Girlology: A Girl's Guide to Stuff that Matters

Besides getting pregnant from sex, there are infections and diseases that can be passed from one person to another through sexual activities. You’ve probably heard of some of them. HIV/AIDS is one of the most well known because it kills the people who are infected with it. Other diseases may not be deadly, but they can cause serious problems, such as severe pain, birth defects, infertility (meaning a woman can’t get pregnant) and even cancer. You know what’s really scary? Every year, one in four teenage girls who have sex will get a sexually transmitted infection. One in four!!!That’s a lot! Pretty serious, huh?

Some infections can be treated, but some cannot be treated at all. Some have NO symptoms and can cause infection in the vagina, the uterus or the throat (through oral sex). The biggest problem is that you can never tell for sure whether someone has an infection. Even though a person may get “checked” for sexually transmitted infections, it doesn’t mean they don’t have ANY infections. That’s because there are no reliable and easy tests for some of the most common infections like the human papilloma virus (this causes genital warts and can lead to cervical cancer) and herpes. If someone is checked, it is usually only for gonorrhea and chlamydia (by putting a small cotton swab into the urethra or taking a urine sample) and for HIV, hepatitis and syphilis (by drawing blood). There are lots of other possible infections for which we don’t or can’t test.

The only 100 percent effective way to avoid infections is not to do the stuff that passes on these infections—and that means NO sexual intercourse, including oral sex.

For people who are having sex, there are ways to help prevent infections and pregnancy. Condoms, which are these little balloonlike things that fit over a guy’s erect penis before it goes in the vagina (also called a “rubber”), will block the sperm from getting inside the vagina. It will also cover most of the penis, so infection doesn’t spread through the skin. Since condoms don’t cover all of the skin around the bottom of the penis or the testicles, they don’t completely prevent the diseases that are passed by skin-to-skin contact. Those infections are the ones that cause things like genital warts, cervical cancer and herpes ulcers. So condoms can’t prevent all infections but they are still very important if you are having sex.

Why use them if they don’t work? They DO work but not 100 percent of the time. For now, if you decide to have sex, condoms are the only thing available that can help reduce the risks of sexually transmitted infections.

Condoms can also help prevent pregnancy, but they are by no means foolproof because they can be used improperly, or they can break or tear. There are other methods of birth control that women and men use to prevent pregnancy. Some types of birth control kill sperm in the vagina (spermicide), some block sperm (condoms, diaphragm), and some prevent a woman from ovulating (birth control pills, shots, patches) or prevent an egg from settling into the endometrium (intrauterine device and other hormonal methods like birth control pills). While birth control helps prevent pregnancy, the only 100 percent effective way to avoid pregnancy is to not have sex. Using birth control requires a lot of self-control and planning, and it can be costly. If you are or plan on having sex, you need a birth control plan, and you should talk to your parents, another adult you trust or your doctor. Don’t just let sex happen without a plan for protecting yourself from unintended pregnancy and infections.

The take-home message: The only 100 percent effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections is to avoid sexual intercourse and other sexual activities that put you at risk. But there are plenty of other things you can do to enjoy a romantic relationship. Stay tuned!

Is That All There Is to It?

Well, kinda sorta. That’s sex in a nutshell, the good and the bad, the nuts and bolts, birds and bees part of it, at least. But as the rest of this book points out, sex is never just the nuts and bolts. It has major emotional, physical and relationship effects—many of which are wonderful, provided you are physically and emotionally mature enough to have sex. And it has the most awesome, amazing power in the world: to create a new life! Girls with Girl Power not only understand the how-to’s of sex, they respect the awesomeness of that tiny little word.

PART THREE

There’s More to Sex!

9

Sexuality:

Good News, Bad News