Sex Ed for Teenagers...

[wholuvsya.livejournal.com]

Hi lovely ladies! Today I found myself in the position of teaching my high schoolers about sex and all that good stuff. The girls and I discussed the "care and keeping" of their vagina, protected sex, std/sti's, all of those wonderful things. I also told them, and I hope I am correct in telling them this, that self breast exams *should* be done starting when they first menstrate (as in, doing them each month thereafter) Is this information still correct? I'm 26 and I remember this being the rule of thumb when I started menstrating. Thanks. Also, I thought this was worth mentioning. I always thought that this generation of children was much more body aware and educated about sex. I was apparently very wrong. Today one of my 15 year old boys said to me, "why do I need to use condoms? If she's on birth control, nothing can happen!" I asked him if he had thought about STD/STI's, and he said "no, the pill kills them" /headdesk/ needless to say, all of them got a little talk on what the pill can and cannot do and what condoms and can not do...

Comments

[solteronita.livejournal.com]

Make sure to teach them that it's menstrUate, menstrUation, and menstrUating. :)

It can't hurt them to start doing self breast exams early. And from what I've read in various communities around the internet, it seems kids know less than I did when growing up, and I thought I was pretty naive.

[wholuvsya.livejournal.com]

well, if I could spell, I think that would help, eh? D'oh! thanks!

[notapromqueen.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, kids today aren't as body-aware as everyone thinks. Depending on the sex-ed teacher, their parents, schools, etc. From my experience, I was always taught the wrong things at school. That sex without a condom was not safe, period. Not until after-marriage, and trying to concieve. Basically we were taught that sex was bad, and shouldn't be practiced, period. Luckily, I was smarter than that, and did all my sex research on my own. But, I have to admit, learning those things from sex-ed teachers who knew nothing about what they were talking about has made me think on more than one occasion to become a sex ed teacher or counseler.

[hadrian.livejournal.com]

Your advice on self breast exams is spot on. I've have my doctor comment that 'the powers that be' now suggest an over-all awareness of ones breasts, but comment that instructing patients to do a self exam every month at the start of their period is better because it is easier for the patient to remember and follow through.

[ncsu-lady.livejournal.com]

I was told to do it at the end of your period because your breast is still more fluid but less tender than at the start of your period.

To the OP, I'm glad someone is giving info!

[wholuvsya.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I have always heard that you should do it at the end of your cycle for the tenderness factor. THOUGH, when I scheduled my mammogram, they told me to do it at least a week BEFORE my period. Guess I will just call the breast ed office and see what the official word is...:-)

[hadrian.livejournal.com]

Interesting, I'd never heard that instruction. I've never had the tenderness issue, which may be part of that? Hum hum.

[life-disguised.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say excellent icon ;)
It's one of my favourites.

[wholuvsya.livejournal.com]

thank you. I am not sure where I got it, actually..ha ha

[vampodrama.livejournal.com]

... self breast exams? now this was the first time I even heard about a thing like that, and I'm 25.

looks like I've missed out on something important, AGAIN. but then again, I grew up in the soviet union where there was no sex ed in schools whatsoever.

[swiggett.livejournal.com]

www.checkyourboobies.org

It's basically a controlled feel to see if you can feel any abnormalities in your breast

[racrichton.livejournal.com]

you rule.

'nuff said.

and seriously that "the pill kills them" comment? LOL-tastic, but sad at the same time. I hope you warned them that even with the pill and condoms you can still get STD/I's... I was never told that, and flat out shocked later in life when i found out about HPV, and my first thought was "but, CONDOMS! That's their JOB, it's what they DO!!!"

[whoa---uraslut.livejournal.com]

That's why HPV should be talked about more. I didn't even know what it was, until I had it. I only graduated 2 years ago to, you think when I was in high school someone would teach us about, nope.

[shinetheirlight.livejournal.com]

just curious.. how are you 26 with a 15 year old boy? did you first have a child at 11? i know this is techically possible.. but unlikely/
sorry, i know this is rude, but i am SO curious.

ps. DRILL IT INTO THAT GUYS HEAD THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PILLS/CONDOMS!! :)

[shinetheirlight.livejournal.com]

oh.. wait.. are you a TEACHER?
if so.. good! make sure they all know what they're doing, and that they're all paying attention!! do america a service!! :)
and tell the girls not to have sex until they're ready :)

[wholuvsya.livejournal.com]

Today I found myself in the position of teaching my high schoolers about sex It's ok, I can't spell menstruate correctly, so I forgive you :-)

[shinetheirlight.livejournal.com]

yeah i thought you had like 8 kids and the ones you were teaching this particular day were the high school ones. then i realized i was overthinking. (or underthinking??) haha

[domino-girl.livejournal.com]

my school was pretty good, was got sex ed every year from fourth grade to eleventh, and got taught how to do a boob exam in year five from memory. I'd LOVE to be a sex ed teacher one day

[wholuvsya.livejournal.com]

wow! that's awesome. good sex ed for sure! I am not the sex ed teacher, per se, I just found myself in what they call a "teachable" moment and ran with it. I teach at a small private school and love the freedom that comes with it...next topic of discussion with my kids is eating disorders...fun stuff. But honestly, alot of them don't get it at home from their parents, and I can't sit back idly and let them be ignorant. Children have every right to know what's going on with their bodies, etc etc. (oops, now I am on a rant again...sorry (: )

[shinetheirlight.livejournal.com]

we need more people like you