recommend you do.

Step 1
Take a few minutes to get yourself together and head out to the nearest pharmacy. Some pharmacies open 24 hours, but if the 'accident' happened during the night, it won't kill you to wait till morning to get there.

Ask the pharmacist for emergency contraception, sold here under the Postinor 2 brand. Follow directions and take it within the next 72 hours for optimal results.

Step 2
Make an appointment with your gynaecologist or medical practitioner and make a visit to same within a week of having unprotected sex. Explain your concerns about catching an STD. They should be able to help you. Also request tests for diseases like Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia.

Step 3
If you noticed that your period hasn't come a week after it was due, then get your hands on a home pregnancy kit. Even if you took the emergency contraceptive, there are still chances that you could have gotten pregnant.

Step 5
After three months have passed after the 'accident', go for another round of STD testing. Your gynaecologist or medical practitioner should test you this time for HIV, Herpes and diseases like Syphilis.