Personal Journal 2

1. Personal Journal 2 Reflect on the “9th grade class” and the pressure it has on SEX.

2. Questions to think about? How can I protect myself against an STI? All my friends are having sex... Should I? What is abstinence? What are the risks of having sex? What if I decide to have sex?

3. What if I decide to have sex? If you're going to have sex, Or if you're already having sex, be as safe as possible. (But remember, the "safest" sex is no sex.) Remember that condoms won't work if you don't use them correctly every time. Read the package to figure out how to use them, or go to your family doctor or a health clinic so someone can help you figure it out. To protect yourself and your partner, use a latex condom. Condoms offer the most protection against STIs and pregnancy.

4. All my friends are having sex... Should I? Nobody can tell you what to do with your body or when to do it. Don't give in to peer pressure about sex. Having sex to fit in won't make you feel cool or grown up. And it may give you a reputation that may make you uncomfortable. " Your friends might say they're having sex, but they may just be bragging to sound cool or to be popular. They may be stretching the truth, or they may be making stuff up from what they've seen in magazines, on TV or on the Internet. Don't necessarily assume that "everybody's doing it.

5. What are the risks of having sex? • Some of the health risks include: • pregnancy • catching one or more sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as herpes, chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Having sex before you develop physically can also hurt. Girls who start having sex before age 18 tend to have more health problems, including a higher risk of cervical cancer. Sex also has some emotional risks. If you have sex when you're not ready or because someone is pressuring you, you may feel bad about yourself or wonder if your partner really cares about you. You may have to deal with consequences you hadn't thought of (such as pregnancy or an STI), which can cause stress.

6. What is abstinence? Abstinence means choosing not to have sex. It's an important option to think about. A lot of young people make the choice to wait. Others abstain to avoid pregnancy or STIs, or just because they aren't ready to have sex. Some people abstain because of religious or spiritual beliefs or because of personal values. If you abstain, you should feel good about your choice. And if you have a friend or partner who abstains, give him or her your support.

7. Pubic lice (crabs) Symptoms: Girls and guys may have redness and itching around the genitals. Treatment: Medicine, such as over-the-counter lotions or shampoos (some brand names: Nix, Rid) can kill the lice. Prescription shampoos, lotions or pills are also available to treat pubic lice if over-the-counter medicine doesn’t work. However, lice can come back if clothes, sheets and towels aren't washed. Usually both partners need to be treated for pubic lice.

9. Tricomoniasis Treatment: Antibiotics. Usually both partners need to be treated. Symptoms: Girls can have a heavy, greenish-yellow frothy discharge and pain when urinating or while having sex. In girls, Tricomoniasiscan also cause redness, itching and a burning feeling in the genital area. Guys may also have burning with urination or ejaculation.

10. Chlamydia Treatment: Antibiotics. Usually both partners should be treated. Symptoms: Girls may have no symptoms or may have pain when urinating, itching around the vagina, yellow fluid (discharge) from the vagina, bleeding between periods or pain in the lower abdomen. Guys may have a burning sensation when urinating and a milky colored discharge from the penis. If not treated, chlamydia can cause infertility and other problems in girls and painful swelling of the scrotum in guys.

11. Syphilis Symptoms: An early symptom is a red, painless sore, called a chancre (say: shang-ker). The sore can be on the penis, vagina, rectum, tongue or throat. The glands near the sore may be swollen. After a few months, both guys and girls can get a fever, sore throat, headache or pain in their joints. Another symptom is a scaly rash on the palms of the hands or the bottom of the feet. The sores and other symptoms go away, but this does not mean that the infection is gone. Syphilis can cause serious health problems if it's not treated. Treatment: Antibiotics. If one partner is infected, the other should be tested.

13. Congenital syphilis occurs when a baby is born already infected with the bacteria that cause syphilis . Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a type of bacteria called a spirochete. Syphilis is passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy. This is a potentially serious condition that requires care from your doctor. If untreated, a baby with congenital syphilis can have problems throughout life.

