Metroholica

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reposted from BlogSafety.com

A virgin is a person--male or female--who has never had sexual intercourse (the insertion of the penis into the vagina). However, sexual intercourse is only one part of sexual intimacy--though it is a huge, loaded part.

Virgin or not, the real issue is to be comfortable with your decision every time you participate in sexual intimacy, whether you are deciding to make out, give or receive oral sex, have intercourse, or anything else.

Each experience is a new choice, and your actions always deserve thought and attention.

Everybody starts experimenting sexually at different ages and at different rates. Nobody should do anything they aren't comfortable with or feel ready to do. Don't have sex unless you know for sure that you want to. And when you do it, do it safely!

There is a thin membrane of tissue across the vaginal opening called the hymen. Historically, it was believed that the hymen was a sign of sexual purity that was "broken" the first time a female had intercourse.

Nowadays, it's recognized that hymens come in all shapes and sizes, and that they can break and bleed due to playing sports, a pelvic exam, or by using tampons. The condition of a hymen does not "prove" virginity.

Virginity has many social and cultural implications, but in the end, it means something different and personal to each person in a given situation. It's a good idea to think about what "losing your virginity" means to you, and to try to understand what you want. If you are clear about this with yourself, it will be much easier to be clear with anyone else.

Erections are a reflex--meaning not within a person's control--so a cause can't always be identified. Anything from a brush of fabric to the need to urinate can cause an erection, but most often, erections occur as a response to sexual

Some slang terms for an erection are: boner, hard-on, woodie and stiffie. Erections begin to occur most often during puberty, but a boy can get an erection at any age--even while still in the uterus!

Erections come in all types of shapes and sizes, but the average adult erect penis is about six inches. However, all sizes and shapes vary from person to person.

Sometimes erections happen quickly, sometimes not, but the process is generally the same: The brain sends chemical messages to nerves in the penis, which signals the blood vessels to relax and fill with blood, causing the penis to stiffen.

During an erection, the penis can also get darker in color and the head can grow bigger. The testicles (balls) draw in close to the body, instead of hanging loosely.

Erections disappear in one of two ways: either by themselves as the muscles simply relax, or after ejaculation. It is usually difficult for a man to orgasm or even have another erection immediately after ejaculation. This state, called the refractory period, can last anywhere from a few minutes to days, and depends on things like age and how often the man has sex

Hormones race during puberty, which can lead to spontaneous erections. It is normal for a boy to get an erection without having sexual thoughts. These unwanted erections can be embarrassing, and boys usually try to hide their erection by sitting down, untucking their shirt or holding a textbook in front of their crotch area. Ignoring a spontaneous erection by thinking nonsexual thoughts, singing a song or employing some other tactic for distraction can also make it

Erections happen a lot during sleep, especially for teenage boys. Deep relaxation can lead to an erection, plus hormones that can cause erections are released during the Rapid Eye Movement dreaming phase (REM). On average, a healthy male has about two to three erections lasting 25-35 minutes a night.

During an erection, the penis often produces a small amount of clear fluid, called pre-ejaculate (or "pre-cum"). The purpose of pre-cum is to clean the urethra--the tube that carries urine and semen--and to help sperm stay alive as they travel through the vagina. Because pre-cum travels through the urethra, it can pickup leftover sperm from a previous ejaculation, and therefore can cause pregnancy if it gets inside a woman's vagina (even just at the opening). Pre-cum can also carry sexually transmitted diseases

Sometimes, erections during sleep lead to nocturnal emission or "wet dreams." During a wet dream, boys ejaculate excess sperm. Wet dreams can happen as often as one to three times per week, but some men never experience a wet dream in their lives.

Typically, men who ejaculate on a regular basis through sex or masturbation have fewer wet dreams than men who do not. Women experience wet dreams as well, though it is not as messy as wet dreams in men.

SLANG: Common slang terms for anal sex include back-door sex, fudge-packing, anal play, rear entry and doggy-style (but doggy-style can also mean penis-in-vagina intercourse from behind). Rimming is a slang term

WHO DOES IT: Both women and men can enjoy giving or receiving anal sex, and both women and men can have orgasms from anal sex. Likewise, people of any sexual orientation may enjoy anal sex. Enjoying anal sex doesn't mean a person is gay or straight.

PROSTATE GLAND: Boys have something called the prostate gland, which can be stimulated through anal sex. Girls do not have prostate glands, but their rectal area (around the anus) is still sensitive.

SODOMY: You may have heard anal sex referred to as "sodomy" or you may have heard the word "sodomize" to describe the act of anal intercourse. Actually, "sodomy" is primarily a legal and religious term that can mean anal sex, oral sex, masturbation and even rape (which is not sex at all, but is an act of violence against a person). Sometimes "sodomy" is used to mean any kind of gay sex. When people use the word "sodomy" they generally are trying to regulate a sexual practice.

VIRGINITY: Anal sex, like any kind of sex, is something you should only do if you are sure you want to. Some people want to remain virgins and think of anal sex as different than penis-in-vagina sex. Depending on what virginity means to you, you could have anal sex and still be a virgin. The thing to remember about anal sex (or any other kind of sex) is that it's your choice and you don't have to do anything you don't want to do or even anything you're not sure about.

DOES IT HURT: Like other kinds of penetrative sex, anal sex can be painful if your body is not ready for it. As always, it is crucial to go slowly, listen to your body and communicate with your partner. Using lots of water-based lubrication (more on that later) can help reduce any discomfort.

RISKS: You can't get pregnant from unprotected anal sex unless semen gets into the vagina, but it's still a Really Bad Idea. Here's why:

Unprotected anal sex (with a penis) is a high risk for sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, herpes, warts (HPV), hepatitis B, gonorrhea and syphilis. Why is unprotected anal sex such a high risk? Because the tissue inside your anus is very delicate and tender, and tiny tears or scrapes can happen without you even noticing. Then if your partner cums inside you or has genital warts or herpes, it is very easily transmitted.

SAFER SEX: The only safe way to put a penis into an anus is if there is a condom on the penis. Water-based lubrication is available at many regular drugstores and will not diminish the condom's effectiveness. Oil-based lubricants like lotion or Crisco can render a condom useless.

PRECAUTIONS: You shouldn't put anything that's been in your butt inside your vagina. Transferring rectal bacteria into the vagina can equal yeast infections or urinary tract infections. Not fun! Use a new condom or latex glove when you switch from the front to the back (or vice versa).