Hep C

The Hepatitis C Council of South Australia have a new youth site which looks great. Heaps of info here including a comaprision between HVA, B and C. Common myths, stigma issues, healthy living tips, treatment and more. Check it out. I didn't realise Hep C was very hard to catch through sexual contact, whereas Hep B isn't so hard to catch. Click on the Hep C title to go to the site.

safety PLEASURE respect forum

On Tuesday night the 19th of Febuary the forum on Safety Pleasure Respect

exploring the concept of pleasure in sex education, was held.



We had 34 people in attendance coming from a variey of work and non work situations. There were DRs, nurses,youth workers, community health workers, teachers, peer educators, trainers and more.

The forum started with a brief 'sex education' video clip taken from Monty Pythons, "The Meaning of Life" (chapter 5 or 6)

From here there was a panel of 4 young people answering pre set questions about sex and pleasure - giving the room a perspective about sexual health and relationships education that some had perhaps not heard before. The panel were a hilite of the forum, speaking with a frankness and honesty that is so often lacking in the discourse of pleasure. (Below are the questions asked of the panel)


Panel questions - Scenario

“ You have been asked to be on a triple J radio show discussing the merits of education about pleasure/sex in sex education programs – Triple J has just taken up some research that had been tabled in Parliament citing that ‘ sex education in this country is failing because we are missing a discourse on pleasure and young people want a discourse on pleasure in their sex education’

Question 1: Why do most programs encourage young people to have LESS sex and focus on the risks and harm minimisation when research indicates an active sex life is important for one's sense of well-being ?


Question 2: “The reproductive focus of sex education and its silence on sexual pleasure, female desire, and relationships does little to communicate effective strategies for managing sexual safety.”
How would you define pleasure and what do YOU think is the relationship between pleasure and sexual behaviour?


Question 3: Do you think that including education for pleasure (for young people) could have a role in creating safer and healthier environments for women, where violence is tolerated less? Why/why not?


Question 4: Are you aware of myths about orgasms and sex? If so what are some of these AND how could you overcome these myths?


Question 5: “The orgasm gap” 7% of men ages 18 – 29 do not achieve orgasm versus 26% of women ages 18 to 29 and 79% of boys have an orgasm with first intercourse compared to 7% of girls.
Why do you think it is ? AND Is there anything that might be done to change this discrepancy?


Question 6: Just over a quarter (25.9%) of all sexually active students report that they have had unwanted sex at some time in their lives.
In your opinion is sex ONLY about pleasure if not what else is it about? Do you think education about pleasure would make a difference to these statistics?


Question 7: Unsafe sex is the second most important risk factor for disability and death in the world’s poorest communities and the ninth most important in developed countries. Every year, more than 120 million couples have an unmet need for contraception, 80 million women have unintended pregnancies (45 million of which end in abortion), more than half a million women die from complications associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, and 340 million people acquire new gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, or trichomonas infections.
How could you discuss sexual intercourse in a way that would make people feel less uncomfortable? What could you tell people about sexual intercourse that might make a change to the figures quoted before?


Question 8: Overall 80% of same sex attracted young people found sex education at school to be useless or fairly useless. In other research young people say sex education is too little, too late and too biological.
What do you think effective sexuality education might look like?






After the panel (and after some giggles/laughs/food and a break) the participants were asked to do some groupwork and answer some questions themselves.


Below are the outcomes of group exercise that asked participants to answer three questions.

1. What does sexual pleasure mean?


2. How would you justify including this in a program?


3. What would pleasure in a sexuality education program look like.

COLLATED GROUPWORK RESPONSES

What does sexual pleasure mean?

Different things to different people makes you feel good/vibrant/tingle
Choice good about yourself
Orgasm anticipation
An experience you want to repeat strengthening an emotional bond
Individual feeling good – safe comfortable
Intimacy close/intimate/aroused
Without fear not necessarily having intercourse
More than just a pleasurable act not necessarily physical/could be emotional
The setting very individual and different at different times
Contains respect and trust experimentation
Enjoyable release
Allows you to share and trust alone or with others
Tantric stimulation
Melding connectedness
Touch/erotic desire
Arousal fun
Comfortable sharing
Communication giving / receiving


How would you justify including this in a program?

