Q.
Are vaginal secretions normal?
A.
Yes. It's normal to have secretions at times of
the month other than your period. These secretions keep the
vagina clean, help prevent infection, and provide lubrication
during sexual arousal and intercourse. You may notice clear
sticky discharge about 2 weeks after your period. This is
very normal and is a sign that you have ovulated. (Which may
come in handy when you want to get pregnant).
If your
discharge itches, burns, smells bad or changes color, you
should see a health care provider promptly since you may have
an infection. Don't stress over it, not all infections are
STDs and even virgins get yeast and bacterial infections.
For more about Your Vagina: See "Your Vagina: Get to Know it Better".
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Q.
If two people test HIV negative, can they still give HIV to
each other? What about virgins?
A.
Theoretically, two people
who have tested HIV-negative twice (the tests being done 6
months apart) and are monogamous and don't share needles with
anyone else run virtually no risk of having or exchanging
HIV. The same goes for people who have never had sex or shared
needles with anyone. The problem is that these situations
are more theoretical than real, since it's impossible to know
everything about someone else's exposure or history, like
if their mother is HIV positive and if the virus was transmitted
via the placenta or at birth. Again, it's a matter of managing
risks and deciding how much trust and risk you are willing
to deal with.
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Q.
How do I know if I'm gay?
A.
Sexual feelings can be confusing,
but often they're more so if they seem to be directed toward
members of your own gender. The main thing to do is relax,
and remember that you don't have to rush and "decide" what
you are or what to call yourself. Sexual identities can develop
over time. If you relax and pay attention to your desires,
you will be able to figure out what turns you on and what
you're attracted to -- without worrying about what to call
it or what you "are".
Most
people do define themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
straight; but ultimately people are more
interesting and complicated than
these names. It's up to you to figure out how you want to
identify yourself (as bisexual, lesbian, gay, straight, or
whatever). Keep in mind that there are as many sexualities
as people out there, and there's one that is uniquely yours.
For more information, check out some of the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered
resources on homosexuality.
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Q.
How do I heal a hickey as
fast as possible?
A.
What is the fastest way to
get rid of a bruise on the neck caused from kissing (of course,
I mean a hickey). My mom will flip out if she sees it and
it's very obvious. Help!
Sorry,
but there is no "fast way" to get rid of a hickey. In fact,
there is no way to get rid of one other than by being patient.
Just as you cannot make a bruise on your arm go away quickly,
you cannot make one on your neck disappear.
Of
course, you have a range of cover-up options, such as make-up,
and creative uses of shirt collars, scarves, and turtlenecks
in the winter. You may be able to disguise the hickey for
a few days until it becomes less noticeable. Or, you can act
like there's nothing wrong and be careful not to draw attention
to the hickey. Maybe then your mom will not notice.
Chances
are she will notice. What makes you think your mom will "flip
out?" Does she even know that you have a girl or boyfriend?
Remember, your
mother went through the same thing when she was a teen. You
could even ask your mom about the hickey before she asks you.
Let her know that you'd like to talk about your dating, so
you know where you both stand on the issue. See Hickey Help for more...
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Q.
I heard that guys have a
female part, is this true?
A.
Yes, kind of. Guess what, guys, you have a vagina. “It's
called vagina masculina, or male vagina,” says
David Reuben, MD. It could have turned into a “real”
vagina, but testosterone took care of that when you were still
an embryo -- back when your gender was not yet established.
Now it's a just a piece of tissue dangling from your bladder.
"Every man has one," says Dr. Reuben. You have nipples for
the same reason. Men have hymens, too, sitting uselessly near
the prostate gland. If you really want to know more, pick
up a book on embryology.
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Q.
We had sex with our clothes
on, could I get pregnant?
A.
No, not really. I can’t
assume what you mean by “sex”, but if you had 'sex'
in your jeans, underwear or bathing suit, there's no way you
can be pregnant really -- this would imply that there was
no penetration by the penis. (This is not considered sexual
intercourse, of course, many people call it “dry sex”).
Sperm can't swim through clothes. I am not talking about mesh
clothes, then I don't know. THIS is not a method of birth
control however.
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Q.
He "came" outside my vagina,
could I be pregnant?
A.
It's not very likely. If
the sperm was deposited very close to the opening of the vagina,
there is a small chance they could make it inside the vagina,
but not very likely. They still have to swim a long way from
there. If the sperm wasn't close to the vagina (like on your
thigh or leg) than the answer is probably not. BUT, please
don't make a habit of this, you can use a condom if you are
in that situation and there is no penetration involved. Then
you will have protection.
The
high failure rate of a guy “pulling out” makes this
'situation' NOT a form of birth control by any means. This
is due to the lubricating presence of pre-ejaculate fluid,
which leaks out of the penis before ejaculation. In many cases
with many people there are more than enough sperm to impregnate
a female. That's probably why there are so many of us here
on this planet. Bottom line: Use birth control methods that
work, see Birth Control.
Also, see “Can I Get Pregnant
If...”
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Q.
Can I get HIV
from kissing?
A.
Saliva
doesn't transmit HIV as far as we know, although the virus
has been found in saliva of HIV infected people. It
is not very likely that you would get HIV from kissing, but
it may have happened to some people, I will check with the
CDC. There are four fluids that can carry and transmit HIV:
blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. See HIV
and Bodily Fluids.
It
is, however, theoretically possible to contract HIV through
kissing. If both partners have cuts or sores in the mouth
or bleeding gums, infected blood could possibly be exchanged.
However, in practice this is unlikely. There is something
about saliva and the environment of the mouth that is inhospitable
to the virus. Like all safe sex, kissing is a matter of managing
risks. If you are aware of cuts or sores in your mouth, it
is best to abstain from "deep kissing," but in general kissing
is one of the safest sexual activities - besides
phone sex, but that is for another page (-:
