Everything Else You Wanted To Know About Sex ...
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®
Contraception/STD Prevention
Q: What is the “best” form of birth control?
Q: Using two condoms must be better than just
A: The only surefire way to avoid pregnancy is absti-
one, right?
nence. However, “the most effective form of birth
April/May 2007 • Volume 33, No. 8
A: No. “If more than one condom is used … one
control is the one that you will use correctly, consis-
condom will rub directly against … the second con-
tently, and cooperatively. … A person can have the
HUMAN SEXUALITY SUPPLEMENT
dom. This rubbing causes friction between the two
‘most effective’ form of birth control, but if [the per-
materials and may cause the condoms to break. If
son and his or her partner] cannot realistically use it,
Everything
the condoms break … STDs and sperm may be
it won’t be effective against unplanned pregnancy.”
passed between the partners. One condom used con-
—Jennifer Fuentecilla
Else You
sistently and correctly will provide the next best
protection (second to total abstinence) against STDs
Corbis
and unwanted pregnancy.” —Jamie Sclafane
Wanted to
“Only one condom, whether it’s [for a] male or female,
should be worn at a time.” —Jennifer Fuentecilla
By the Book
Know About
Recommended reading, courtesy of New York City–based
Q: I don’t use condoms because they don’t fit me
sexuality educator Amy Levine:
Sex ...
correctly. What else can I do to protect myself
❑ Changing Bodies, Changing Lives: A Book for Teens on
from STDs?
Sex and Relationships, 3rd ed., by Ruth Bell (Three Rivers
A: “The problem most often does not have to do
Press, 1998)
with the size of a male’s penis, but rather with the
❑ Deal With It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain,
condom not being put on properly. … The first
and Life as a gURL, by Esther Drill, Heather McDonald, and
thing to do is to make sure you are using condoms
Rebecca Odes (Pocket Books, 1999)
properly. [See “How to Use a Male Condom” on
❑ Free Your Mind: The Book for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual
page 2.] If you have gone through all of these steps
Youth—and Their Allies, by Ellen Bass and Kate Kaufman
… but didn’t know
(Harper, 1996)
and the condom still does not fit properly … look
❑ The Teenage Guy’s Survival Guide: The Real Deal on Girls,
who (or how!) to ask
into buying a larger-size male condom. If this still
Growing Up, and Other Guy Stuff, by Jeremy Daldry (Little,
does not work for you, asking a female partner to
Brown, 1999)
By Meredith Matthews
use a female condom (only for vaginal sex) may
❑ The Underground Guide to Sexuality, 2nd ed., by Michael
also be an option. The female condom is designed
J. Basso (Fairview Press, 2003)
to fit the inside of the vagina, which makes it
❑ What If Someone I Know Is Gay? Answers to Questions
larger than a male condom.”
Corbis
About Gay and Lesbian People, by Eric Marcus (Price
—Jamie Sclafane
Stern Sloan, 2000)
t seems everyone has a say in what you learn
Anatomy
about sex. Your family decides how to handle
Q: What’s the normal size for a penis?
For More Info
discussions at home, and your school teaches
A: “There is no specific normal size for a
Iyou within the limits set by local and state penis; it is different from person to person.”
Sex, Etc.
www.sxetc.org
lawmakers. Even the movie-rating-system
—Victor Esquivel, youth development educator,
Real-life stories from teens, expert advice, chats,
Write to Us!
folks control which sexual content is tame enough
Planned Parenthood of San Diego & Riverside
and a comprehensive glossary of terms
for a PG-13 and which gets slapped with an R.
Counties (PPSDRC)
We’re taking your questions for next year. If
But has anyone asked what you want or need to
Go Ask Alice!
there’s something you’d like to know, please
www.goaskalice.columbia.edu
know about sex, sexuality, and your changing body?
