Sexual Health

Before reading this, I warn you that this subject isn’t pleasant and is not for the faint of heart. I thought it would be better to make you prepared, because I wasn’t.

As a teenage boy, I thought I knew everything there is to know about the subject. ‘How much more is there to learn?’ I mused before going into the classroom. To my surprise (and horror), I was naive to the subject.

We started the lesson talking about contraception, nothing I hadn’t heard before. The differences and misconceptions about the different forms of contraception. I was surprised by a few facts, though. The fact about multiple condoms being a pretty stupid idea was surprising to me. Surely doubling up the contraception would half the risk of it breaking, but apparently, the friction between the two can cause tears.

Then we got into the section about STDs. Oh, boy. This, I now see, was where the lapses in my knowledge were. Despite me knowing the names of the diseases/infections, I knew very little about the symptoms or the appearance (*shudders*) of them.

I was not ready for the change that the PowerPoint took. Normal slides about condoms and femidoms turned into slides containing pictures of wart-ridden penises and herpes-covered vaginas. I, and everyone else in the class, felt very sick at the sight of them (as you would too).

Despite the disturbing photos, I am happy that I took part. Partly because I learnt a lot about the symptoms that you need to look out for, and partly because I now know to never have sex without a condom. Or a femidom. But you know what, abstinence is looking pretty good right now.