By Jane
Mundy
Understanding
safe sex and maintaining a healthy attitude about sex are important
contributors to overall wellness.
Kim Martyn, sexual health educator,
.
Use
real names for body parts. A well-informed child helps the parent maintain a
more open relationship about sexual matters. It’s also a deterrent if anyone
might take advantage of a child’s ignorance.”
.
An
eight-year-old should have a basic understanding of sexual intercourse. Discuss
your pubescent experiences. Your kids want to hear your stories. Knowledge
boosts confidence and reduces the influence of peer pressure.
.
When
discussing pregnancy or STDs with adolescents, focus on sharing your values and
hopes with your children. Maintain a balance between understanding and
expectation. For facts about these diseases, point children to appropriate
resources at school, in magazines and online.
.
Teens
typically know basic facts about HIV and AIDS, condom use and pregnancy
prevention (decreasing) but not about STDs, especially Chlamydia (increasing).
For example, girls typically use birth control, but not condoms. Make sure
teens know where to obtain youth-friendly services and resources about STDs.
Brandy Svendson, support and outreach co-ordinator
at YouthCo, cautions youth on the hazards of
tattooing and body piercing. YouthCo works with
Hepatitis C- and HIV/AIDS-positive youth and educates young Canadians on
various health precautions.
.
Tattooing
and body piercing can present health hazards, including risk to dangerous
diseases such as Hepatitis C. To reduce risk, make sure the facility has a
health inspection certificate and that individual ink containers are thrown out
afterwards – no double dipping. Tattoo instruments and shared piercing jewelry
must be auto-claved (like a micro-wave oven).
“Sexual
Health is important for everyone, including differently-abled
people. Fortunately, they are now demanding to be given fair treatment.
Unfortunately, youth may not yet have this empowerment,” says Kim Martyn.
Know that
you have a right to be a sexual person
Explore and
find information both from professionals and others with similar challenges
Learn how
to communicate your desires and concerns.
Everybody
needs to be reminded that sex isn’t just sexual intercourse; we can use all
parts of our bodies to give and receive pleasure.
For more
information,
www.comeasyourare.com has a great link
to disability resources
To find
sexual advice for people with brain and spinal cord impairment, visit http://www.scisexualhealth.com/sandd.html