According to the updated guidelines of the Scouts Association, scout heads can distribute condoms amongst teenagers under them, “if they believe the young person is very likely to begin or continue having intercourse with or without contraception”. Apart from that, nearly 35,000 scouts will undergo sex education in which they will be able to “feel what a condom is like” and will be taught about relationships, sexually transmitted diseases and language. It is all being undertaken to “promote good sexual health within Scouting”.

Condoms for early teens: Isn’t it too early?

The average age at which children are becoming sexually active has rapidly gone down. Most teens are sexually active by the time they are 15-16 years old. In such a scenario, providing them valid information becomes vital. Sex education is most important for teens to be aware and confident about what they are doing. While there are parents and scout leaders who believe teaching early teens about sex is similar to promoting it, sex education is important, especially to curb the number of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

Taking on a real threat: But what are the Social and Religious Implications?

While statistics are there to prove that sex education is extremely important amongst teens, condoms for scouts have brought in a whole new debate. Take for instance Stephen Green, the national director of the Christian Voice campaign group, who was quoted, “They should be encouraging young people in their care to have respect for girls and live a life of chastity and fidelity.” Other family values campaigners are also actively protesting the move saying that bringing about changes like these to the century old scout movement can only lead to unwanted pregnancies.

What’s the Government Saying?

The government backs the plan and believes that it is an important step forward to building a more educated and aware next generation. It also understands that that guidance will help spread right information to the youth, which is important to maintain good health in the society in general as well. The Scout Association guidelines cover scouts aged from six to 18. For those between the ages of 14 and 18, the rules become more controversial.

Considering the number of cases for sexually transmitted diseases has been on the rise along with teenage pregnancy cases, there are moves the government itself is taking to ensure that the youth is aware of sexual practices and protection.

History of Condoms and Scouts

There has been a lot of controversy related to condoms, sex and the scout movement. For instance, in 2002, the Thai Public Health Ministry had planned to give out condoms to 30,000 participants at a Thai beach event. It was met with outrage when the director of World Scout Jamboree, Yuwarat Kamolvej openly criticized the move. “They must know that the international scout movement has regulations against condom use and sexual activity. I am the only person who can say yes or no to this and I won’t allow them to pass out the condoms at the World Scout Jamboree,” he had said.

Most people just believe that sexually transmitted diseases can’t happen to them. Ask someone from the lower socio-economic group, they will say it only happens amongst the rich and ask the rich, they will say it only happens amongst the poor. In reality, STDs can happen to any sexually active person.

In fact, with the average age of becoming sexually active fast reducing, there has been an increased need to spread awareness amongst post-puberty teenagers as well.

So how early is early?

According to estimates, on an average, more than third of youngsters are sexually active before they are 16 and the rest usually get into sexual relationships by the time they are 17. While most people might preach self-respect, control and values, the chance of STDs doesn’t reduce by just that. The need to use condoms is a big necessity and young people should be made aware of the need for contraceptives as well- especially women.

Does that mean handing out condoms to children?

Let’s face it; kids today grow up doubly fast as compared to previous generations. Blame it on television, internet or anything else; there is no denying the fact that they are more aware of a lot of things that the older lot had no clue of in their teens. Since there is no real way of changing that, it is best that children are made aware sexually and taken to sexual health clinics regularly. Teaching them to carry condoms is one of the best things to do avoid STDs. In fact, there have been talks about handing out condoms to scouts in case they are sexually active.

So are we talking about HIV AIDS?

No, we are not talking about HIV AIDS alone. Yes, it is the most threatening STD out there, but in reality, there are a lot of other infections as well, which, unlike AIDS are curable but equally life threatening. Take for example Gonorrhoea, which has become the most widespread STD in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 700,000 people suffer from Gonorrhoea annually in the United States alone. And the highest number of cases is reported amongst the 15-24 year old age bracket.

Get yourself tested: know when you contract an STD

The best thing to ensure that you are not suffering from STDs is to get yourself tested on a regular basis. Statistics show that 50 per cent of sexually active people get an STD by age 25 and most don’t even realize it. The symptoms for Gonorrhoea are quite similar to urinary tract infections, so most people just ignore it.

Men experience a burning irritation while urinating and discharge a mucus-like discharge from the penis accompanied by pain and swelling in the testicles. Women also experience similar symptoms, but can also prone to vaginal bleeding beyond their menstrual cycle.

How to get yourself tested?

