BELOW ARE COMMON HEALTH RELATED QUESTIONS THAT JENN, SHAFIA AND HIPE RECEIVE, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE FOR EASILY ACCESSIBLE ANSWERS. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, CLICK THE BOX ABOVE TO ASK! |
Yes. If somebody touches their penis and then your vagina you can get pregnant, as well as STD’s if they have any. Because sperm is so small you won’t necessarily be able to see it on their fingers, so it’s best to be safe and ask them to wash their hands if at any point there’s a chance that they have ejaculate on their fingers before allowing them to touch your vagina. There’s no real way to tell the commonality of it, but it’s a definite possibility.
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In a perfect menstrual world, no, but in a real world, yes- it is possible. A person with a vagina gets pregnant when they ovulate, or release an egg, which generally happens once a month. But everyones cycle is different and can be influenced by stress, illness, travel and many other factors. In addition, some people with vaginas ovulate very regularly (nearly every time each month) where others ovulate very irregularly, making it difficult for a person with a vagina to predict when they’re going to ovulate. So, how can they get pregnant during their period?
If their cycle is short (less than 28 days) or they ovulate early, and they have vaginal sex with a person with a penis with no protection during their period, there could be a sperm (waiting in their fallopian tubes) to pounce on an egg as soon as it’s released. Sperm can live in the body for about 5 days. Bottom line? If you don’t want to get pregnant, always use protection during vaginal sex. Yes, any unprotected sex can result in pregnancy or an STD.
The Nuva Ring is a hormonal form of birth control that is placed into the vagina for three weeks at a time. It sits at the back of the vagina at the cervix. While it may be possible for a finger to feel it, this area will most likely not be touched while being fingered, as it is not near the clitoris, a small organ at the top of the vulva that provides sexual pleasure.
It is vaginal discharge and is a completely normal part of the menstrual cycle. In fact, orchestrated by hormones, discharge (which is actually coming from the cervix) changes color, consistency and texture throughout the menstrual cycle.
However, if the color or texture changes, or if it has a strange odor, it could be a sign of vaginal infection or STD. If these symptoms show up, visit your doctor or a local clinic to be sure. You can find a list of clinics/resources on this website. If you are sexually active, it is especially important to look into any possible problem. If you are depressed, it is really important to talk to an adult you trust, whether it is your parents, your doctor, a teacher, an advisor. Also, Kaern, the school counselor is available. While there are medications that can help, some people prefer not to treat it medically. For more detail, I really like the response found here:
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/9798.html Emergency Contraception (also called EC, Plan B, the morning after pill) is a high dosage of hormones taken (by the person with the vagina) after unprotected vaginal sex with the intention of reducing the risk of pregnancy. EC was developed for use in the event that a first attempt at protecting against pregnancy failed (i.e. condom broke, forgot to take pill) and not to be used as a regular form of birth control. There are two forms of EC: pill form and the insertion of a copper IUD. EC can be effective, and is more effective when taken closer to the time of unprotected vaginal sex.
For more detailed information, check out: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/morning-after-pill-emergency-contraception For starters, find a place where you can be alone, comfortable and relaxed. Masturbation is all about figuring out what feels good for you. People can masturbate in many ways. It’s a trial and error process.
And, it can be fun and safe (no need to worry about pregnancy or STD transmission) to try it with a partner. Like almost anything, it’s all about moderation (and it depends how a person is masturbating). If masturbation is causing physical discomfort or is negatively affecting a person’s life (i.e. losing interest in/not participating in other activities to masturbate) then it might be too much. Another issue is how it’s affecting relationships. If someone is masturbating exclusively with the use of Internet porn, problems can arise (no pun intended). Masturbating to porn can make it difficult for people to engage in real relationships, thus causing a problem.
Directions can be found on pamphlets that come inside the boxes. Make sure to read them carefully. Remember: the most important part of using a tampon is to relax. You can look in either the body, or the healthy lifestyle section for our Caring for your period post.
There are a number of clinics that offer mental health services, some of which are free. The Cole Street Clinic (very nearby) has a service that could come free or on a sliding scale. It depends on whether or not you have health insurance, who your provider is, whether or not you can talk to your parents about your needs. You could also ask Kaern, the school counselor, or Jenn or Shafia for referrals. Or ask your own provider if you trust him or her for referrals.
First, sex can be defined differently for different people. Because our culture often uses the word “sex” to describe vaginal sex and because I can’t ask you to clarify, I’m going to answer this question assuming that’s what was meant.