Q: Does every girl have a hymen?
e-mail us (it’s OK to leave out your name) at
Searchable body, relationship, and sex information
Maybe your questions fall outside the usual curricu-
A: “No, not every girl is born with a hymen [a
currenthealth@weeklyreader.com.
in a Q&A format
lum, or maybe you’re shy about asking. There’s no
membrane that sometimes stretches across the
Human Sexuality Supplement to Current Health 2 (ISSN 0163-156X)—Copyright
such thing as a stupid question, and it’s important for
vagina]. For girls that are born with a hymen, [it]
© 2007 by Weekly Reader Corporation, which also publishes Current Health 1, Current
ThinkMTV
Science, Career World, Current Events, Know Your World Extra, READ, and Writing. Current
www.mtv.com/thinkmtv
you to have the information you need to make smart
can break during horseback riding, gymnastics,
Health and Weekly Reader are federally registered trademarks of Weekly Reader
Corporation. Executive and Editorial Offices: 200 First Stamford Place, P.O. Box
Click on Sexual Health for sexual health informa-
decisions. So we’ve asked sex educators which ques-
other forms of exercise, or … the first act of sex.”
120023, Stamford, CT 06912-0023. Material in this issue may not be reproduced,
i n w h o l e o r i n p a r t i n a ny f o r m o r f o r m a t , w i t h o u t p e r m i s s i o n f r o m t h e
tion, news, videos, and links to resources.
tions they get the most or find most interesting—and,
—Jennifer Fuentecilla, peer education coordina-
publisher. Printed in U.S.A. Subscriber ser vices: Call toll-free 8:30 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. Eastern time, 1-800-446-3355.
more important, what the answers are.
tor, PPSDRC
Human Sexuality Supplement April/May 2007 1
CH2HSSAprMay07_A.qxd 2/2/07 9:51 AM Page 2
Q: Will drinking Mountain Dew shrink/clog a penis?
psychologically, even if you do it pretty frequently.
Pregnancy
Any Further Questions?
A: No. “Mountain Dew could possibly make some-
If you do it instead of your normal daily routine—
Q: Can a girl get pregnant if she swallows sperm?
one hyper … and may cause some cavities … but as
like if you didn’t go out with friends or go to school
A: “No. [But] a girl can get pregnant if sperm goes
When you’re learning
for affecting [the] penis, [you’re] safe to drink it.”
just so you could stay home to masturbate—then I’d
anywhere close to the vulva [the external part of the
about sexual health, get-
—Jennifer Gallo, community health educator, Family
want you to get it checked out with a counselor or
female sex organs].” —Victor Esquivel
ting good answers is
Planning Services of Lorain County, Elyria, Ohio
therapist. Otherwise, masturbation can release sex-
important. “Every question
For pregnancy to happen, “sperm needs to meet up
ual feelings without risk of STIs or pregnancy, and
should be asked,” says
[with] and enter a female’s egg. … Eggs will never be
Attitudes
it teaches you a lot about your own body for when
Amy Levine, a sexuality
present in a girl’s stomach, so therefore sperm, if
Q: If I’ve had sex already, are you going to say I’m
you are older and sexual with another person.
educator based in New
swallowed, will not come into contact with an egg.”
a bad person?
Many people masturbate, and many do not. It’s nor-
York City. “If your source
—Jennifer Gallo
A: “No, I’m not here to judge you. I’d like you all
mal if you do, and it’s normal if you don’t.”
doesn’t know the answer,
to make choices that will keep you safe and
—Elizabeth Schroeder
[he or she] can research
Q: Can a woman get pregnant from sex in a hot tub?
healthy. If you’ve had sex, I hope that you used a
the topic and get back to
A: Yes. “Any time [sperm] enters the vagina, there is
condom to reduce your chances for pregnancy
Q: If a boy [masturbates] a lot, can he use up all of
you. Or you can look up
a risk of pregnancy.” —Jennifer Fuentecilla
and/or sexually transmitted infections [STIs]. If you
his sperm so that he won’t have enough left to make
the answer together.”
didn’t, I’d urge you to go for a checkup to make sure
babies when he’s older?
Sexual Orientation
For starters, check out
that you are healthy and that you remain healthy.”
Corbis
A: No. “A male’s testicles continuously produce
Q: What makes someone gay?
the resources in “By the
—Elizabeth Schroeder, national sexuality educator and
sperm from the time he goes through puberty on
A: “Honestly, no one knows for sure what makes
Book” and “For More Info” on the next page. If your teacher
coeditor, American Journal of Sexuality Education
[through adulthood]. His body will still be producing
someone heterosexual [straight], lesbian or gay, or
has an anonymous-question box, use it; if not, ask about
[sperm] when he’s older and wants to have children.”
bisexual. Most sexuality experts say that it is deter-
starting one. (Just remember, your school may have rules
Sex
—Jennifer Gallo
mined before we are born, as much a part of our
about what teachers can and can’t say.) Levine offers tips for
Q: When a guy and a girl have sex, does he really
biology as our hair or eye color. Some people know
asking questions without feeling awkward:
pee inside her?
from very early on who they are attracted to. For
How to Use a Male Condom
Power up. Know that you have a right to this information.
