The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

General sexual education questions answered

Your general sex education questions answered!

1. How can I tell if my partner has an STD?” -sophomore boy

Here’s what you do: get samples of his or her urine and blood, take it to Jimmy Neutron’s lab, and… I’m lying. There is no sneaky way to find out if he or she has an STD. If you’re comfortable enough to have intimate relations, you should be comfortable enough to have a honest conversation with each other about your medical histories. In some cases, no symptoms of an STD occur according to WebMD so your partner may be unaware if they do have one so you are at risk. The only way to be completely safe is if the two of you to be tested.

2. Does using Plan B hurt your chances of having kids later? -senior girl

Taking the “morning after” pill should not cause any long term problems with getting pregnant. According to WebMD, the potential side effects of Plan B and Plan B One-Step include menstrual changes, breast tenderness, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, diarrhea, but not infertility. is comparable to a high dosage birth control pill because the hormones that prevent eggs from being fertilized only have relatively short term effects (a couple of days) on the consumer’s fertility.  Other birth controls, if taken as directed on the box, will not hurt your chances but will prevent early pregnancy.

3. Does oral sex count as losing your virginity? -sophomore girl

The notion of virginity is not black and white. As Laci Green, a professional sex educator and leader of the Sex+ program, said that “virginity is a social construction, it’s something we created as a society.” Sex is typically defined as a penis penetrating a vagina, but that definition ignores sexual identities and the emotional impact various types of stimulation have on individuals. Most people continue to consider themselves virgins after partaking in oral sex, however evaluating oneself based on the opinion of a majority is not wise. It is different for everyone.

4.Can you get impregnated if you have sex in a hot tub? -senior girl

Yes you can, the water in hot tubs is not hot enough to kill sperm inside of the testes, nor will chlorine magically sterilize the cervix. However, even if some uninvited “swimmers” were to find their way into the water, they would be eliminated by chlorine almost immediately. Condoms are not reliable contraceptive in hot tubs; “though the salt in seawater would not have adverse effects on condom materials, there is a strong possibility that the chemicals used in swimming pools (chlorine and ozone, for example) would,” a Durex spokesperson told LiveScience.

5.Is the pull out method reliable? -sophomore boy

Withdrawal, also known as the pull out method, is ineffective. According to Planned Parenthood, Of every 100 women whose partners use the pull out method, 27 will become pregnant during the first year of typical use. Teens are the most frequent users of this method and also have the least success with it because a lack of experience and discipline. Even if the guy has enough self control to “pull out” before he ejaculates, precum sometimes contains sperm. This method of contraception provides no protection from diseases so can result in more problems than pregnancy.

6. Is it true guys think about sex every seven seconds? -junior girl

That would mean that every guy’s mind went down the gutter about 514 times every hour, which is not the case. According to a study conducted at Ohio State by Dr. Terri Fisher and her colleagues, the highest number of sexual thoughts any of the 120 male participants had was 388 in the entire day. That is significantly less that the amount of times estimated if they thought about ‘it’ every seven seconds.

About the Contributor
Veronika Dvorakova, Art Director/Columnist
A strange mix of creative and organized, Veronika has stumbled her way into the Carlmont journalism program as the local artist. Journalism gives her a chance to develop her creative thinking skills while applying them in a place where they can have an impact. She is constantly trying to expand her horizons through travels and communication with people with all sorts background and experiences in order to be able to incorporate it into her work.
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General sexual education questions answered