A major part of sex education is safe sex. Yeah, it’s boring but it’s important for a reason you know? People who take undue advantage of their good health and indulge in unsafe sex may have to pay heavy dues in the future. If the only thing you are concerned about when it comes to unprotected sex is pregnancy, then let us introduce you to friendly neighbourhood sexually transmitted diseases or STDs.
For your information readers, vaginal sex is not the only way STDs spread. Anal and oral sex are equally responsible for these infections. Let’s take a look at them shall we, while exploring the letter ‘H’ in today’s class on sex education?
Herpes
Herpes is an extremely common STD caused herpes simplex virus (HSV), which tends to stay in an infected person’s body forever. A most common symptom of herpes is itchy and painful blisters or sores that come and go. They can pop up on and around your vulva, vagina, cervix, anus, penis, scrotum, butt, inner thighs, lips, mouth, throat, and even your eyes.
It is spread from skin-to-skin contact with infected areas. So, vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex, and kissing can all lead to herpes if you plan to fornicate with an infected person. That said, most people do not know they are infected or that their sores are actually infectious. Herpes can be controlled with medication, which lowers a person’s chances of spreading the disease.
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks your immune cells and reduces the body’s ability to combat other diseases–including cancer. However, a person who is infected with HIV can go a long time without experiencing symptoms. So being HIV positive doesn’t necessarily mean the person has AIDS.
However, much like herpes, HIV stays in the body for a long time and spreads through vaginal and anal sex. Blood transfusions and infected needles are also culprits. A lifelong infection like herpes, innovative treatments to cure AIDS and prevent HIV from spreading are just now coming up.
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
HPV is a viral infection that commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growths (warts) on the body. There are more than a hundred types of HPV strains. Apart from genital warts, HPV can also cause some types of cancer, including cervical cancer.
HPV is transmitted sexually and through skin-to-skin contact in terms of warts. Vaccines are now available in the market to prevent cervical cancer, which is caused by HPV–though HPV infections have no cure.
Handjob
Very similar to blowjobs, this arousal technique makes use of your digits instead of your mouth.
Hymen
This fantastical beast living inside the woman’s body has to be destroyed one day and the only proof of its death is blood. Sounds dramatic? Well, that’s what society says in any case. The hymen is, as explained by all-knowing Wikipedia, “…a thin piece of mucosal tissue that surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal opening.” Practically the hymen varies from woman to woman and is so delicate that it may tear due to the slightest of friction caused by sports like cycling and swimming, apart from, of course, intercourse.
However, losing your hymen doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll bleed. The revered staining of the sheets when a woman loses her “virginity” has got more to do with aggressive friction rather than this thin membrane tearing. Thus, virginity has been attached to this inconsequential “mucosal tissue” unnecessarily. Funnily enough, you might actually stay a virgin even after 10 years of your hymen breaking because of no actual sexual intercourse.