14. HIV/AIDS Treatment: Medicines can treat symptoms but can't cure AIDS. If one partner is infected, the other should be checked by a doctor. Symptoms: HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) causes AIDS. HIV makes the body's immune system weak so it can't fight disease. Symptoms may take years to develop, and can include infections, feeling tired for no reason, and night sweats.

15. Herpes Symptoms: Girls and guys may have tingling, pain or itching around the vagina or penis. Small blisters can form in these areas and then break open. When they break open, the sores can cause a burning feeling. It may hurt to urinate. Some people have swollen glands, fever and body aches. The sores and other symptoms go away, but this does not mean that the infection is gone. The sores and blisters can come back (called an "outbreak"). Treatment: Medicine can treat symptoms but can't cure herpes. If one partner is infected, the other should by checked by a doctor.

16. Gonorrhea Treatment: Antibiotics. Usually both partners should be treated. Symptoms: Girls may have no symptoms or may have white, green, yellow or bloody discharge from the vagina, pain when urinating, bleeding between periods, heavy bleeding during a period or a fever. Both girls and guys can get sore throats if they've had mouth to penis or vagina contact (oral sex). Guys may have thick, yellow discharge from the penis and pain when urinating. The opening of the penis may be sore. Gonorrhea can cause serious health problems if it's not treated.

17. HPV/Genital Warts Symptoms: HPV (human papillomavirus) can cause warts in or around the vagina, penis or rectum. In girls, the warts can be inside the body on the cervix or vagina so you can't see them. Or they may be on the outside of the body, but may be too small to see. The warts usually don't hurt. There are many types of HPV. Depending on the type, HPV may not cause any symptoms.

18. Treatment: No medicine cures HPV. A doctor can remove external warts. Warts on the cervix or in the vagina can cause changes that may lead to cervical cancer. Doctors will watch these changes. If one partner is infected with HPV, the other should be checked by a doctor. Some types of HPV can be prevented. There is a vaccine that can prevent 4 different types of HPV in young women. This vaccine targets the types of HPV that cause up to 70% of all cases of cervical cancer and about 90% of all cases of genital warts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that girls between the ages of 11 and 12 receive the vaccine. The vaccine is also approved for boys and girls and men and women between the ages of 9 years and 26 years.

19. How do I know if my partner has an STI? Ask! Although it may be uncomfortable, talk to your partner before having any sexual contact. Ask if he or she is at risk for having an STI. Some of the risk factors are having sex with several partners, using injected drugs and having had an STI in the past. To be safe, protect yourself no matter what the person says. You must also tell your partner if you have an STI. You aren't doing yourself or your partner any favors by trying to hide i

20. How do I know if I have an STI? If you are sexually active, tell your doctor and get regular check-ups. If you're worried that your parents will find out, you can ask your doctor not to discuss it with your parents. You can also go to a free health clinic. Don't let fear keep you from getting checked out. Imagine how you'd feel--and how your parents would feel--if you got really sick because you didn't get help. If you find out you have an STI, both you and your partner should get treated right away. Watch for the symptoms listed above, but remember that most STIs don't cause any symptoms.

21. Can STIs be cured? Some can. STIs that are caused by bacteria, like chlamydia, can be cured with antibiotics. But STIs caused by a virus (like HIV or herpes) can't be cured. Your doctor can only treat the symptoms that the virus causes. Don't wait to be treated! Early treatment helps prevent serious health problems. Even if medicine can't completely cure the STI, it can help keep you from getting really sick. If you are given medicine for an STI, take it exactly as the doctor says.

22. STDs and Pregnancy It is important for pregnant women to be checked for STDs. They can cause women to go into labor too early and may complicate delivery. Many STDs can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or after the baby is born. STDs effects on babies can include stillbirth, low birth weight, neurologic problems, blindness, liver disease, and serious infection. But there are treatments to minimize these risks. Treatment during pregnancy can cure some STDs and lower the risk of passing the infection to your baby