5 Things You Didn’t Know About Sex

Eastside students sure seem to like talking about sex. They joke about it, make insinuations, and use it to shame others. However, very few students seem willing to talk honestly about sex education and the necessary precautions needed to stay safe.

These teens aren’t alone. 46% of parents don’t want sex education to be taught at school because they believe it will encourage teens to have sex. This ongoing controversy over sex ed is part of the reason many teens go into adulthood with misconceptions about sex.

For example, many students think that the “pull-out” method is an effective form of birth control or that condoms offer 100% protection — neither of which is true.

“I think it should be taught in school,” says local Lancaster mother, Shaiun Windon. “More and more teens are getting incurable diseases and having babies. Sex isn’t anything to rush into because it’s just a feeling and nothing more. If teens do engage, then they need to protect themselves. They need to be taught and aware of the consequences.”

Eastside senior Alayza Ruff agrees. “Sex Ed should be taught at school,” she says. “Kids think sex is a joke. They need to learn how to have safe sex.”

Surveys have shown that 71% of American teens engage in intercourse. As Alayza pointed out, it’s important to educate these teens on how to have sex safely. To that end, here’s five things you should know about sex.

1. Condoms don’t offer 100% protection. However, they do offer increased protection from both the risk of pregnancy and catching STD’s.
2. Women should go to the bathroom after sex because urinating will help prevent a UTI (urinary tract infection).
3. Yeast infections aren’t just caused by sex. In fact, they can happen to women who have never had sex and can be caused by something as simple as wearing the wrong type of underwear fabric or not eating well.
4. The “looseness” of a vagina is actually an indicator of whether the vagina is ready for intercourse or not. Being ‘tight’ means the body is not ready because it is too tense, while being ‘loose’ means the body is relaxed and ready.
5. Pubic hair is not something to be ashamed of, nor should it be considered “dirty.” Pubic hair actually helps to keep one’s nether regions cool and clean. Shaving it off completely can leave you at risk of infections.