Merciful 1/Merciful - Disc 1.iso/software/b/birds_&_bees/bird&bee's.dms/bird&bee's.adf/qa2.boy

Text File | 1986-06-21 | 13KB | 507 lines

2   Is it bad to touch my private
parts?

    No, it is natural to explore your
own body. You may touch your body any-
where you like, because it is your own
body. Touching your private parts is
something you should do alone, and not
allow others to do.


2   Is touching myself the same as mas-
turbating?

    Yes. Masturbating is the touching
or "playing with" one's own genitals.
It is a normal way to learn about one's
body. It can also be a way of giving
oneself pleasurable sensations
(feelings).


2   Isn't masturbating wrong? I've
heard a lot of bad things about people
who masturbate.

    Doctors, psychologists, and
educated parents know that masturbation
is normal. It is something that should
be done privately and not all the time.
Unfortunately, some parents and reli-
gions teach us it is wrong.


2   Why do some people say that mastur-
bation is "dirty" and that bad things
happen to people who masturbate?

    Because masturbation should be a
private activity, it may make some peo-
ple uneasy when they see it. Some
adults may not realize that children
are still learning about their bodies
and that this is one way for them to do
this.


2   Do grown ups masturbate?

    Absolutely, even many married peo-
ple masturbate sometimes.


2   Is it OK for other people to touch
my private parts?

    No, it is not OK for anyone but you
(or your doctor) to touch your private
parts.


2   Why would anyone else want to touch
my private parts?

    People often get pleasure from
touching other people's bodies. That is
OK if the other person likes it too
(like when your mom or dad hugs and
kisses you). Strangers, however, have
no right to touch or hold you like
that.


2   Is it a good idea to avoid
strangers?

    Yes. Always try to play around
other people. Never go for a walk or
ride with someone you don't know well.
Never take a present from someone you
don't know -- it could be a trick.


2   Will all strangers try to trick me
and do nasty things to me?

    No, not all strangers -- but if we
don't know someone, how do we know if
that person is good, or one of those
sick people who will try to harm us? It
is better to play it safe and avoid all
strangers.


2   What is puberty?

    Puberty is the time (around your
teens) that your body changes from
child to adult. It lasts several years,
and occurs at a rate that is determined
by the "blueprint" in your genes.


2   When will I reach puberty?

    There is no way of saying -- every-
body is different. Most girls begin
puberty around ages 9-15. Boys usually
start maturing slightly later, begin-
ning in their early or mid teens.


2   How will I know if I've reached
puberty?

    You will notice many changes to
your body and your personality. These
changes are gradual yet often feel awk-
ward. It is not easy to go from child
to adult in only a few years. You and
your friends will mature at different
speeds.


2   What changes will I notice during
puberty?

    You will notice your voice cracking
frequently, an increase in body hair,
and your penis and testicles will grow.


2   When does puberty end?

    Most boys and girls continue to
mature throughout the teen years. By
the end of your teens your body will be
almost fully matured, but your mind and
personality should continue to develop
and change for your whole life.


2   When do girls start having their
period?

    Most girls in the United States
have their first period (called
menarche) between the ages of 9 and 15.


2   When do women usually stop having
periods?

    Most women menstruate until they
are around 45 to 50 years old. When
their periods have stopped for about a
year, they are said to be having meno-
pause. Just like puberty, this happens
at different times for everyone.


2   When is a boy able to start a baby?

    As soon as you are able to ejacu-
late, you are able to fertilize an egg.


2   What is intercourse?

    Intercourse (or sexual intercourse)
is the placing of the male penis in the
female vagina. This is the first step
in the reproduction process -- the mak-
ing of a baby.


2   Why do men and women have inter-
course?

    Intercourse is necessary for man-
kind to continue. All living things
need to reproduce and this is how the
human reproduction process begins.
Sometimes people will have intercourse
just because it make them feel good.


2   Does sexual intercourse always
result in pregnancy?

    No. Most of the time the woman does
not have an egg (ovum) that is ready to
be fertilized. Only for a day or two
each month is she fertile. Also, many
sperm cells are not capable of reaching
and uniting with the ovum.


2   Do people ever have intercourse if
they don't want a baby?

    Yes. Many people enjoy the close
physical contact. Most adults have
intercourse with a special person whom
they love like their wife or husband.
Since intercourse is such an important
activity, many people feel that adults
should not have intercourse until they
are married.


2   Can people have intercourse without
having to worry about making a baby?

    Yes, but they must have some plan
to avoid pregnancy. This is called
birth control or contraception. Without
a birth control method, any girl who
has had her period can get pregnant.


2   Can a girl get pregnant before she
starts having periods?

    Yes, but it is highly unlikely. The
egg is produced and released before
menstruation actually occurs. There-
fore, it is possible for a girl to get
pregnant between the first time she
ovulates and the first time she
menstruates.


2   Can a woman get pregnant after she
stops having periods?

    If she has not had a period for
about a year, she is no longer
producing eggs. This is called meno-
pause. If she is young and not having
her period, she may already be preg-
nant, because that will also stop her
from producing eggs.


