Intro to the 21st Century, Tuesday, Second Period
Cindy hadn't had enough time to run from her office back to the hotel for a change of clothes, so she showed up in class in the same outfit she'd worn into the office two Thursdays ago. Honestly, she was just proud she'd been smart enough to check her phone to figure out what the day (and date!) it was so she wouldn't be completely confused.
Though she was definitely keeping a change of clothes in her desk drawer starting tomorrow.
"Sorry I missed class last week," Cindy said at the beginning of class. "I was not myself."
There, they could take that whichever way they wanted.
"Today, we're going to talk about sex," she continued as if missing a class by turning into a pair of glass slippers was completely normal. Actually, for this island...? "By this point, our society as a whole has a much more relaxed view about sex than most other ages in history. Premarital sex, masturbation, and non-traditional sexual pairings are at least tolerated in many places. Which isn't to say that we've achieved equality in regards to sexual orientation or identity, but we are making strides in that direction."
As much as she'd have liked to continue on in that vein, that was not the direction the class was supposed to take today. Pity.
"Since sex and sexuality are a lot more free in this day and age, it makes sense that we discuss it in this class: the specifics, the perils, and the preventatives. Regardless of your personal feelings about having sex any time in the near future, there is no reason for ignorance on the topic at large. So, onto sex!"
For the next ten or so minutes, Cindy lectured the class on the mechanics of sex; what each part was, how it functioned, and what happened during coitus. Though the lecture itself was primarily about heterosexual couples and how sex led to pregnancy, she did occasionally add information about the mechanics of sex for gay and lesbian couples as well.
"Now pregnancy is not the only unexpected--and, at your age--negative consequence of sexual activity," she continued. "Sexually transmitted diseases--STDs--can also be a possibility, especially among young people who are sexually active but do not get regular screenings and tests." And, as any conscientious teacher would, she had hand-outs for some of the more common diseases for her students to look through and read up on. Along with pictures of advanced stages of the various illnesses, of course. This was an important topic. "If you wish to engage in sexual intercourse and various other sexual practices, it is important to protect yourself and your partner. First and foremost, communication is necessary. You don't need to go into gritty details, but at the very least, you should both be open and honest with each other about your previous sexual experience, if any, and any possible sexual issues you may have or have had in the past. Honesty and communication key-- in many ways, you are not only having sexual relations with your partner, but also anyone they've had sex with and vice versa. Being honest with one another gives you both the chance to fully understand the risks and agree to take them together. Denying that chance to yourself or your partner is horribly unfair at best and potentially dangerous at worst. Some new couples even get tested and screened together, to make sure they're both perfectly clear in where they stand."
"Once you've talked about previous experience, there are many options available to minimize the risks associated with sex. Safer sex is a term coined to refer to sex with any number of contraceptives or sexual acts that can lower the risk of pregnancy or spread of diseases. Many types of barrier contraceptives, like male and female condoms, diaphragms, and dental dams can be found in almost any drugstore, like T&C's or Dite's store in town. These are often treated with a spermicide, to offer extra protection. Still others contraceptives, like The Pill, injectable contraceptives, intrauterine devices, and emergency contraceptives are considered prescribed medication. For access to those, you would need to speak to someone at the clinic or your doctor at home." Still more handouts were passed around, as well as examples of some of the barrier methods she'd mentioned.
"Today, we're going to familiarize ourselves with how to use some of these forms of contraception and share our views on sex and birth control. This does not have to include your own personal experiences, but simply how you--or even your society--views these issues."
[Though I don't think any of the links contain explicit imagery or phrasing, they are links to wikipedia pages about sex and sexuality, so click at your own discretion.]
Though she was definitely keeping a change of clothes in her desk drawer starting tomorrow.
"Sorry I missed class last week," Cindy said at the beginning of class. "I was not myself."
There, they could take that whichever way they wanted.
"Today, we're going to talk about sex," she continued as if missing a class by turning into a pair of glass slippers was completely normal. Actually, for this island...? "By this point, our society as a whole has a much more relaxed view about sex than most other ages in history. Premarital sex, masturbation, and non-traditional sexual pairings are at least tolerated in many places. Which isn't to say that we've achieved equality in regards to sexual orientation or identity, but we are making strides in that direction."
As much as she'd have liked to continue on in that vein, that was not the direction the class was supposed to take today. Pity.
"Since sex and sexuality are a lot more free in this day and age, it makes sense that we discuss it in this class: the specifics, the perils, and the preventatives. Regardless of your personal feelings about having sex any time in the near future, there is no reason for ignorance on the topic at large. So, onto sex!"
For the next ten or so minutes, Cindy lectured the class on the mechanics of sex; what each part was, how it functioned, and what happened during coitus. Though the lecture itself was primarily about heterosexual couples and how sex led to pregnancy, she did occasionally add information about the mechanics of sex for gay and lesbian couples as well.
"Now pregnancy is not the only unexpected--and, at your age--negative consequence of sexual activity," she continued. "Sexually transmitted diseases--STDs--can also be a possibility, especially among young people who are sexually active but do not get regular screenings and tests." And, as any conscientious teacher would, she had hand-outs for some of the more common diseases for her students to look through and read up on. Along with pictures of advanced stages of the various illnesses, of course. This was an important topic. "If you wish to engage in sexual intercourse and various other sexual practices, it is important to protect yourself and your partner. First and foremost, communication is necessary. You don't need to go into gritty details, but at the very least, you should both be open and honest with each other about your previous sexual experience, if any, and any possible sexual issues you may have or have had in the past. Honesty and communication key-- in many ways, you are not only having sexual relations with your partner, but also anyone they've had sex with and vice versa. Being honest with one another gives you both the chance to fully understand the risks and agree to take them together. Denying that chance to yourself or your partner is horribly unfair at best and potentially dangerous at worst. Some new couples even get tested and screened together, to make sure they're both perfectly clear in where they stand."
"Once you've talked about previous experience, there are many options available to minimize the risks associated with sex. Safer sex is a term coined to refer to sex with any number of contraceptives or sexual acts that can lower the risk of pregnancy or spread of diseases. Many types of barrier contraceptives, like male and female condoms, diaphragms, and dental dams can be found in almost any drugstore, like T&C's or Dite's store in town. These are often treated with a spermicide, to offer extra protection. Still others contraceptives, like The Pill, injectable contraceptives, intrauterine devices, and emergency contraceptives are considered prescribed medication. For access to those, you would need to speak to someone at the clinic or your doctor at home." Still more handouts were passed around, as well as examples of some of the barrier methods she'd mentioned.
"Today, we're going to familiarize ourselves with how to use some of these forms of contraception and share our views on sex and birth control. This does not have to include your own personal experiences, but simply how you--or even your society--views these issues."
[Though I don't think any of the links contain explicit imagery or phrasing, they are links to wikipedia pages about sex and sexuality, so click at your own discretion.]