Schools are there to teach...the birds and the bees

When I was in elementary school I learned about girl parts and boy parts. When I was in 9^th grade, I took biology and learned about reproduction on a scientific level. When I was in tenth grade, a man from a church came in and taught us the virtues of abstinence.

I’m not in grade school anymore, but there are still a lot of kids who are and someday some of them might be mine. Abstinence only versus sexual education, which curriculum should students learn? Should this subject even be approached?

The first thing I consider is what I learned from my parents. My mom and I were putting up wallpaper when I was 13; my mom dipped a brush into the wallpaper glue and said “This looks like jizzum. Do you know what jizzum is?” Beyond that, I learned the anatomy and basic reproduction from school, and anything else I know about sex from magazines, movies, and my friends. So what does this tell us? That parents are not interested in explaining these things to their kids. And who can blame them? It’s awkward, adults don’t know what to say, they probably don’t have a bounty of information anyway. So, my vote is to leave it up to trained professionals. Schools are there to teach, let them take care of this.

Point-counterpoint: those who advocate abstinence argue that teens having sex has lead to an increase in teen pregnancies and STI’s. We need to encourage kids to not have sex until they are married and the incidences of these will lower significantly. The other side says kids are having sex even if we tell them not to, so we should encourage them to make responsible, informed choices and have all the information necessary to do so. The also say that this list of options should include abstinence as a choice.

My thoughts: This is a quote from the abstinence side, “Schools teach 'no smoking' and 'no drinking.' They don't say 'if you smoke, use a filter' or 'if you drink and drive, wear your safety belt.' Why should sex be treated differently?" Um because the last time I checked, putting a condom-covered penis in my vagina didn’t destroy my lungs or crash my car (although at one point it did almost kill my vagina). That’s not to say that there aren’t risks to having sex, married or not. But kids need to be aware. To hold back information from kids that could save their lives is irresponsible.

But really, I think the idea here is that parents should have three options to choose from: 1) abstinence only, provided by the school 2) sexual education including all forms of birth control provided by the school, or 3) whatever they want to tell their kids about birds and gardens or whatever goofy ass story they can cook up.

— Nikki Todorow

Turn your lady hole into a Slip'n'Slide

So far in my blogging history, I have stuck to some pretty basic subjects. Given, this is a sex blog, so these little thoughts can be found taboo; but I think today I may have found a topic to blow my other writings out of the sexy water.

I’m writing this for women and their men who are wildly confused, and are too embarrassed to ask (because I’ve already answered these questions for several different people). The female orgasm is a much coveted goal, and discussed at great length, considering it’s a holy grail for some. But there is an ignored side to such bliss: female ejaculation. Some don’t know that it exists; others wish they didn’t know. Some men know all about it because every night they sit down with their porn collection, their tissues and lotion and watch their chosen “squirter” of the night (crass, I know).

If you know it exists, you probably don’t know much more about it. Learning some basic information might help. Not surprisingly, researchers are still somewhat mystified by female ejaculation. But they do know some things for sure.

For starters, not all women have the ability to excrete fluid. For those who do, it’s usually because your lover has found your G-spot and happens to be good friends with it. There are some rare women who will ejaculate from clitoral stimulation.

Some misinformed people will try to tell you that a woman simply loses control of her bladder and has effectively peed all over her lover. If you meet one of these people, feel sorry for them, for they know not the beauty of a woman. No, but seriously, its not pee.

It is a clear, harmless, alkaline fluid that doctors think originate from the Skene’s gland. This gland is the equivalent to the prostate, which explains why it might create ejaculate. The Skene’s glands are so small that, in some women, they are not visible; which might explain why some women don’t ejaculate.

There is some conflicting research concerning where the fluid actually comes from; the urethra or the vagina (yes, there is a difference and if you didn’t know that much, you may want to back up and learn you’re your female geography). Today’s school of thought leans toward the urethra. In the end, it really doesn’t matter because if that fluid wants out, it’s coming out, from wherever it pleases.

The key part of this issue is to remember that women are usually slightly embarrassed about discussing their gushing vag. It’s always important to have good communication with the person who’s turning your lady hole into a Slip’n’Slide, so whether you’re the squirter or and the receiver, be respectful, be open, and don’t be ashamed. It’s natural and normal, and there are some folks who would give anything to see this.

I’ve only told you the basics. The internet has much more to offer and I encourage you to do some research. Here’s a tip, though: unless you are looking for porn, don’t Google “female squirters”; try “female ejaculation”.

— Nikki Todorow

I spot a conflict

So I was reading news headlines, and I spot a conflict! Abortion has been one of the most hotly debated topics for decades. The government has been chasing women around, trying to tell them what to do with their bodies, while ignoring the consequences of letting a crack whore have a baby (can you see how I feel about abortion?)

Imagine my surprise when I read about the government requiring young girls to have this new HPV vaccine, Gardasil. It prevents four types of HPV, which is an STD, which can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. This vaccine has the potential to prevent 70% of all cervical cancer cases. States across the country are picking up this issue and tossing in around, some choosing to make the vaccine mandatory for young girls, and some still hashing it out.

I shall now clarify my stance: if it’s possible, girls, women, females who are eligible should have this vaccine; there is no reason not to. This is the first vaccine that PREVENTS CANCER. I see no reason not to give it to young girls.