Planned Parenthood organizes “Get Yourself Tested” camps all across the United States. People can walk in through April and get themselves tested for STDs for free. It’s not a blood test, just swabs and the test results hardly take half an hour. CDC recommends that sexually active people should test for STDs on a regular basis, use condoms and be sure about their sexual partners.

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What Does the Research Infer?

University of Michigan has found out that Latinas have usually expressed a great deal of worry about recurrence. Depression has been found to be in large scale among Latinas who speak Spanish primarily and Africans are found to show least importance to recurrence. Acculturation, a measure of how much a person is integrated into American society was used as the base to study women and it was found that the significant factor is whether they speak primarily English or Spanish. It was reported that Spanish speaking Latinas (around 46percent) worried very much about recurrence. The percentage drops to 25 for Latinas who speak English and 14 percent for white women. It was also proved that African-American least worried about recurrence while only a meagre percentage of English speaking Latinas did not feel for it.

The Cancer Surveillance and Outcomes Research Team, a multidisciplinary collaboration among five centres across USA, surveyed around 1837 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. It was proved that women who were good in understanding information , received more help and who showed coordination for the treatment were less likely to worry about recurrence.

Study among people who were diagnosed with cancer proved that women are dissatisfied with the information provided to them about recurrence risk. The authors who are studying subjects affected by breast cancer off late have highlighted the need to provide better counselling about recurrence.

Word from the Experts

Scientists say that the main hurdle is to ensure that women gets to know all signs of recurrence without making them fall prey for excessive worry. The extent to which women worry about recurrence is often not aligned with their actual risk for cancer recurrence says Dr.Janz.

She insists on the better understanding of the factors that basically lead to the increase in worry among likelihood women and develop necessary strategies to help these people by letting them know that recurrence is not a big issue to worry about if treated properly. Programs conducted to assist women who face these problems should be culturally sensitive and made in such a way that almost everyone gets to understand the problems with good communication style, social support and coping strategies.

The Official Count

The latest stats on Breast cancer predicts that 209,060 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and almost 40 000 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. This is indeed a cause of worry for the health officials and needs to be addressed immediately.

In a nutshell, coping with cancer might be a struggle but with proper self motivation and confidence, the disease can be fought with ease.

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“I’m a Virgin so you need not worry about STD’s from me”

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This would sound as a fair enough point if you happen to hear it in a confident note. People may say they are a ‘virgin’ but are they really? How would you believe a person has not had any sexual contact just by him/her stating it? It is always better to avoid these questions from your inner conscious and get yourself the much needed protection. Another thing you need to know here is that protection does not deprive pleasure. Proper usage of the precautionary measures is shown to have an increased pleasure rate.

“The people I have slept with earlier are all HIV negative”

This statement is very commonly used, mostly by guys. Although they use it to boast of their previous conquest, there are some women who tend to take it as frankness to develop that mutual trust. This is where you tend to let go of your control. STD’s are not common only through vaginal contact. There are other modes of transmission which could have very well taken place even though your previous partners were HIV negative. Although this might be seen as a breach of trust, it is important you speak to your partner and explain him your reservations on unprotected sex.

“Condoms don’t work at all. Why bother?”

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Good quality condoms are said to be the best protective device one can use against the dreaded STD – HIV AIDS. Condoms are made of latex and can be worn on a male penis. The condom restricts the flow of semen into the vagina and it even blocks vaginal contact by the penis. There is a myth that condoms rip off after a period of use and so they don’t work as they are supposed to. The truth is that condoms have good elastic property and they will sustain pressure even after long use. For better effectiveness of a condom it should be worn properly and it should be a newly opened and from a standard good quality brand.

“Let’s have oral sex. You won’t get pregnant”

True. Having oral sex won’t get you pregnant but it does not guarantee you that you will not be contracted with dangerous sexually transmitted diseases. It is always better to be safe than to be sorry. Condoms and contraceptive methods of protection are the way forward.

What is the purpose of the condom?

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The condom is a contraceptive device made of latex rubber and it is used to stop the semen from the penis entering the female vagina. The condom covers the entire length of a male penis and prevents any skin contact between the penis and the vagina. The main purpose of the condom was to prevent the spreading of the most dangerous of the sexually transmitted diseases – AIDS. Condoms were introduced and marketed as effective contraceptive and birth control device. Condoms have been instrumental in preventing rapid spread of AIDS, to an extent.

How to use a condom?