A: “For a guy, [sex] usually includes ejaculation,
others, it’s less clear. Be who you are, and feel what
Learn the proper way of putting on a condom with
“You deserve answers to your questions,” she explains.
when a whitish fluid comes out of the tip of his
you feel. When it becomes important to attach
these tips from sexuality educator Jamie Sclafane of
penis. This is not urine; it’s semen. Semen contains
a name to those feelings—regardless of what
Pick an adult you trust. This could be a parent or another
the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y.
hundreds of millions of sperm, which is what can
that name is—you’ll know when the time is right.”
relative, a teacher, a religious leader, a doctor, or anyone in
cause a pregnancy.” —Elizabeth Schroeder
• Check the expiration date.
—Elizabeth Schroeder
whom you can confide. “Feel them out” to determine their
comfort level, Levine advises. If your source doesn’t have the
• Check the package for tears or punctures.
“No, there is a valve that … closes when a person is
• Carefully open the package and push the condom out.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
answer, ask him or her to help you find it.
about to ejaculate, preventing [him] from releasing
• Figure out which way the condom unrolls.
Q: What do STDs look like?
Time it well. “Pick a time when he or she is calm and really
any urine.” —Victor Esquivel
• Put a small amount of water-based lubricant in the
A: “Visual STD symptoms can take many shapes
has time to listen and respond,” Levine notes. It could be
condom tip.
and forms, including sores, blisters, warts, bumps,
when you’re setting the table for dinner, riding in the car, or
Q: Can a man still ejaculate if he has a vasectomy
• Hold the tip of the condom.
lumps, rashes, redness, and unusual discharge
hanging out on a weekend afternoon.
[surgery to keep sperm out of his semen]?
• If uncircumcised, pull back the foreskin.
around the genitals, anus, and/or mouth. However,
Say how you feel.
A: “Yes. His ejaculation, however, will contain no
Acknowledging embarrassment—yours
• Place the condom over the top of the erect penis.
the most common symptom of an STD is actually
sperm.” —Jennifer Fuentecilla
and your source’s—helps take the edge off for you both.
no symptom at all. There is no magic way to tell if
• Unroll the condom down to the base of the penis.
“Try saying, ‘I feel awkward, how does this make you feel?’”
a sexual partner has an STD just by looking
suggests Levine.
• Leave about half an inch of room at the tip of the
Q: Can girls have erections?
condom for semen.
at [him or her]. The only way to 100 percent pro-
A: “Yes. Females can have an erection [of] their
Be clear about your needs. “Whether you need a question
tect yourself from STDs is total abstinence (no
• Squeeze out any air pockets.
clitoris [sexual pleasure organ] or their nipples.”
answered or just need support, let your source know what you
oral, anal, and/or vaginal sex) or by using a male
—Jennifer Fuentecilla
• After ejaculation, hold the rim of the condom at the
need,” Levine says. Asking specifically for what you want
condom, female condom, or dental dam [latex
base of the penis.
improves your chances of getting it.
which can be used for oral sex on a female]
• Gently pull the penis out of the other person’s body.
Masturbation
Keep talking. Look for other opportunities to continue
consistently and correctly each time you have sex.”
• Roll the condom down off the penis, keeping the
Q: If you touch yourself, will that mess you up at all?
the conversation, such as pointing out sexual situations in
—Jamie Sclafane, program director and trainer,
liquid inside; don’t just pull it off.
A: “No. Masturbation—or touching your own geni-
television shows you both watch. “The more you talk about
“Stay Safe” and “It Takes Two” programs, Albert
• Tie a knot in it, wrap it in a tissue, and throw it away;
tals for pleasure—can’t hurt you physically or
it,” observes Levine, “the more it’ll be casual, convenient,
Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y.
do not flush down the toilet!
and comfortable.”
2 April/May 2007 Human Sexuality Supplement
Human Sexuality Supplement April/May 2007 3
