I’m very disappointed when I found out many of my friends have little or almost no sex knowledge. I know that it’s a sensitive subject and I know that it involves strong opinions from different cultures and beliefs. I see it as a matter of health issue. Let’s face it, there has been approximately “750,000 teen pregnancies in the United States, including over 215,000 abortions” (4parents.gov). Why? Simply because parents and schools are afraid to be open about sex and would rather “keep it low” rather than let it be an open subject for all. When you think that the only affected individual is the pregnant teen, you’re wrong. How about the teen’s parents, the school and especially the government. The government spent “at least $7 billion anually” (pregnantteenhelp.org).

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Don’t even try and mention STD’s. Do you even know how many different types of STD’s are out there? Do you know them from the back of your hand like you know the different types of seasonal sickness that you have? Well it’s time that you should. There are many STD’s that can be transmitted not only sexually but simply from touch. For example, a male/female who has genital herpes may transmit the disease through oral sex. This will cause a blister-looking infection on the lips, sometimes very small you may not even recognize it. Then imagine that affected person kissing another person. There, a transmit has occurred. Just like that.

Then there are other types of diseases that are more violent: viruses, especially the HIV. It can kill you and until this very day, there is no 100%-one-for-all cure for HIV. If you still don’t know how HIV could attack your immune system, well you better get online and start searching about it. Just imagine how important of a role our immune system has on our body, to heal scars (both internal and external) and to kill bacterias and unwanted viruses: basically to protect your body. The HIV cells can multiply at a MUCH faster rate than normal cells in our body. Worse, they use our existing cells to duplicate, which is why it is very difficult to detect because they hide behind the mask of our existing cells. It’s like having to sit next to a person looking exactly like you, only that person could destroy and kill you in seconds.

The topics mentioned above are in a lot of our sex education class (thankfully) although many schools still refuse to include sex education in their health curriculum thinking that it will promote sex but it will actually do quite otherwise. Imaging showing a video of a female giving birth – it gave me the creeps when I first saw it. Definitely something I wouldn’t want to go through with just anybody, especially during the teenage years.

There are so many myths about sex out there that many people think are true. This is the side of sex that they didn’t mention in sex education. Facts such as the life of sperm when they’re in water or in chlorine water for example. Truth be told, not all 100% sperm cells will die during water-intercourse. Guess how many you need to get pregnant? One. Also other myths such as sexual intercourse during menstrual period will prevent the female of getting pregnant – I really don’t have to explain this one. Doh! Other funny myths include how some people actually think that oral and anal sex are not actually sex because they are not vaginal intercourse. They do involve sexual arousal and I would say that anything involving sexual arousal (including touching, kissing, etc.) is part of sex.

Then the myths spread to not just the method of sex, but the prevention of pregnancies through contraception. Some people thought that condoms will prevent STD’s. It won’t. Or, putting double condoms will prevent pregnancy: wrong! You will actually trigger the tearing of condoms by wearing 2 of them. Then the birth control pills.

Let me just talk briefly about birth control pills and how their usage varies from being simply a birth control method. Birth control pills are also called hormonal pills. Maybe if we call them that, we won’t think birth control pills as strictly a birth control method. The way the pills work is just like any other hormonal methods out there (patch, nuva ring, etc.), they secrete hormones into your body and control the hormone levels (both progesterone and testosterones). For birth control advantage, they control the production of eggs in your body. For other advantages, they: control acne, cramps, heavy bleeding and any other difficulties women face resulting from hormonal changes. Also, since the pills will control your hormones, many women who are trying to get pregnant are actually prescribed with the pills so their menstrual cycle will be regulated, resulting in a predictable time of when the women can get pregnant.

The myths surrounding birth control/hormonal pills? That they will screw your hormones for the rest of your life. It won’t. The moment you stop taking the pills, your hormone levels will go back to its normal state because you are no longer controlling it. You will definitely get blood clotting. Yes, there are some risks to taking hormonal pills and so there are risks of taking acne-control pills and cramps-reducing pills. Also, pills that are more likely to cause blood-clots are slowly being taken out of market because of the slowly more aware consumers. Plus, if you are thinking of getting pills, try and research the pills that you are about to take as well as read the labels!

Well this is just a point or two I’d like to make about sex education and everything else that revolves around it. We see banners everywhere today promoting safe-sex talk with your children. Also how teens should talk freely about sex with their friends as well as their partners. Research about it, talk about it, be smart about it. It’s sad how intellectual individuals does not have enough information on sex – where I would say, it’s just like any other important science topics, only this one involves your body. Children are starting to get curious about their sexuality as early as the age of 8. So when parents (maybe you) think that there is no way your children is going to even thought of sex when they’re 9, think again. It’s better that you inform your children as many good informations as you can and make them decide on their own just how risky sex is. It’s better knowing that your children is open about their sexuality as well as knowing that they’re safe rather than not talking about it and having your children knock on your door with a pregnant belly or a handful of STD’s.

Maybe a good line would be “before you have sex with a guy/girl, make sure see their test results for HIV and STD’s…“

*Image taken from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenagepregnancy.html