Opinions regarding what constitutes an effective and appropriate sex education vary between countries, nations, cultures, and even among families. The sex education curriculum of any given society typically reflects the dominant cultural values and norms of the greater community. There has yet to be a nation today to achieve comprehensive standards. In past decades, “abstinence-only” sex education programs…
Tag: HIV
Coprophilia
Coprophilia is an erotic fascination with feces and general filth and uncleanliness.1 When a person experiences some type of sexual pleasure associated with feces, they are called coprophiliacs. Coprophiliacs enjoy either watching people defecate, defecating on someone themselves, being defecated on, smearing feces (scatolia), and sometimes eating feces (coprophagia).1 In some adults, coprophilia may manifest…
Risks of HIV/AIDS and Gender Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Overview Since the onset of the AIDS virus, Sub-Saharan Africa has been amongst the highest percentage of HIV-positive inhabitants in the entire world. Seventy percent of people living with HIV are believed to be in Sub-Saharan Africa.1 One can assume that the sexual practices of those living within Southern Africa have had to adapt to avoid…
OraQuick In-Home HIV Testing
Being exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be a frightening experience, and testing to determine one’s HIV status can be even more worrisome. Though HIV poses many health complications, it also comes with a heavy stigma that may discourage many individuals from getting tested for the virus in a public setting. Additionally, HIV testing…
Oral Sex and STIs
Oral sex is a sexual activity that uses the mouth, lips, or tongue as a way to stimulate a partner.1 There are many reasons why individuals enjoy oral sex, and it is a much more common sexual activity than people are led to believe. In fact, a statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more…
HIV Treatment
Treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) consists of taking a combination of medicines daily to suppress viral activity and slow the progression of the virus.1 HIV is classified as a retrovirus, a class of virus using RNA as genetic material and replicates through integrating to the host DNA. While there is no current cure for HIV, there is…
Could You Have an STI?
An important part of becoming sexually active is learning how to take care of your sexual health. Any unprotected sexual act including vaginal, anal, or oral sex can potentially result in the transmission of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) if one or both sexual partners are infected. Additionally, a pregnant individual can also pass on…
How to Ask Your Partner to Get Tested
Asking a partner to be tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) can be a difficult conversation to have. It is a sensitive subject for most and may result in hurt feelings or other emotions. Some may take the request the wrong way and assume their partner believes they are dirty or sleep around. However, if a…
Sex and Ecstasy
There are many reasons why one might seek out illegal drugs. For many people, taking illegal drugs is a method of escaping reality; of seeing, feeling, and thinking differently; and of exploring the world they know from an altered perspective. Some take drugs for the purpose of fitting into social settings, some to cope with…