Reflection/ Reaction Piece : Sexual Health

This past Tuesday I learned a lot about sexual health in the presentation that was given to the class. I think that by providing visuals to exemplify the different preventions and treatments that are at our disposal, the presenter made her presentation stand out and thus the information that she taught was more likely to be retained. The presentation created an environment where it was comfortable to learn about this highly stigmatized issue that most of the young adults our age encounter from day to day. I think that learning about the different forms of birth control intrigued me the most. Seeing the different methods of treatments was an effective way to convey that there are multiple routes that a woman can go to protect herself against getting pregnant too early. I was also tickled and entertained by the dental dam (protective latex sheet for oral sex). I would be pleasantly surprised if these increased in popularity in the approaching years. They are very unorthodox and thus unlikely to be used, but I think that the product could potentially decrease the contraction of STI's. This topic impacts me because I have gained knowledge that I can use to personally benefit myself, and I can also spread this knowledge to others in my demographic bracket. I think that spreading the practice of safe sex in my personal circle could slowly start to impact the entire young adult community and start to change the number of people affected by these preventative sexual diseases and infections. This presentation and the health center are acting out of public health by providing our students with the necessary tools to practice safe sex and by informing our students. Their efforts can definitely have a positive impact on society at large. My questions regarding this topic can only be answered by time. My only curiosity is about what the future holds. I wonder if these public sexual health initiatives will ever increase in popularity and become a social norm...I certainly hope so!