For vaginal sex, it’s really helpful for the person with the vagina to be relaxed. If they’re feeling nervous, their body can tense, thus making sex uncomfortable. It’s really important for them to be comfortable with their partner (i.e. have conversations!!!) so they can feel relaxed. Also being fully sexually aroused helps. Physiologically, it takes a person with a vagina’s body longer to respond to sexual arousal than it does for a person with a penis. During sexual arousal, a vagina actually grows in size. As they continue to feel excited, their vagina produces a natural lubrication that will help sex feel better. A store bought lubrication can also be used liberally to create less friction. Vaginas and penises all vary in size, so it’s possible that a person with a vagina’s cervix sits lower, which can cause discomfort if the penis hits it. Different positions can help, if that’s the situation. If it does hurt, don’t be afraid to talk to your partner about it and explore different ways to make each other feel good. IT IS ABSOLUTELY OKAY TO NOT SHAVE YOUR PUBIC HAIR! The function of pubic hair is to protect the reproductive organs from bacteria and other unwanted things. It is not expected that girls shave their pubic hair although it is a very personal decision whether or not to shave. Women have different preferences. However, there is social pressure to shave, just like there is a pressure to have a certain body type. Ultimately, it is up to the woman whether or not to shave.
Usually it doesn’t hurt to get an erection. It can be uncomfortable to have an erection if their penis is restricted (for example in clothing), but it usually doesn’t hurt.
Perhaps you’re wondering about “blue balls.” Blue balls refers to a situation when somebody is sexually aroused and then doesn’t have an orgasm-all the blood rushes to the genitals-thus the term blue balls. While this situation can be uncomfortable, it’s not dangerous and the feeling will go away shortly. People with vaginas can also feel the same discomfort in their vulva is they’re aroused and then don’t have an orgasm. The feeling can be relieved by masturbation. There can be many reasons for this to happen. Changes in your menstrual cycle can be caused by hormonal shifts, stress, illness, weight loss or even travel. It isn’t uncommon to skip a period once in a while, especially during the first year you are menstruating. A skipped period could also mean pregnancy. If you think you may be pregnant, you can find out by purchasing a home pregnancy test or visiting your health care provider. If your cycle continues to be “off,” visit your health care provider to see what’s going on.
No, all people with vaginas are not physically capable of using a tampon, but the vast majority are. In rare instances, some people have imperforate hymens (membrane that partially covers vaginal opening) that completely covers the vaginal opening, making it impossible for them to use a tampon. If this were the case, there would be no place for menstrual fluid to come out and they should consult their doctor. It’s also possible that they might have a very small opening because of the hymen and therefore menstrual fluid could come out, but it would be hard to get a tampon in or take it out. If you’re having a hard time, make sure you’re in a comfortable place, relax, look at the directions and take your time. It may take you the whole box to finally figure it out! If you are still unable to use a tampon, you can make an appointment with your health care provider.
It’s possible (but not likely) for people to urinate and orgasm at the same time, and, as a result, some people do hold back orgasms to prevent this from happening. More likely, you may have experienced “female ejaculation,” which involves expelling a liquid that is not urine. If you want to tell if it’s female ejaculate or urine an easy way to tell is by smelling it, it sounds gross, but if you want to know just take a whiff to see if it’s urine or not. The reason behind why some people pee during an orgasm is still as of yet not known there are however a couple theories. One is that depending on what you’re doing, an excessive amount of pressure can be put on your bladder and on your urethra during sex or masturbation. This extra pressure can cause the urine to be released when orgasming. An easy way to prevent this is to pee before having sex or masturbating.
Vaginas are all different and range in size. The average size from the opening of the vagina to the cervix is three to four inches, but during arousal the vagina can lengthen. Therefore each individuals “maximum capacity” differs.
The response is exactly the same as it would be during school.
If you are caught, you go before the Conduct Review Committee who makes a recommendation to Mark which will involve a suspension of some length, but will also meet with Kaern to see if you have a problem of some sort that needs resolving. The contents of the meeting with Kaern doesn’t go anywhere else in the school and nobody else finds out. Getting caught twice is an expulsion, generally. If it’s out of school like out in the park smoking marijuana on the weekend, there can’t be any disciplinary action taken by the school, but Charlotte said that the parents might be called. HIV can only be transmitted through breast milk, semen, vaginal fluid and blood. You cannot get HIV from kissing. But HIV transmission (as well as other STDs) is possible during anal, vaginal or oral sex. Using a barrier between body fluids, such as a condom or dental dam, is the best way to avoid transmitting diseases. While barriers lower the chances of receiving a disease by a large amount, it is not 100% guaranteed (like abstinence is).
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AuthorThe responses to all of these questions were written by HIPE members or Jenn or Shafia and are all medically accurate. Archives
May 2022
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