_{Unpublished post, originally written 8/24/08 for my now defunct state of sex education blog on gURL.}

When I was a kid, my family spent one summer in Germany visiting relatives. I remember going to castles and museums and eating bratwurst.  But what really made an impression was something I saw on the beach. After swimming, my female relatives would immediately change into a new bathing suit.

I was used to sitting around in the same wet suit all day, so I asked my mom what was up.  "Oh it’s just a German custom." she said.

When I got older I wondered if it was actually concern about yeast infections that sparked the suit changes.

Yeast infections happen when there is an overgrowth of yeast in the vagina. Thought the vagina always has some yeast in it, when there is more than normal, it can cause itching, redness and thick, odorless discharge.

Yeast digs a warm wet climate, so one great way to create an inviting home for it is, you guessed it, hanging out in your wet suit all day.

It seems my relatives were on to something.

Of course, it isn’t only wet suits that can trigger yeast. Here are some other contributing factors:

• Antibiotics
• The birth control pill
• Pregnancy
• A weakened immune system
• Just being naturally susceptible

But even if you get pregnant, take antibiotics, or are on the pill, extra yeast is not a given. As explained in the gURL fast fact on yeast:

"To reduce your changes of getting an infection: dry off quickly and thoroughly with a clean, dry towel after showering or swimming. Try wearing 100% cotton underwear–it lets your body breathe. You can also change your underwear every day and after exercising, and avoid wearing tight underwear, thongs, or pantyhose. It’s also a good idea to wear loose-fitting clothes to bed."

It’s also important to always wipe from front to back after a bowel movement and to avoid perfumed bath products.

A yeast infection is not the same as an STD. And while sex can trigger yeast infections for some girls, plenty of girls and women get one even if they’ve never had sex!

If you think you have a yeast infection it’s a good idea to see a doctor. Even though you can buy yeast infection medication over the counter, what you think might be yeast, could actually be something a lot more serious.

_{Unpublished post, originally written 2/26/08 for my state of sex education blog on gURL.}

When I was a kid, the “Just Say No” slogan was huge. Everyone from Nancy Reagan to LaToya Jackson was telling us that all we needed to stay drug free was the ability to politely but firmly decline a pusher.

But “just saying no” didn’t actually keep kids away from drugs. As early as 1988, it was found that there was no relationship between the No campaign and a drop in teen drug use.

Despite this, in 1994 a measure was approved to provide government funding to programs teaching abstinence from substances. The most famous one to get this money was D.A.R.E., a program which warned that a sip of beer could easily turn into a full-fledged heroin addiction.

Needless to say, drugs aren’t the only things the government wants you to say no to. Sex, of course, is another. The similarities between the two go beyond the message. Like the drug programs, ineffective abstinence-only programs, continue to be paid for by tax dollars. And much like it ignored the findings on drug programs, the current administration seems to be ignoring studies showing how unsuccessful and damaging abstinence programs are. Given its track record disregarding science (global warming, anyone?), this shouldn’t come as a big surprise.

Since scientific studies don’t seem to be giving the government enough of a wake up call to revise their ideas on sex education, maybe the one million American cases of chlamydia will. That or Jamie Lynn Spears’ pregnancy. Somehow, she (like a lot of other teens) seemed to have missed the memo about just saying no.

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_{Unpublished post, originally written 3/5/08 for my state of sex education blog on gURL.}

Question: My boyfriend and I have been having regular sex and don’t use any protection. We don’t have any infections and are trying for a baby but I’m not getting pregnant and it’s confusing me. Does this mean I can’t have babies?

Answer: Nope, it could actually mean a few different things. I don’t know how long you have been trying, but for a lot of people pregnancy doesn’t happen immediately. In fact, there is only about a 25% chance of getting pregnant each monthly cycle.

Here are a few things that can stand in the way of getting pregnant:

• Not having sex at the right time. Women can only get pregnant when they ovulate (release an egg) or soon after. If you don’t have sex when you ovulate you won’t get pregnant.

• If you went off hormonal birth control recently it could take a while for your cycle to get back to normal.

• Being stressed out can also affect your cycle.

• So can having an eating disorder. This is because women need a certain amount of body fat to menstruate.

• Certain medical conditions (like a man with a low sperm count, or a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome) can make pregnancy harder.

As you probably know, having a baby is a big deal. You don’t mention how old you are or how long you have been with your boyfriend, but there are a few things you might want to think about before taking the plunge.

According to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy:

• The children of teenage mothers have lower birth weights

• They are more likely to perform poorly in school.

• They are at greater risk of abuse and neglect.

• Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school than girls who aren’t moms (only one-third receive a high school diploma) and only 1.5% have a college degree by age 30.

• Nearly 80 percent of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare.

• The sons of teen mothers are 13 percent more likely to end up in prison

• The daughters of teen moms are 22 percent more likely to become teen mothers themselves.

Look, being a parent can be wonderful, and there are success stories from young parents. But even the most successful teen moms would probably agree that ensuring a positive outcome is anything but easy.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

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