Frequently Asked Questions

Throughout my time this year in Watertown district, I have been asked a lot of questions… some that I know how to answer, and some that make even me scratch my head! I thought I’d take some of the most frequently asked questions and put them into a blog!

1. Can doctors tell if you are a virgin?
-Doctors may be able to tell if the hymen, a membrane that partially closes the opening of the vagina, is still intact; however, sometimes the hymen has sometimes already been torn due to sports or horseback riding. So, there is no real way for a doctor to tell if you are a virgin just by seeing if the hymen is still intact.

 Can you get pregnant when you lose your virginity?
-Absolutely! Females can get pregnant the first time, the second time… any time! That’s why it’s important to be prepared with a plan. Make sure you talk about this with your partner as it is BOTH of your responsibility!

3. Can someone who is pregnant get an STD?
-Yes! Someone who is pregnant can get an STD and sadly, sometimes the STD can be passed from the mother to the baby.

4. Can dogs get STDs?
-Yes, but not the ones that humans get, like Chlamydia or Gonorrhea. Dogs can get something called Brucella, which is a bacteria that can cause dogs to abort. Another STD a dog may get is TVT (transmissible venereal tumor) which can cause tumors and growths on the dogs’ genitals.

5. Can you get an STD if you’ve never had sex?
-Yes. What you have to keep in mind is that you can get STDs through oral, anal and vaginal sex. Also, some STDs can be passed through skin to skin contact, like herpes and genital warts. This is why it’s so important to not only use protection, but make sure you and your partner have been tested most people who have a STD have no idea because they show no signs or symptoms!

Need more information? Have a question? Leave a comment below and we'll make sure to answer you!

Excuses, Excuses

It happens. People will make excuses on why they won’t use condoms for sex. I’m sure you’ve all heard of a few, like, “It won’t fit!” or “I won’t feel
anything.” Don't let excuses cost you what's important: your happiness and your health. Here are some of the many excuses someone may use to not wear a condom. Try to practice the answers below before a situation like this occurs, that way you’ll be ready and prepared.

1. “I won’t be able to feel anything.”
Response: “We’ll both feel more relaxed when we’re better protected against STDs or pregnancy.” The video above talks about this common excuse. It may not feel the same as not using one; however you’ll both have the peace of mind that you’re both helping to protect yourselves from pregnancy and STDs.

2. “It won’t fit.”
Response: “I’ve learned that condoms can stretch to fit many different sizes. And, even if a condom was too small, they come in many different sizes.” In the video above, you saw the doctor fit a normal condom over her entire hand. I have seen it demonstrated where a condom can be stretched from the finger tips to the elbow and from the toes to the kneecap.

3. "I don’t have a condom with me. Let’s just do it this once.”
Response: “I could get pregnant or an STD from having unprotected sex, even if it is just one time.” You could also say, “Then maybe we need to wait
until we’re more prepared because I’m not putting myself at risk.” It’s BOTH of the partner’s responsibility to be prepared. Girls, you might think it’s
strange to carry a condom, but in reality, you’re being responsible and protecting you and your partner.

4. “Condoms ruin the mood.”
Response: “You know what else ruins the mood? A baby!” (Or STD) Taking a second to protect yourselves is a lot easier than dealing with the consequences of NOT doing so.

When it comes down to it, it’s YOUR body and it’s YOUR health! If someone doesn’t respect you enough to consider your concerns, then it may be time to reconsider the relationship.

Need more information? Have a question? Leave a comment below and we'll make sure to answer you!

If you've ever seen me in your health class, I guarantee you that you've heard me talk about this! Rub your hands together. What do you feel? Heat and friction. Using two condoms at the same time is not a good idea as the friction of them rubbing together may result in one or both of the condoms breaking. If you're trying to be extra careful, it is better to use another form of contraception with a condom. For example, using the birth control pill as well as a condom will provide extra protection against pregnancy AND STDs.

Need more information? Have a question? Leave a comment below and we'll make sure to answer you!

1. If you’re on your period, you can’t get pregnant.
Just because you’re on your period doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant during this time. While every female is different, sometimes they can ovulate while they are on their period. What you also have to keepin mind is that sperm can live in the female body on average 3-4 days, but can live as long as 5-7 days. If a couple has sex towards the end of her period, and her body decides to ovulate soon after, there could be sperm still living. It only takes one sperm to meet with an egg, so it’s important that if you make the decision to have sex, you need to be protected EVERY time!