· How can you not?
· Natural/primal
· Empowering – knowing it’s okay to feel pleasure
· Consequences of leaving it out are endless ( low expectations/guilt/bad relationships
· Knowing- expectations-what your bottom line is
· Respect for self and others
· A promotion of safety/individuality
· If you don’t link sex with pleasure it becomes more biological/clinical therefore not an individual experience
· Don’t teach it as sex education/teach it as sexual health and relationships
· A good title can soften/alter/widen/open perceptions about talking about it
· Sexual safety and boundaries
· Children /teens are doing it, we can’t shut our eyes to it
· We need to educate students
· Knowing yourself and what you like helps you make clearer choices for yourself
· If sexual pleasure is the agenda, individuals make better choices which lead to less regret/trauma/negative consequences
· Reducing risks
· Harm minimisation
· Better health outcomes
· If you put sex and pleasure together you put more on the menu
· Teaching young people to know and respect self makes better choices for individuals/better outcomes for all


What would pleasure in a sexuality education curriculum look like?

· Accepting that pleasure for one may not translate to another
· Communication needed for individual pleasure ( with self or partner)
· Achieving mutual goals
· Discuss the non pleasurable aspects of sex – abortion
· Not specific as its all individual – but to say there is a reasonable expectation that there will be pleasure
· From an early age – straight away
· Using all your senses – ‘pleasure principle’
· Intimacy stuff
· Respect for yourself and others

OUTCOME

Of course these questions (and other unplanned ones) led to lots of discussion. What we decided it that: THIS IS JUST A BEGINNING. If we are going to identify if and how pleasure should be included in sexual health and relationships education then we need lots more discussion. Sooooo in response I (Lud Allen) will set up a website forum where we can continue to interact and discuss this issue/trade information and research findings/ and support each other in this journey.

If you would like to be part of this discussion then send me an email (or leave a comment on this blog with your email) and I will add you to this discussion list and send you a message when the forum is set up.

More about sex and health

This is from the article " European Sexual Awareness Campaign 2008 "Sexual Health: Do We Europeans Care?" which was showing on the RSS feed on the right.



"Did you know that common health problems can be associated with your sex life? Diabetes, depression and hypertension are just some of these. All recent data prove that a healthy sex life can indicate general well-being. And do we want to find out more? Do we consider it as one of our problems? The European Sexual Dysfunction Alliance (ESDA) wants to remind everyone of the importance of sexual health as a part of overall health and show what as an alliance we have just found out! "



The majority of people that rang health lines in this study NEVER had consulted with a health professional about their sexual health problem!!!! That crazy

If only we could get people to feel the same about sexual health as any other health issue.

Hi from Chris

Hi - I thought I should introduce myself, I'm Chris and Lud has asked me to contribute to youthnetwork....which is GREAT, really glad to be involved!
I live in Streaky Bay, a rural town on the west coast of South Australia and I am a youth worker in this area. It's a great job and I especially love being invited by schools to explore sexual health and sexual health issues with young people.
I completed the SE&X course with Shine SA in 2006 and it's up there with the best training I have ever done, the course gave me a tonne of confidence, information and a solid grounding in understanding the issues relating to sexual health - AND THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM!
I am married to Cass and we have 2 girls, 3 years and 3 months old. They are all great and I would have to say that raising kids is the most challenging thing we have EVER done....wow.
Anyway, looking forward to hearing from those of you who use youthnetwork and as it continues to blaze the sexual health trail. I'll try and post a photo of myself soon!!

chris.

Sorry

In previous posts we have looked at possible links between racism and sexual health. Here is one post if you want to have a look

I am hoping that Keven Rudds and Australias apology will be one step to overcoming the sexual health discrepancy between Aboriginal Australians and the rest of our community. Read through a brief version below and you can see ALL the sexual Health issues that we often talk about at SHineSA and particulalry in the SE&X course.

Lud

Rudd Rox:

February 13, 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology

Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.
The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.
We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

.......within a decade to halve the appalling gap in infant mortality rates between indigenous and non-indigenous children and, within a generation, to close the equally appalling 17-year life gap between indigenous and non-indigenous in overall life expectancy.

Lets get to it: Surely part of this closing the gap means real, comprehensive,meaningful sexual health and relationships education for all people.

Lud

you are beautiful

I just came across this fantastic site/project that has really caught my imagination. It is called you are beautuful ( click here ). If you wanted some activism and are tired of the same old media messages. GO HAVE A LOOK.

Here are 2 of of their images.




Its about time we all started giving this message to the people we live with, work with, share the planet with.

You might just see some guerilla ' you are beautiful' posts around the place soon. Because YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.