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Condoms are easily available in any retail or medical store. Now people are of the general opinion that using a condom will deprive them of the pleasures one experiences during sex. This is not true at all and it has been proved that proper usage of the condom gives you higher satisfaction than say, unprotected sex. You would also feel more relaxed when you are sure that you are fully protected. While using a condom, be careful while you tear open the pack. Ripping the cover off in excitement is understandable, but the condoms tend to get damaged when opened forcefully. Care must be taken in using the proper lubricant. Lubrication is necessary to help your penis fit in perfectly and give that good feel while it is inside the condom. The condom must be stored in a cool and dry environment and must be used within the date of expiry. A condom which is well past its date of expiration would tear apart anytime and using such a condom would be meaningless.

Choosing that perfect condom

There are cases where a partner will not be comfortable while using condoms. It is therefore vital that you explain your partner the importance of having a condom in a calm manner. Having a condom with you during wild parties and dates would be highly recommended. So in such cases, when you understand the need of a condom, do you know which size you would need? Maybe not. The image below would give you an idea on the size of condom which might suit your needs.

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It has also accepted by scientists that a condom is pretty sturdy and is able to withstand elongation in length. However condoms are known to be width-elastic prone. That is, condoms have the tendency to tear when it is elongated sideways. Again here you would do well in opting for a condom from a reputed condom manufacturing company.

STDs are classified into various types. One main type of such STDs is Gonorrhea.

GONORRHEA ? What exactly is it

Almost everyone would have heard about this disease but will not know what exactly it is. It is an infection caused by a kind of bacteria that is passed during sexual contact. It infects the penis , vagina , cervix ,anus , urethra , or throat. It can be a serious risk if not treated on time . The disease is also referred to as “the clap” or “the dip”

Ways by which GONORRHEA affects humans:

In most cases people aren’t aware that they are infected , mostly women. It has been proved that four out of five women with gonorrhea will not have any symptoms and it’s the same for one out of 10 men.

The symptoms basically starts showing in as little as 1-14 days after being infected.

In case of women they commonly experience abdominal pain, bleeding between menstrual periods and menstrual irregularities , painful intercourse , painful urination , urge to urinate more than usual and throwing up. The main thing to be noted here is , if gonorrhea is not treated in case of women , it causes infection in the fallopian tubes , ovaries or uterus. This is called the pelvic inflammatory disease.

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In case of men it is mostly pus-like discharge from the penis , pain or burning feeling while urinating and more frequent sensation to urinate. It can also make men infertile .

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How to eliminate gonorrhea from our body if infected :

Gonorrhea is not non-treatable , the main way to treat it is the use of antibiotics. One dose will mostly do but in case of certain infections they may be resistant to certain type of antibiotics in that case more than one dosage is prescribed.

Once treated for gonorrhea , one should make sure that

-          all prescribed medicine should be taken even if symptoms go away.

-          Medicine should not be shared with others.

Prevention techniques :

-          Should be away from vaginal and anal intercourse and also oral sex.

-          If its still impossible to control from keeping away from these , a female or latex condoms should be used everytime.

-          Plastic barriers also serve as a good way to prevent from gonnorhea infection.

If found infected by gonorrhea , the following steps should be followed strictly

- Have no sexual intercourse until treatment is complete

- Partner should be informed before sex

- Use a condom or dental dam for oral sex.

It is always better to get checked for the STDs with the health care provider regularly to be free from these difficulties

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Pop the Pill!

The pill is a breakthrough invention and definitely a boon for many women. After fifty years it has still proven to be the easiest forms of birth control. It works by altering levels of Estrogen and Progesterone hormones so that ovulation doesn’t occur. Since it also thickens the cervical mucus, bacteria like gonorrhea and Chlamydia are prevented from entering the uterus. The post-coital medication popularly known as the “morning after” pill is an effective emergency contraceptive which is taken within 72 hours of intercourse is simply a stronger dose of the regular birth control pills. The mini pill, Norplant and Depo-Provera are the most sought after Oral Contraceptives. Latest is the “Patch” for women who forget to pop the pill.

The Barrier Methods

These contraceptives place a barrier between the egg and the sperm and are often supplemented by the use of a spermicide. They are considered relatively safer among the other methods of Contraception because they don’t add anything to the blood stream. These methods have proven to be effective in even preventing Sexually Transmitted Diseases as well. Condoms, Diaphragms, Cervical caps, and vaginal spermicides are some of the widely used barrier methods in birth control.

