By Mindalynn Frelick, General Member, Young Canadians Roundtable on Health
Most of us have had some wild ideas about sexual health in our lives. Maybe you heard it from friends on the playground, an older sibling as a prank that you’ll never forget, or maybe you heard it from an adult that was uneducated on the topic, so it gave you no reason to question what they said. The point is, youth in North America are unprepared for the ins and outs of protection, conception, and even menstruation. It isn’t quite as simple as the birds and the bees. Sexual health education is severely lacking, which is very dangerous.
When I was put on the contraceptive patch, it was a three hour wait at a walk-in clinic, followed by a five minute appointment, where the doctor wrote a prescription and sent me away without informing me of the risks. I had no idea what the side effects were or where I was supposed to place the patch; I didn’t even know when to change it. When I had severe side effects, I went to the ER and then a walk-in clinic, where the doctor barely listened to me and didn’t answer any of my questions. He asked “21 or 28” and handed me a prescription with no explanations. In tears, I drove to the pharmacy and found comfort in the pharmacist who took the time to answer my questions and explain the prescription.
The healthcare system is so over worked that the doctors don’t have time to explain their prescriptions to their patients. Birth control options are everywhere and it’s important to ask questions before you put something into your body. Young people that are looking for answers turn to the internet or social media, because we can no longer count on healthcare providers for answers. If doctors won’t take the time to answer your questions, ask a pharmacist, call 811, or use credible sites.
There is also the topic of sex. Kids have so many questions about this new experience and many are too embarrassed to ask their parents or guardians about it. I vividly remember my sex ed class, where the teacher put a condom on a banana and told us about abstinence and stopped there. Where was the birth control conversation? Where was the STI information and prevention methods? People who are concerned that they have an STI are embarrassed, scared, and confused; they don’t know where to go. Many university health centers have STI testing available, some walk in clinics have testing, and hospitals may have the service.
There is a struggle with getting help, and puts strain on people’s mental health when the stress of trying overwhelms them. It is important to act when you are concerned, as the consequences of leaving an STI untreated are severe. Finding a trusted individual that you can turn to with your questions is incredibly difficult. It’s important that we give kids a source for their questions with accurate answers. The education system needs to provide proper sexual education to protect kids from accidental pregnancies, STI’s and more.
I recently found out that many of my peers’ sexual education never went over menstration or only taught it to the girls. They would separate them into girls and guys (which is problematic in itself) and teach the girls about periods, vague pregnancy details, and even male anatomy. The boys apparently only got taught about their own anatomy and how to clean it. All of the contraceptive responsibility fell onto the girls, and the boys were left severely unprepared. I’ll bet most young men don’t even know what a period actually is! And many young menstruators may not know about the severity of toxic shock syndrome. This is why there are hundreds of videos on the internet that prove how easy it is to trick people into believing wild “facts” about women’s bodies. So anyone reading this that doesn’t know what the menstrual cycle truly is, I urge you to follow the link and educate yourself, because it may come in handy with your future daughters, nieces, or other menstruating people who have questions.
There are many credible sources out there and the internet is a wonderful thing, so don’t be scared to search; just be smart about the websites you use. When in doubt, verify with another source or ask for help. Nova Scotia Health Authority’s website has a very helpful directory that can be used to find sources for information regarding your health. Sexual and reproductive health week may only be from February 14th-18th, but taking care of yourself is a year round commitment. Stay healthy and stay safe!