http://kinseyconfidential.org Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:20:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2006-2007 aschweig@indiana.edu (Kinsey Confidential) aschweig@indiana.edu (Kinsey Confidential) posts 1440 Just another WordPress weblog Kinsey Confidential Kinsey Confidential aschweig@indiana.edu No no http://kinseyconfidential.org/wp-content/themes/kinsey/images/kinsey-podcast-300.jpg http://kinseyconfidential.org 144 144 http://kinseyconfidential.org/virginity/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/virginity/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:37 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://kinseyconfidential.org/?p=1229 http://kinseyconfidential.org/virginity/feed/ 0 3:05 Defining Virginity People define virginity in different ways. However, one of the most common definitions of virginity for heterosexual women is whether they have had penile-vaginal ... Defining Virginity People define virginity in different ways. However, one of the most common definitions of virginity for heterosexual women is whether they have had penile-vaginal sex. If you recently had vaginal intercourse for the first time, with your boyfriend putting his penis inside of your vagina, then most people would probably consider that to be losing your virginity. So no, by most peoplersquo;s definitions you would no longer be a virgin and there is no way to reverse that. Losing onersquo;s virginity is a physical act, whether or not a woman notices any blood from her vagina. The reason why some women bleed when they first have sex is because a thin layer of tissue called the hymen covers part of a womanrsquo;s vaginal entrance. When a woman has sex, the hymen tears and she may bleed a little bit. However, some women donrsquo;t have very much of this tissue to begin with or else the tissue they did have may have torn for other reasons such as from using tampons, from masturbation or from being fingered by a partner. This is why looking for blood on the sheets, or even going to the doctor, is not helpful in terms of establishing whether or not a woman is a virgin. "Born Again Virgins" Even though you canrsquo;t reverse time to before you had sex, you may be interested to know that some people consider themselves to be ldquo;born again virginsrdquo; if they have had sex before but now are choosing to wait to have sex again until they feel more ready, more in love or are married. If you are having second thoughts about being sexually active, itrsquo;s important to know that just because you have had sex once does not mean that you have to do it again any time soon if you are not ready to or if you donrsquo;t want to. Sex is a very intimate act for many women and men. Some people connect sex with love, intimacy or relationships and may feel as though they want a certain relationship with another person before they have sex. Other times, people may have found a wonderful romantic partner but may want to wait to have sex until they feel as though they have more effective reliable birth control or until they feel comfortable with the possibility of becoming parents, should they possibly become pregnant. Learn More To learn more about sex, check out S.E.X.: The All You Need to Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College. Common,Problems,,Content,Type,,Podcast aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/hpv-genital-warts-contagious/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/hpv-genital-warts-contagious/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:00:19 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://wfiutest.rtv.indiana.edu/?p=1180 http://kinseyconfidential.org/hpv-genital-warts-contagious/feed/ 0 3:10 HPV stands for the human papillomavirus. There are more than 100 strains of HPV and some of these strains are linked to problems with a ... HPV stands for the human papillomavirus. There are more than 100 strains of HPV and some of these strains are linked to problems with a womanrsquo;s cervix, including cervical cancer. Women and men who have certain strains of HPV may also get genital warts, which can be caused by the virus. People get HPV from sexual contact with other people. HPV can be transmitted during oral sex, vaginal sex or anal sex. HPV can even be transmitted from ldquo;dry sexrdquo;, when people rub their genitals together but donrsquo;t actually have intercourse. HPV is extremely common and, although most sexually active women and men have been exposed to HPV from a sexual partner, not everyone who has HPV knows that they have it. For example, as of now we donrsquo;t have reliable HPV tests for men so most men who have HPV may not know that they have it unless they have a more obvious symptom, such as noticeable genital warts. HPV Transmission HPV can be passed to other people during sexual contact. Because of this risk, people who have HPV or genital warts should tell their current or potential sexual partners that they have HPV. Although condoms cannot fully protect against HPV, since HPV is transmitted from skin contact and condoms do not cover all of a personrsquo;s genital skin, using a condom can certainly reduce the risk of transmission. HPV is a very common sexually transmissible infection, or STI. Both men and women can get HPV and both men and women can pass it on to their sexual partners. With time, people who have genital warts often find that they have fewer outbreaks. Also, warts typically do not cause any discomfort or pain. Some healthcare providers do not recommend treating warts as they often go away on their own. Other times, healthcare providers may recommend treatments for genital warts. If you are interested in learning more about your treatment options, ask your healthcare provider for more information. Learn More You can learn more about HPV and genital warts from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionrsquo;s web site. You can also learn more about STIs and other important sexual health information by reading Our Bodies, Ourselves by the Boston Womenrsquo;s Health Book Collective. Content,Type,,Health,,Disease,,Podcast aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/late-abstinence/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/late-abstinence/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:00:19 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://wfiutest.rtv.indiana.edu/qa-late-abstinence/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/late-abstinence/feed/ 0 2:43 Just as people have different definitions of what it means to ldquo;have sexrdquo; ndash; in other words, whether ldquo;sexrdquo; is defined as oral, vaginal or ... Just as people have different definitions of what it means to ldquo;have sexrdquo; ndash; in other