2. If you urinate after sex, it will wash all of the sperm away, and you won’t get pregnant.
This is a common myth I hear a lot. What you have to realize is that the urethra and the vagina are two separate areas in the body. A female does not urinate out of her vagina. This is how she is able to wear a tampon and urinate at the same time. So, even though the two are very close to each other, urinating after you have sex will do nothing to wash sperm out of the vagina. The only way to help keep sperm away is to use a condom, or to not have sex at all!

3. If you douche after sex, it will rinse the sperm out and you won’t get pregnant.
Douching is a method used to wash out the vagina. Thus, some people look at this as an effective method of birth control. In reality, douching may actually help the sperm reach the egg faster when douching takes place. Douching has also shown to possibly create infections in the vagina. Overall, douching isn’t as helpful as once thought, so just steer clear of this method all together.

4. You can’t get pregnant the first time you have sex.
Just because you’ve never had sex doesn’t mean that you get a free pass the first time you have sex. For example, most of you have heard of Maci from MTV’s show Teen Mom. Maci is a great example of how this can happen! Maci lost her virginity with her then boyfriend, Ryan, and two months later found out that she was 8 weeks pregnant. Sex is a big responsibility with lots of things to consider. If you’re not ready for the consequences, you may want to put off having sex until you’re able to handle it. 

5. You can’t get pregnant if you stand up with having sex.
Contrary to what you may have heard from the movie, Knocked Up, you can indeed get pregnant while standing up. Sperm are able to travel upstream even if the body is in a standing position. And just to clarify, if you’re having unprotected sex, you can get pregnant no matter WHAT position you’re in. So be safe, and be prepared!

...Sex is sex!

Did you know that having anal or oral sex is considered SEX? I’ve heard that today’s teens are engaging in unprotected oral and anal sex because they don’t want the risk of getting pregnant. What I’m worried about is; what about the risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection?

Where there's sex, there can be STIs. This includes oral, anal, vaginal, or any type of sexual contact. Not only are STI’s passed through semen and vaginal secretions, the viruses or bacteria can also enter the body through cuts or tears in the mouth and anus.

What can you do to protect yourself? Use a condom or a dental dam every time you have oral or anal sex. If the thought of the taste of latex grosses you out or sounds weird, no worries! They make these barriers flavored to help with that!

Keep in mind that some STIs, like herpes or genital warts, can be spread just through skin-to-skin contact with an infected area or sore, usually the areas where a condom doesn’t cover. This is why it’s so important to make sure that you and your partner get tested BEFORE you engage in sexual activity.

You can’t tell if someone has an STI just by looking at them, and unfortunately, most people don’t know that they have an STI because they show no signs or symptoms. Think about it! It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Questions? Comments? Let us know below!
We're here to answer any questions you may have!

Facebook + Relationships = Drama?

 Facebook seemed to take off when I started my freshman year of college at SUNY Potsdam. If you didn’t have a Facebook, chances are that you were harassed until you got one. There are some great benefits to the social networking site. Facebook allows you to pretty much upload everything and anything about your life, including your relationship status. Ever hear someone say, “It’s not official until it’s on Facebook!” I’ve heard this phrase used many times when it comes to Facebook and relationships: If your relationship isn’t public for everyone to see, then it doesn’t exist yet.

This brings me to my question: Does Facebook change the way we see relationships? Not only am I thinking about the start of a relationship, but what about the dreaded break up? Do you delete all of the photos you’ve posted with this person or just un-tag them? Usually with a break up comes the “Insert name here is no longer in a relationship.” What if someone “likes” the fact that you’ve just gotten dumped? You could go from worrying about what people might say in school, to literally being able to read what they have to say all because of Facebook.

Does Facebook cause drama when it comes to relationships? Have you personally been through something like this, or maybe seen it happen to someone else? Or has Facebook become such a normal part of like that it really doesn’t affect relationships at all? What’s your opinion?

P.S. Don't forget to visit our Facebook page! Click the logo below to check it out and remember to click "like"!

