Calgary Sexual Health Centre group young students with teacher Sexual Relationships button Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault button The Body button Are You Pregnant? button Safer Sex Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity button 4 Teens button Parent Information button Sexuality and Aging button What We Do button Training Centre button News and events button Donate Now button Side Picture © Calgary Sexual Health Centre 2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.
If I talk to my teacher or school counsellor about sexual issues, do they have to tell my parents?
It depends. Information you share is usually kept private unless there is a risk of harm to you or another person. For example, if a young person told a teacher or school counsellor that he or she was being sexually abused, [link to “What is Sexual Assault/Abuse”] the counsellor may have a responsibility to report it. If you are unsureand concerned, before you share details you can ask if the type of information on your mind can or will be kept private.
Can I see a doctor without my parents’ permission to get birth control?
Yes. If you are worried, ask your doctor how they feel about keeping your information private from your parents. If you don't like what you hear, you can go to one of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinics in Calgary. These clinics have services just for young people, and will respect your privacy. They also have birth control and condoms at lower cost. [link to Sexual Health Clinics in Birth Control section].You can also talk to a counsellor at the Calgary Sexual Health Centre about your options. But we are not a clinic and cannot give you a prescription for birth control.
Can a person masturbate 10 times a day?
Everyone is different. Some people masturbate every day and other people don’t. If you want to masturbate ten times a day and it isn’t getting in the way of school, homework or other responsibilities, then it is up to you. If you masturbate a lot, you may want to use a water-based lubricant like K-Y Jelly (you can buy lubricants from any drugstore) so that you don’t irritate your skin.
What does Popping the Cherry mean?

Popping the cherry is a slang term for when a woman has vaginal sex for the first time and her hymen stretches and bleeds. A hymen is usually a very thin layer of skin. It is naturally stretched with physical activity, sexual activity or using tampons. Some may bleed a little and some may not.
A hymen that has not been stretched is often considered a sign that a woman has “lost her virginity”. Most women actually don’t have an “intact” hymen by the time they start having sex. To have a good first experience with sex it helps if both people feel relaxed and aroused and are paying attention to what feels comfortable physically and emotionally. The key here is to talk to each other and go slow.

What makes people gay?

Scientists still aren’t sure whether people are born with their sexual orientation or whether it develops over time. What they do know for sure is it’s not something peoplecan change about themselves. A person might want to use the label “gay” if they find their sexual attraction is mostly toward people of the same sex as themselves. It is normal to have some sexual feelings or a lot of sexual feelings for people the same sex as yourself. Attraction is as simple and uncontrollable as who makes your heart flutter. Curiosity and attraction toward people the same sex as yourself is totally okay and it’s up to each pesron what label, if any, they want to put on it.


Youth

Although people are sexual beings all their lives, there are particular phases in life where sexuality is a bigger deal than others.  Adolescence is one of those times.   As a teenager, you know firsthand that this is a time of great change....in your body, your feelings, what you think about....who you are! 

Although it may not always feel fun, being a teenager is a pretty unique time in your life - you are midway between childhood and adulthood so you get to dabble in both worlds.

Being part way to adulthood means dealing with relationships, crushes, thoughts about sex, your own sexuality and your feelings for other people.  You might have been experiencing some of this for a while already, but in a way it will also seem new too. Everyone has different experiences and the more information you have about sexuality, the better prepared you will be to navigate all this with confidence.  

A lot of teens are embarrassed to ask questions about sexuality or feel pressure to appear like an expert already.  This is kind of silly when you think about it.  How can a person know everything about something that they are just going through for the first time?  That’s where this website can help.

These links will take you to topics or sections of the website that are the most relevant to your life. It is a good place to start. There is lots of information on the rest of the website too so look around and see where your curiosity leads you.

Am I Ready For Sex?
Reproductive Anatomy: All About Females
Reproductive Anatomy: All About Males
Puberty
Menstruation
Masturbation
Abstinence
Talking about Safer Sex
Birth Control
The Basics About Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Coming Out


Is this an ethical relationship?

Ask: Have you both discussed and agreed to the sexual activity?
Ask: Are both you and your partner’s needs and values considered, valued and recognized equally?
Ask: Have you talked about Sexually Transmitted Infection and Pregnancy Prevention and have you obtained and are you ready to use the method(s)?
Ask: Have you thought about how you will please each other?








Head, Heart, Genitals


Sexicons Art To make a thoughtful decision about sexual activity all three aspects need to be checked each time someone has sex:

Head – Ask yourself:
Why am I doing this? Do I agree with what is going on? Does this fit with my values? How will I feel about this decision later?

Heart – Ask yourself:
Do I feel safe and comfortable with this person? Does this feel right to me? Do I like this person? Can I trust them?

Genitals – Ask yourself:
What does my body want to do? Do I like what’s happening? Am I, and is my partner, protected from STIs or pregnancy?


You have the right to change your mind and stop a sexual activity at any point while it is happening. And it is your partner’s responsibility to respect that. It is also your responsibility to check in with your partner and to respect their feelings about a situation if they want to stop, slow down or take a break to sort out their thoughts.