Lud

Good scales

I found these

scales while going

through one

of the blogs

I have listed to the

right of this post.

They are cool. We should ALL have these. I much prefer to receive this message than some stupid 'this is your weight' message.

If you want to look at them go here.

PEP

Do you know about PEP or Post Exposure Prophylaxis:

Would you be able to tell a client or a friend about PEP?

In a nutshell PEP is:

.....a medical treatment that may prevent you from becoming HIV positive after a risk exposure.

PEP Hotline 1800 022 226

FAST FACTS about PEP:
PEP is 4 weeks of anti-HIV drugs that may prevent you from becoming HIV positive after a risk exposure.
Act fast - call the PEP hotline on 1800 022 226 as soon as possible after potential exposure and within 72 hours (3 days).
PEP drugs must be taken exactly as prescribed and may have side effects.
PEP is not a ‘morning after pill’ and not a vaccine or cure for HIV/AIDS. It can’t replace safe sex and safe injecting practices.

If you want to know more go here or call the hotline 1800 022 226

If you want resources such as the posters above go here or here

IF YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT PEP THEN FIND OUT!

Medications & sexual health

Do you ever wonder about the effects of medications on a persons sexual health. Many of the commonly prescribed medications have minor to severe affects on sexual functions. Here are some examples:
Benzodiazapines ( known as mild tranquillisers - -are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, seizures, muscle spasms as well as alcohol withdrawal) Below are some common ones that you may have heard of and thier possible effects.

• alprazolam (Kalma,xanax,alprax) - menstrual changes, changes in libido,impaired sexual function




• diazepam (valium, antenex, valpam) - changes in libido




• lorazepam ( ativan) - changes in libido, impotence, decreased orgasm




• oxazepam ( alepam, murelax, serepax) changes in libido




• triazolam (halcion) menstrual changes, changes in libido.




• buspirone (buspar) menstrual changes, spotting, changes in libido, delayed ejaculation, impotence, priapism (prolonged erection)

Antipsychotics commonly used to treat psycosis including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, mania and delusional disorder. Below are some ( there are many more) you may have heard of and thier possible side effects.

• Risperidone ( risperdal) menstrual changes, breast changes in men and women.




• Clozapine (clopine,synthon clozapine, clozaril) - CLOPINE - persistant painful erection, changes in libido, impotence, ejaculatory difficulties CLOZARIL - painful menstrual periods, changes in libido, persistant painful erection




• pericyazine ( neulactil) - menstrual changes, changes in libido, impotence, false positive pregnancy tests, ejaculatory problems.




• haloperidol ( serenace) - decreased desire, menstrual changes, impotence, swollen breasts in men and women.

Tricyclic Antidepressants - used for clinical depression, neuropathic pain, ADHD, bedwetting as well as other applications like irritable bowel syndrome and bulimia nervosa. Below are some you may have heard of and possible effects.

• amitriptyline ( endep, tryptanol) endep - changes in sex drive.




• Clomipramine ( anafranil, placil) changes in libido




• imipramine ( melipramine, tofranil) tofrnil - impotence, ejaculation difficulty, painful ejaculation, inability to orgasm.




• mianserin (lumin, tolvon) lumin - uninhibited behaviour - tolvon - impotence, breast enlargement in men

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - a class of antidepressants used in treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, some personality disorders and sometimes premature ejaculation. Below are some you may have heard of and possible side effects.

• Fluoxetine (auscap, lovan, prozac) auscap :- impaired sexual function - lovan :-sexual problems: prozac - decreased libido, impotence, ejaculatory or orgasmic problems




• citalopram (celepram, cipramil, talma, talohexal, celexa) cipramil and talam - changes in libido, menstrual changes, impotence, ejaculatory or orgasmic problems: talohexal and celexa - changes in libido, menstrual changes ejaculatory problems, impotence

These are just a few of the medications that are being prescribed. As far as I am concerned it means that we have to go beyond the behaviours that we are seeing in people and find out if there are other factors that shape and effect thier lives. As always there is so much more to a person than we see on the surface.

Information for this post was taken from " what medications affect what sexual functions" and wikipedia.

Free Forum

Tuesday 19 February 2008
6:00 – 8:30 pm (light supper 5:30)
Education Development Centre
Milner Street, Hindmarsh

RSVP: Sharon on 8300 5317
by Thursday 14 February.
Places are limited so please book
early. This is a FREE event.