We all wanted it, but nobody could get it until 5th grade. Each year Mrs. Hanson (we called her the sex lady) would visit Carter Elementary school. With her film strips and boxes of goodies, she arrived to share THE SECRET with the chosen few -- the fifth grade class. As the door to their classroom shut and the lights dimmed, we heard echoes of nervous giggles all over school.
I thought my turn would never come. But it did. My fifth grade teacher sent home permission slips, so that parents could approve us learning THE SECRET from Mrs. Hanson. When she finally arrived, a few kids in my class were escorted out because their parents would not sign the permission slip. Then the boys went into to another classroom while the girls, both scared and excited, waited to hear THE SECRET from Mrs. Hanson.
She showed us a filmstrip (the 1970's equivalent of a video) and told us about menstruation. She handed out pink boxes full of girl stuff like maxi pads and brochures with information about periods from Kotex. And she talked about reproductive anatomy, saying the words penis and vagina out loud; giving us more details than any other adult had ever offered. But these crumbs of information left us hungry for more answers to our never ending questions about THE SECRET -- sex.
That was 1980. Now girls have access to more sex education than was ever dreamed of, from the Internet, at school, and in books. At Girl Zone, we want to give you the information you need to take care of yourself, to be healthy and happy.
Like good nutrition, exercise, and sleep, sexuality is a part of everybody's life (even though your parents may want to deny it.)
Sexuality is a very broad topic, including self-exploration, emotions, and contact with a partner. Fooling around, and intimate contact with a partner are the ways that people express their physical attraction and/or love.
Exploring your sexuality is normal and healthy. Having sex intercourse is normal as well, but can have physical and psychological risks. Not only can a girl get pregnant from intercourse, but she is also at risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease (back in the 1980s, Mrs. Hanson called them Venereal Diseases or VD). Believe it or not, every year about 12 million people are treated for STDs, and about 3 million of them are teenagers. There are several different types STDs, and some can be cured while others, like HIV cannot.
The Girl Zone Guide to STDs
Getting it...
Most STDs are passed when there is skin-to-skin contact with the infected area.
So, if you have sexual contact (not just intercourse)
with a person who is infected with an STD, you are at risk of getting that
disease.
What is it?
There are more than 20 different STDs. Five of the most common are listed below. Click on the links for more information.
Feeling it...
Some people with sexually transmitted diseases have symptoms, and others do not.
In general, if you have any of the following symptoms, you should get tested by
your health care provider:
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Pain or burning during urination or intercourse
- Blisters, open sores, warts, rash, or swelling in the genital or anal areas or mouth
- Constant flu-like symptoms--including fever, headache, aching muscles, or swollen glands
Getting rid of it...
Some STDs are curable, but others are not, leaving you with a lifelong
infection. If you have an STD, you need to tell all of your partners so that
they can be treated. For more information about treatment, talk with your health
care provider.
Protection from it...
To protect yourself and your partner from sexually transmitted infections, practice safer sex. The safest sex is abstinence, meaning that you do not have intercourse or you remain a virgin. Safer sex involves using a protective shield (a latex condom) when you have intercourse or oral sex with a monogamous (the same) partner. Condoms are about 99% effective in preventing most sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, but they must be used every single time you have sex. For more information click here. And remember that the use of drugs or alcohol will affect your behavior, and can put you at higher risk of infection because of your altered state.
Take care of yourself from the inside out.
Sometimes taking care of yourself means letting your feelings out. Share your feelings with other girls in Girl Zone's poetry feature, Expresso.
Links