2   Do women know when they are
pregnant?

    There is no way of knowing right
after intercourse if an egg has been
fertilized. Most women start suspecting
they are pregnant if they miss a
period. (Pregnant women do not produce
eggs and therefore do not have
periods). It is best to see a doctor to
find out for sure.


2   Do pregnant women feel different?

    This is different for each woman.
At different times during the 9-month
pregnancy, women usually experience
different feelings -- some of which
they like and some of which they find
very unpleasant.


2   Can a pregnant woman tell if she
has a boy or girl inside?

    No. There is no way of choosing or
predicting what sex the baby will be.
The sex of the baby is determined by
which of the parents' chromosomes the
baby gets. Doctors now have ways of
"looking" inside and may be able to
tell the sex of the child.


2   Can a pregnant woman tell if she
has twins inside?

    No. Usually a doctor can tell, but
sometimes even doctors are not sure if
there are two babies in the uterus.


2   How do twins happen?

    Identical twins (the kind that look
alike) started out as one egg. Early in
the development it split (it could
split three ways to form triplets).
Fraternal twins don't necessarily look
like each other because they came from
different sperm and eggs.


2   How does the unborn baby breathe
when it is inside the mother's uterus?

    It doesn't have to breathe while in
the uterus (in fact, the lungs don't
develop until the end of the pregnan-
cy). The unborn baby (fetus) gets
everything it needs from the mother
through the umbilical cord.


2   How does the fetus know when it is
time to be born?

    From the time of conception (when
the sperm and egg meet) to the time of
birth is about 9 months. It takes that
long for the baby to develop the organs
and abilities it will need to live on
its own.


2   Is it a surprise to the mother when
the baby comes out?

    The mother and her doctor have es-
timated about when the baby is "due."
The mother has been instructed that if
she feels certain muscle contractions,
her baby may be on the way. At that
point she will usually go to a
hospital.


2   Do mothers always go to hospitals
to have babies?

    In the United States most mothers
go to a hospital or birthing center. It
is important to go somewhere where
there are experienced people to help
with the delivery.


2   What does the doctor do during the
delivery?

    The doctor helps to make sure that
the baby comes out OK. It is fairly
common for the mother to need help in
delivering the baby. There is also the
possibility that the newborn will need
medical attention.


2   What does the nurse do at the
delivery?

    The nurse will assist the doctor,
particularly in cutting the umbilical
cord. The nurse will also cleanse the
baby which is born covered with liquids
and other remains from the womb.


2   What does the father do during the
birth (delivery)?

    There is nothing that the father
must do (he may not even be there).
Most fathers, however, want to help the
mother by offering support and encou-
ragement during the sometimes painful
delivery process.


2   Does intercourse result in pregnan-
cy only when the couple is planning to
have a baby?

    No. Fertilization (or conception)
occurs when a sperm unites with an egg.
This can happen any time an egg is
ready. A woman may get pregnant whether
or not she wants to have a baby. Birth
control (or contraception) is used to
plan when to have a baby.


2   How often is an egg ready to be
fertilized?

    Women normally produce one egg per
month. It is usually only able to be
fertilized for a day or two as it moves
from the ovary, through one of the two
Fallopian tubes, towards the uterus.


2   What happens if the egg gets
fertilized?

    It continues moving into the uterus
where it will find a safe home for the
next nine months. The womb, as the
uterus is also called, is designed to
protect and nourish the infant.


2   What happens if the egg does not
get fertilized?

    This is usually the case. (That is
why you see many more women who are not
pregnant than pregnant.) The unferti-
lized egg is disposed of as part of the
monthly menses (period) which also in-
cludes the lining of the uterus.


2   What is contraception?

    There are many times that adults
wish to have intercourse without start-
ing a pregnancy. To reduce the chances
of pregnancy, they can use one of
several methods of contraception. This
is also called birth control or family
planning.


2   What are these contraceptive
methods?

    The most common are the condom
(commonly called a "rubber"),
diaphragm, IUD, and the pill. There are
also "natural" methods and steriliz-
ation operations. You will learn more
about these when you are older.


2   Can a girl get pregnant before she
starts having periods?

    It's possible but very unlikely.
Since the first egg is released before
the first period, it is possible for a
girl to get pregnant between the first
time she ovulates and the first time
she menstruates.


2   What is a homosexual?

    A homosexual is a person who
chooses to share sexual intimacy with a
person of the same sex. Homosexuals can
be women or men.


2   What is a heterosexual?

    A heterosexual is a person who
chooses to share sexual intimacy with a
person of the opposite sex.


2   Is it normal to think about sex?

    Yes, sex is a normal part of life,
and it is normal to think about it. But
if you think about anything to the
point that it interferes with your res-
ponsibilities then you are thinking
about it too much.


2   Are love and sex the same thing?

    No. Love is a feeling and sex is a
behavior. Sex is one way for people who
love each other in a special way to
express their feelings. Not everyone
who loves each other has sex, and not
everyone who has sex loves each other.


2   Do men enjoy sex more than women?

    Not necessarily. Sexual pleasure is
an individual feeling. There is no rea-
son why women cannot enjoy their sex-
uality as fully as many men do.


2   Should people be married to have
sex?
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    People are not always married when
they are having sex. However, it is
very important that two people are very
serious about each other, and very much
in love (as married couples are) before
they decide to have sex with each
other.
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