Problems related to sexuality are exacerbated for children and adolescents who become sexually active. One is pregnancy. Pregnancy is the biological result of penis-vagina sexual intercourse unless people do something to prevent it. Getting pregnant at a young age is stressful to the body and can be harmful to the baby. There is no good solution to a teen becoming pregnant. Although abortion is available, many teens are opposed to it, and it is never an easy or happy experience. Adoption is an option but it means going through nine months of pregnancy, childbirth, and social disapproval of being pregnant and giving up the baby. Having a baby lasts forever. The stress of conflicting roles of being a mother and a teenager is enormous. Being responsible for the decisions and care of an infant, toddler, and child is exhausting.
Pregnancy happens when the sperm and the egg meet (conception) and travel to the uterus (implantation). Birth control (contraception) means preventing pregnancy, i.e. to prevent conception or implantation. There are several methods:
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(1) Barrier methods (condoms, spermicides, diaphragms, sponges, cervical caps) keep the sperm out of the uterus.
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(2) Hormonal methods (pill, shots, nasal sprays) interfere with the development of germ cells (the sperm or the egg).
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(3) Physical methods (IUD, abortion) interfere with maintaining the pregnancy in the uterus.
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(4) Natural methods (rhythm, fertility awareness) prevent sperm from entering the vagina when an egg is ripe.
For older middle school students, invite a speaker from a health agency to come and talk about each method.
Another problem which can result from sexual activity is illness. Some of these sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) are curable, some are not. Some affect just the pubic or genital areas, others affect the rest of the body as well. STD’s are all catchable by contact between mucus membranes (lining the vagina, rectum, mouth, and the urethra). These are called STD’s now, they used to be called V.D. or venereal diseases. There are many diseases which are transmitted sexually. Some of the ones you may have heard of are Herpes, Syphillis, Gonorrhea, Crabs, Trichomonas, Chlamydia, and AIDS. Although the symptoms of each may vary, in general they cause itching, smelly discharge, sores, burning sensation while urinating, and redness or soreness of infected area. An exception is AIDS, which has no signs or symptoms for several years after it is caught.
All women have a discharge from the vagina (see lesson on fertility) which is normal and healthy. It does not cause any discomfort or itching. Many women also get infections in the vagina which are not sexually transmitted. The most common one is a yeast infection which causes a thick, white, itchy discharge and can easily be treated by medication.
A person who has contracted an STD can prevent passing it on by going to a doctor for testing and treatment or by using condoms and spermicidal foam when having sex. Testing is done anonymously and confidentially at any doctor’s office or clinic, the City Health Department, Planned Parenthood, Hill Health Center, Fair Haven Clinic and hospitals. For the most part, the tests and treatment are simple, painless, can be gotten at low or no cost and without parents’ permission.
AIDS is different. It can be caught in the same way as other STD’s (by having sex) but it can also be caught by blood-to-blood contact.
It is a very serious disease because everybody who gets it dies of it. There is no cure or vaccine and treatments so far are all experimental
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It is caused bp a virus called Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).