As a spin off to MTV's 16 and Pregnant series, the show Teen Mom was created. In addition to teenage motherhood, the series focuses on themes of changing relationships, specifically those of the family, friends, couples and school. It shows the struggles teenagers have to go through to raise their children. The Livestrong.com website stated that the United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of all developed countries. About 1 million teenagers become pregnant each year and 95 percent of those pregnancies are unintended. So, do shows like this bring awareness to teenage pregnancy, or do they do more harm than good?

If you're a Teen Mom fan like me, you're aware that it's on Season 3 for teen moms Maci, Farrah, Amber and Catelynn. We watched them originally on the show 16 and Pregnant, which aired back in late 2009. Some people say that it's been great to see the struggles associated with teen pregnancy and really brings light to a rising issue. Others say that it does nothing more than glamorize teenage pregnancy and may be encouraging others to try to become pregnant because they want to become reality TV "stars".

16 and Pregnant has showcased over 30 stories since it's start back in mid 2009 and Teen Mom has shown a total 8 stories. Some say enough is enough. We've seen the stories and now it's time to end the show. Others wonder when will the filming of the original Teen Mom's lives come to an end? Just how much money are these girls receiving for having their entire lives filmed? Does the filming do more harm than good? When do these shows go from bringing awareness to an issue to just being another reality show purely for entertainment value? Do you think Teen Mom is bringing awareness to teenage pregnancy, or do you think shows like this are only making the problem worse?

What's your stance on the Teen Mom debate? Let your opinion be known by participating in this discussion!

Four Important Things You Need To Know About STD’s

First of all, what exactly is an STD? An STD is a sexually transmitted disease or infection that is passed from person to person through sexual contact including oral, anal or vaginal sex. According to the Students Against Destructive Decisions website, “Many people who have an STD don't know it.” If someone is unaware that they have an STI, this can create a lot of problems, especially if they are having unprotected sex with numerous partners. The infection will keep spreading until someone gets tested. Here’s are some facts you should know about STD’s:

1. There are two types of STI’s; bacterial and viral. Bacterial infections include Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, and Trichomoniasis. Viral infections include, HIV, Herpes, and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Bacterial infections can be cured by antibiotics. Viral infections can be treated for its symptoms, but they can never be cured.

2. Getting tested by your physician is the only way to tell if you're infected.

3. If you get infected with an STD, the symptoms may appear right away or may lay dormant in the body and not show up for weeks, months, or even years. Even if the signs and symptoms go away on their own, you may still infect other people if you have unprotected sex with them.

4.  If left untreated, STDs can cause infertility, long-term pain, or cancer.

Did you know that each year, approximately 19 million new STD infections occur, and almost half of them are among youth ages 15-24? (CDC) That’s 9.5 million new infections occurring in the 15-24 age range alone! STI’s are 100% preventable when using the correct precautions.

As we have seen, one of the symptoms of an STI is having no symptoms at all, which can be a really scary thing and should be a cause for concern. This is why it’s so important to get tested and to be tested on a regular basis. For more information about STD's, click here.

Hey guys! My name is Angela Galasso and I'm the other Sexual Health Educator for the North Country Prenatal Perinatal Council. I'm pretty familiar with the area as I went to school at Beaver River Central (Yeah, that's a K-12 building. Talk about small!) and then went on to college in Potsdam. I couldn't really figure out what I wanted to do when I started, which I think everyone goes through at some point, so I took a mixture of Psychology classes along with Health classes. Guess which one I liked more? I ended up graduating with a...*BIG INHALE*... Bachelor's of Science degree in Community Health with a minor in Psychology and a concentration in Adolescent Health.

In previous jobs, I've been an ice cream server, a lifeguard, taught swim lessons, and worked on Fort Drum with kids. In all of my jobs, I've worked with youth either directly or indirectly. I think this was one of the main contributing factors to why I love my job. Another reason why I do this job is because it seems like no matter how much information I have, youth are always teaching me something new. Part of my personality is that I tend to be a "fixer". If I hear of a problem or issue, I tend to do anything that I can to fix it, even though it's not always possible. Just being able to lend an ear or some advice is rewarding to me. I might not be able to fix people's issues or they way that they think, but if I can affect someone's life and their health in a positive way, then I'm doing my job right!

Other than my job, my interests include singing whenever possible, eating Italian food (or just, all food...), and just trying to make myself a healthier me. I look forward to what's ahead and hope that I can assist you in any way that I can!