The opposing side claims that you can teach your daughter to not have sex and it won’t be an issue. However, men are rarely, if ever, tested for HPV. So sure, your nine-year old may keep her panties on till she’s 23 and married. But what happens when her not-so-virtuous husband pumps her full of cancer STD? You can see the flaw there.

Just because your daughter gets a chicken pox vaccine doesn’t mean you take her home and teach her all about it. My 12 year old brother got that vaccine at age 6 and has no idea what chicken pox are.

Clearly, I am at conflict as well: I say no one can tell a woman what to do with her body, when it comes to abortion. But I see no reason to allow women to avoid this vaccine; making it required would save lives. These ideals don’t coincide. I’m willing to see this and make a decision: I will stand by the right for every woman to have an abortion, but will not endorse this vaccine as mandatory. I will get this vaccine, and so will any of my future daughters. I will talk about the benefits of this vaccine to anyone who will listen, and encourage women to get it. But I will never take a stance against freedom of your boobies, butt, and coocher.

***Side note: I do not prescribe to any political party, so don’t assume this is the ranting of a crazy liberal. Also, if they find that this vaccine causes your offspring to have crab hands or the like, disregards this piece in its entirety.

— Nikki Todorow

How to avoid awkward dorm sex moments

College is a very big transition and, for some, marks the start of living away from authority (cause we all know RAs don’t count).

This is quite exciting. The freedom is astounding; you can eat whenever and whatever you can afford. It’s easier to lie to your parents, since it’s over the phone. And you can bring that special someone home for a night of hot, sweaty lovin’, provided it’s safe.

But for those of you living in a dorm (unless you are one of those “single” roomers) you know that it’s not quite that simple. I totally advocate living with a roommate in a dorm, especially if this is your first year. However, having someone in a bed 10 feet from you and your midnight acrobatics may not be the easiest task. So, based on my experience and some stories I have heard, here are some thoughts about sex in a dorm room.

1) Know what time your roommate will be home. Freshman year, my roommate’s boyfriend came to stay with us for a few days. I left around 9:30am, with a little note on roomie’s computer: Heya kids! Went to class, back at 11. They were snoring when I left. At 11:04 I unlocked the door. I had headphones and sunglasses on, so I didn’t quite understand until I set my bag on my bed and looked over; as soon as I did, I hauled ass out. The sticky note, we discovered later, had fallen to the ground.

2) If your roommate is a stripper, be prepared. One roommate was a virginal exchange student who was trying hard to acclimate. Her roommate was a stripper (why she was living in a dorm, the world may never know). They didn’t usually have a problem because the stripper wasn’t usually home. But a power outage brought her and her boyfriend from his place to hers for some afternoon freaky-time. I found the sweet virgin slumped outside her room, and when I inquired about the vacant look, she simply said “I didn’t know … that she could put her legs back that far… I mean, even for a stripper."

3) Make sure your roommate is really asleep. Freshman year again, only this time it was me. Roomie and I went to a party; she had quite a few. On the way back, a special friend of mine called and asked if he could come over. I told him that roommie was a good 5 minutes from drooling in a Coors coma, so start walking. I got her into bed, and scurried outside to find my date. By the time we returned to the room, she was nowhere to be found; I figured she was being polite and had made herself scarce. Five minutes later, however, my very drunk roommate, and five other girls from our wing, busted down the door to see our new TV. She was playing host, wearing my heels, her robe, and someone’s “I eat worms” trucker hat.

These are just a few from my memory bag. Anytime you mix sex with community living, awkward moments are sure to follow. Try to learn from these moments, and perhaps share them for the safety of others.
— Nikki Todorow

Keeping the panties on a little longer …

It seems that our country has reached a point where sex sits openly on the kitchen table and everyone can have a crack at it. So not only are grandpa and menopausal Auntie June gettin’ busy (not with each other, obviously), so is your fourteen year old cousin, and his thirteen year old girlfriend (probably together).

This may seem liberating, since we are becoming a sexually open culture. But think of it this way: people are changing their views and opinions of sex, which in turn is leading to kids having a warped view of sex from the start.

Just the other day, my mom said (concerning sex before marriage), “It’s not a moral or religious issue for me, but having sex at the beginning of a relationship creates false intimacy, and false bonding. People fall in love and they know nothing about the other person, they haven’t really connected” except with their genitals, of course (as you can see by the quotes, my mom didn’t say that last part, but it needed to be said).

Take, for instance, last night’s “exciting conclusion” of VH1’s “Rock of Love” (I know I hated Mystery’s show, but who can resist Bret Michael’s horse hair extensions and his boozy ladies?) He was down to the stripper and the rocker chick. He and the rocker chick struggled because she wouldn’t “let her guard down”. It took me until half-way through the episode to realize this meant that they hadn’t slept together (yet).

So at the end of their last date, they went to bed together because she was apparently ready. And I’ll be god damned (SPOILER ALERT), he picked the rocker chick! The stripper was crazy and fun and looked like a female version of his plastic self, why wouldn’t he pick her?

Oh. Because she didn’t make him wait. She didn’t make him chase her. She didn’t leave anything to the imagination.

So, in a world where we’re ready to thrown down at first glance, maybe its time to back up a bit. Maybe this is why the divorce rate is so high. Maybe this is why girls at 12 and 13 are having babies. Sure, maybe some great things blossom out of one night stands. But it’s time to try something new, its time to pull back a little and savor some flavor.

— Nikki Todorow