words, whether ldquo;sexrdquo; is defined as oral, vaginal or anal sex, there are also varied definitions of abstinence. That said, a common understanding of abstinence suggests that one can absolutely be abstinent even if they have had sex in the past. How is this so? Well, technically the word ldquo;abstinencerdquo; comes from the word ldquo;abstainrdquo; which means to refrain or hold oneself back from something. Different Definitions For Different People Sometimes people say that they plan to abstain from sex until they fall in love, become engaged or get married ndash; or that they want to abstain from sex for other reasons, such as until they graduate high school or meet the right person. People who are making conscious choices to abstain from sex may have had oral, vaginal or anal sex in the past, or they may not have had any of these types of sex. If you have already had sex, you can still choose to abstain from whatever types of sex you want to abstain from and for however long you wish to abstain from them. It is never too late to choose to refrain from sexual activities that you donrsquo;t feel comfortable, ready or interested in being involved in. You can still date or have meaningful romantic relationships if you would like to, and you can still engage in the types of physical intimacy that feel right to you. Keep in mind, though, that sexually transmissible infections (or STIs) can be passed through oral sex, vaginal sex and anal sex whether or not you consider these types of sex to be ldquo;sexrdquo;. Communicate Your Choices Also, if you worry that someone will try to pressure you into having sex, talk to a parent, friend or trusted adult for ideas about how you can best communicate your choices to someone yoursquo;re hanging out with or dating. Some people find that talking to others about their choice to be abstinence early in a relationship is helpful so that the person they are interested in knows what they should or shouldnrsquo;t expect from them in terms of sex. Recommended Reading To learn more about abstinence, virginity and sexual choices, check out S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-to-Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College by Heather Corinna. Common,Problems,,Content,Type,,Podcast aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/non-lubricated-condoms-vaginal-bleeding/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/non-lubricated-condoms-vaginal-bleeding/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:00:43 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/blog/2008/04/24/qa-non-lubricated-condoms-and-bleeding/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/non-lubricated-condoms-vaginal-bleeding/feed/ 0 3:44 Although the vagina can withstand quite a lot when it comes to sex, it remains a very sensitive part of womenrsquo;s bodies. The vagina can ... Although the vagina can withstand quite a lot when it comes to sex, it remains a very sensitive part of womenrsquo;s bodies. The vagina can easily tear during sex, especially when the sex is full of friction as can occur during sex that is not well lubricated. Most Cuts Are Small The good news is that most vaginal cuts and tears are small, and women may only notice very light vaginal bleeding such as when they go to the bathroom, like you noticed. In cases of light cuts and light bleeding, the vagina tends to heal on its own in most cases, and often fairly quickly, such as within a day or two. It is likely to heal more quickly if you donrsquo;t further aggravate it, such as with more intercourse or even finger penetration, while it heals. If Bleeding Is Heavier Now, if you feel like the bleeding is moderate or heavy, please consider checking in with a healthcare provider, such as your gynecologist. You might also take out a mirror and look at your vaginal entrance or the parts of your vulva to see if there are any visible tears. Some women even ask their partner to look for them, as it can be difficult to see clearly when it is your own body. If you see visible cuts, you might call your healthcare provider to ask for advice. They may suggest that you come in for a visit or, if it seems more mild to them, they may suggest some at-home or over-the-counter treatment. Reducing Future Risk Herersquo;s how to reduce your risk of tearing in the future: Condoms that are not lubricated may feel particularly uncomfortable for many women, as it adds to the friction of intercourse. To make sex more comfortable, add some store-bought lubricant of your own to the outside of the condom ndash; once it is already on the penis ndash; or to your own vaginal entrance. You can also increase your own natural vaginal lubrication by spending more time in foreplay, doing things that feel sexually exciting and pleasant to you, however, you may still find that sex feels better with a little store-bought lubricant and thatrsquo;s okay too. Talking About Painful Sex Finally, I want to commend both you and your boyfriend for the way that you handled having painful sex. Not all women feel comfortable telling their partner that sex hurts, or asking them to stop. Also, not all men are respectful of their partnerrsquo;s choices to stop sex, nor are all couples often careful enough to use condoms when they want to reduce their risk of pregnancy or infection. You two have made choices that contribute to the strength of your relationship, and thatrsquo;s important. Bodies,,Content,Type,,Podcast aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-readiness-penis-vagina-intercourse/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-readiness-penis-vagina-intercourse/#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:20:27 +0000 Kinsey Confidential http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/blog/2008/01/16/qa-were-having-trouble-with-penis-vagina-intercourse/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-readiness-penis-vagina-intercourse/feed/ 0 http://kinseyconfidential.org/virginity-pre-marital-sex/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/virginity-pre-marital-sex/#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2005 21:45:47 +0000 Kinsey Confidential http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/2005/02/16/qa-virginity-and-pre-marital-sex/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/virginity-pre-marital-sex/feed/ 0 http://kinseyconfidential.org/hpv-transmission-risk-oral-sex/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/hpv-transmission-risk-oral-sex/#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2005 21:42:04 +0000 Kinsey Confidential http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/2005/02/09/qa-hpv-and-oral-sex/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/hpv-transmission-risk-oral-sex/feed/ 0