Q.
What is an erection?
A.
An erection is
a hardening of the penis that occurs when tubes in the penile
tissues fill up with blood. Usually, an erection causes the
penis to enlarge and stand away from the body. Erections away
on their own or after ejaculation -- the release of semen
through the urethra, the small hole at the tip of the penis.
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Q.
Is It normal to get erections during the day?
A.
Yes. Erections are a perfectly normal function of the male
body, especially in guys who are going through puberty. Many
erections are caused by sexual arousal, such as watching a
sexy movie or from sexual fantasizing. Many seem to happen
for no reason at all. If you've gotten an erection during
a weird or embarrassing situation -- like in the middle of
a really boring history class -- there's no reason to worry
that something is wrong with you. Your body is just acting
naturally for a guy your age.
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Q.
Can masturbating hurt me?
A.
No, not really. You might get sore if you are masturbating
a lot. See the Masturbation
article for more on that topic. If you feel sore from masturbating
too much, than that is too much for you.
Some people
engage in a thing called auto-erotic
asphyxiation. This can end in accidental
death. Auto-erotic asphyxiation is defined as the induction
of cerebral anoxia -- a deficiency of oxygen in the brain
through self-applied suffocation methods while masturbating.
PLEASE do not try this!
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Q.
Do I have to go to my doctor to get birth control?
A.
You don't have to go to a doctor to get condoms,
sexual lubricants
or dental dams. Condoms are
sold in most drug stores chains, in some super markets and
via the Internet. Visit
Condomania Online for “They Fit” condoms
and a huge selection in 70 sizes.
If you
decide to take the Pill, use a Diaphragm,
Depo-Provera, or “the
Patch” - Ortho Evra, you
will have to see a health care provider or a clinic. For more
information visit those pages.
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Q.
Can I get pregnant from from giving oral sex to a guy?
A.
No Way! See the “Can I”
pages for more on that question.
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Q.
I'm a female about to have sex for the first time. I want
to know, will sex hurt? Will there be blood?
A.
Sex
shouldn't hurt, whether it’s your first time or your
hundredth time. Most women do not bleed a lot the first time
they have sexual intercourse. If there is bleeding, it's usually
because your hymen broke or has torn. The hymen
is a membrane -- (see hymen page)
that covers the opening of a girl's or woman's vagina. It
covers (surrounds) the vaginal opening only partially. Hymens
do not all look the same. Most girls break their hymens during
childhood, often without knowing from activities like bike
riding or horseback riding or from using tampons.² If your
hymen is still intact, you can stretch it open yourself for
several weeks before you have intercourse. It should be pushed
to the sides of the vagina.
Put
one or two clean fingers into your vaginal opening and move
them gently from side to side. Do this every day until is
stretches. There may be normal spotting of blood when you
do this. If sex hurts, it's usually because a woman hasn't
been sexually aroused through foreplay. That means her vagina
isn't lubricated enough before a man penetrates her. For more
on lubricants, see page 23 or
the lubricant article.