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Surgery and IUD

Tubal Litigation or Female Sterilization and Male Sterilization or Vasectomy is an often encouraged method of contraception where the fallopian tubes are sealed to block the sperm in the case of females and prevents the sperm from leaving the body in the case of males. Intrauterine Devices or commonly known as the copper T inhibits sperm by creating a hostile uterine environment that makes it difficult for the sperm to survive and a fertilized egg to implant. Unlike certain barrier methods like the diaphragm and cervical cap which tends to shift position IUD’s are safer because they remain in place for a year or more.

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Think twice before you Act!

Although Contraceptives play an important role they do have their own downsides. Allergic reactions, blood clots and being not so foolproof are some of the many disadvantages. It is always better to use the natural or “rhythm” method of birth control which is basically avoiding intercourse approximately five days before to three days ovulation. However it has to be remembered that Contraceptives do play a pivotal role by curbing uncalled for pregnancies and is the one of the best methods to prevent sexually transmitted diseases thereby saving a lot of trouble. It is always essential to consult your physician to understand which method suits the best and also to think twice before you act!

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Seek from the Right Source:

Half-baked information on issues concerning sexuality is what kids these days are exposed to. Although their sources involve friends, books, media and importantly the internet, the information they beget is not entirely authentic and this is very crucial because the consequences of one’s carelessness could turn out to enormous and life altering. Sexual Education, imparted in the right age would lead one to have a mature outlook towards sex. Early pregnancy has been stealing the lives of many girls in the age group of 15 and 19. Sexually transmitted diseases as fatal as AIDS are plaguing up everywhere and abortions and abandonment’s are rising steadily. In order to avoid such a scenario in the future sexual education is a must and it is essential that it begins right away from school.

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What Should be Imparted??

The curriculum should cover topics ranging from dating and relationships to reproduction, family planning, birth control methods, Sexual orientation, value and decision making. Everyone likes to be informed, to know about ones own body is further more essential to develop a healthy respect to ones body, Children need to be taught about puberty and the various bodily changes they tend to undergo in the growing process. They need to be aware of the havoc early pregnancy or Sexually transmitted diseases could create, and they also should be taught about preventive measures like usage of condoms and contraceptives to prevent the same. It is very important to channel the child in the right direction towards authentic information regarding matters concerning sex. Parents too play a key role in this learning process. They need to encourage their kids to derive information on the right source and help them get over the sensitive phase of puberty.

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For a Mature and Healthy Tomorrow:

Although imparting Sexual education has been a subject of controversy in many platforms, with the right instructor essential information regarding sexuality can be divulged and the rest can be held back. What one needs to seek in the process is to strive for a mature, safe and healthy world. Sexual education creates the right awareness and prevents kids from throwing themselves as a wrath to curiosity and immaturity. Therefore this trend needs to be welcomed for a brighter and better tomorrow!

The publication AIDS Care reported on a San Francisco study finds that gay couples that have a sexual agreement in place, have more satisfaction in relationships as well as a better understanding of their own sexual health. The study noted no significant difference in satisfaction of relationships that are open versus monogamous. However, when asked about intimacy, trust, and stability in ones relationship, monogamous gay males were more likely to feel secure in these aspects. In addition, monogamous couples reported a greater sense of equality in the relationship.

The study suggests that it is necessary for HIV prevention programs to take note about sexual agreements. The open conversation about sex in a relationship allows for a better understanding of the risks of infection in the couple. If these agreements are broken, a couple with full disclosure can deal with these issues head-on as opposed to ignoring the issue. For the fight against the spread of HIV among this demographic, it is a reliable finding. This knowledge can assist programs to approach the issues of sexual health by promoting an open forum in homosexual relationships.

In Malawi, the Bank is awarding young girls cash for school attendance, which, according to a recent study of the two-year program has lowered the infection rate of this demographic. Female students who achieved 75 percent or better attendance records received payment for their efforts. In this group of students, the rate of infection dropped 60 percent over the course of study. This program serves as a dual purpose as it keeps young women from dropping out of school, while also giving them the opportunity to learn about safer sex practices so that they have the chance to take charge of their own sexual health. In addition to keeping a strong educational base for these girls, the study found that those who were paid for their attendance where the ones who either abstained from sexual activity, or engaged themselves with men their age, as opposed to wealthy older men, which had become commonplace. A similar program in Tanzania paid young women and men to avoid having unprotected sex. In the results from this study, a drop of 25 percent in the infection of an array of sexually contracted diseases was noted.

The World Bank acknowledges the unconventional method of approach, but notes that the current and preceding programs were proving to be ineffectual. To an institution that has given 1.4 billion dollars to date for the fight against the spread and provide the treatment of HIV and AIDS in developing nations, any means necessary is appropriate.