sex
15 Yahoo Answers Questions That Prove We Need Better Sex Ed
Yahoo Answers is the gift that keeps on giving. Whenever I’m feeling down and out, I head on over to YA to cheer myself up. The level of WTF-edness over there is just endless. But unfortunately I’ve noticed a trend that’s kind of sad. There are literally hundreds of sex and pregnancy questions, presumably written by teens, that show just how dismal the state of sexual education is. Questions not only about the basic mechanics of one’s body, but also about emotions and sex. Some of them are humorous, most are heartbreaking, and all of them show a serious lack of knowledge about sexual health. These kids (and some adults) shouldn’t have to feel like random Internet strangers are their only recourse for finding this information. Below are 15, but I could easily have shown you 50.
1. Could I be pregnant?
That last line slays me. Not only is this kid being let down by a lack of sex ed at school, but she can’t even turn to her parents (ya know, the folks conservatives say should be teaching sex ed) for help. I highly doubt this girl is pregnant, but if she is, she’s at risk of getting too far along to terminate because she’s too afraid to ask for help. She shouldn’t have to be afraid.
2. He came inside me last week.
I’m not even going to touch on the consent issue I feel was betrayed here since I don’t have enough info to really know what happened, but I do wonder if she lives in an area where abortion isn’t an option. “Force a period” sounds uncomfortably close to coat hanger territory, and no one should ever feel that desperate.
3. Can you get pregnant from being fingers on your period?
I don’t know how old this girl is, but judging from the quality of the writing, I would guess old enough that she should have at least a basic understanding of how pregnancy works. The fact that she doesn’t is heartbreaking.
4. Pregnant on the Depo!?
This question gets me particularly angry because this kid already has a child and it’s obvious that no one thought to help her have a basic understanding of her body. Not her parents, not her OBGYN, no one. I’m angry not just because she has a baby and therefore had a whole host of risks and issues surrounding pregnancy and delivery, but because they then put her on Depo and didn’t think to educate her on the risks and benefits of the drug.
5. Is it possible to kill an unborn baby with salt?
I seriously doubt this is a legitimate question about her “friend,” first of all. Secondly, from what I’ve read saline abortions are dangerous and rarely performed. The most frustrating part is that even when I Googled saline abortions to try to find more info, I was inundated with anti-choice sites giving out false information.
6. Birth control?!?!
This girl sounds perfectly reasonable and intelligent. She’s mindful about the potential risks of having sex before she’s ready, and eager to learn more about her birth control options. She should have access to that information. Period.
7. It hurts when I take out a tampon?
It kind sounds like this kid has an issue like PCOS or something similar, which makes it even more important that she have access to not only information but adequate reproductive health care, two things in limited supply (at least here in the U.S.).
