Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Sexting

Sexting – or sending nude or partially nude images through cell phone – is a new craze that is driving parents wild. Here on Turned On, we wanted to think about this and if it is an issue. The main concern with “sexting” is that high schoolers and middle schoolers, who have not yet reached the legal age of consent are sending these pictures of themselves, or forwarding them, leading to sex offender and child pornography charges. But in college, that is not the issue. Sexting can carry many benefits for those who are of age.

First, you can connect with your significant other when away from each other. Sexting allows you to send pictures of your body, parts or yourself in your favorite position helping your loved one get off while thinking about you. It also is an intriguing way of flirting and turning the other person on.

BUT there are some negative consequences that may be associated. The most relevant for us, is taking pictures of yourself and sending them to others is a semi-permanent thing. If you take a picture and the other person has that stored on their phone, it will last until they delete it. An issue may arise if friends or family go through their phone and look at their messages. Also, people can instantly forward these pictures to anyone else, losing all privacy.

This has been the issue concerning parents. Not only for younger children is it illegal (and these younger children learn from their cooler older siblings like us), but this lack of privacy and embarrassment associated with it has also lead to problems. In fact, a girl, Jessica Logan, hanged herself after her nude pictures meant only for her boyfriend were sent to hundreds of people in her high school, leading to vicious taunting. An estimated 22 percent of teenagers engage in sexting.

Talkback – What do you think? Is sexting bad, or is it just a harmless way to share pictures with a significant other? Should there be such extreme punishments for teenagers engaging in it?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Hey everyone,

Hope you all had a great spring break. I had an awesome time down in Acapulco soaking up the sun, going to parties and just having a jolly old time. But, in any situation where you go to a foreign country and you partake in activities involving the opposite sex and drinking you always have to be careful. I know we haven’t had a lot of in depth information about STDs recently, so I thought you may want a list of some common symptoms. That “sunburn” on your private might actually be genital warts. In all seriousness, it is always important to wear a condom and be sexually responsible, nonetheless here’s a list of some common STDs…

Chlamydia
Most people have no symptoms.
Abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina,
pain in the testicles,
and burning with urinating.
Long-term irritation may cause lower abdominal pain, inflammation of the eyes and skin lesions.
In women, it can cause inflammation of the pelvic organs pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Chlamydia can be completely cured, but can be caught again, especially if both sex partners aren't treated.

Genital Herpes
Small red bumps, blisters, or open sores on the penis, vagina, or areas close by.
Also, vaginal discharge in women.
Fever, headache, and muscle aches. Pain when urinating.
Itching, burning, or swollen glands in genital area.
Pain in legs, buttocks, or genital area.
Symptoms may go away and then come back. Some people may have no symptoms. There is no cure. Treatment includes taking a medicine to lower severity of symptoms.

Gonorrhea
Pain or burning when urinating
. Yellowish and sometimes bloody discharge from the penis or vagina.
But, many men have no symptoms. Can be completely cured, but can be caught again, especially if both sex partners aren't treated.

Hepatitis B
Mild fever.
Headache and muscle aches, joint pain
. Tiredness
. Loss of appetite. Nausea and vomiting.
Dark-colored urine and pale bowel movements.
Stomach pain.
Skin and whites of eyes turning yellow (jaundice).
About 30% of people have no symptoms. Treatment includes taking a medicine to help the liver fight damage from the virus.
There are medications available to treat long-lasting (chronic) HBV-infection. These work for some people, but there is no cure for hepatitis B when you first get it.
Fortunately, routine immunization of all children with the Hepatitis B vaccine will hopefully eliminate future Hepatitis B infections.

HIV Infection And Aids
May have no symptoms for 10 years or more.
Extreme fatigue.
Rapid weight loss
Frequent low-grade fevers and night sweats.
Frequent yeast infections (in the mouth).
Red, brown, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids.
Women can have vaginal yeast infections and other STDs, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and menstrual cycle changes.
There is no cure. Treatment includes taking medicines to stop the virus from replicating, or making copies of itself.
Keep in mind that the CDC recommends that routine screening for HIV should begin for all teens at age 13 and then repeated each year if they are at high risk for getting an HIV infection.

Genital Warts (Human Papillomavirus (HPV))
Genital warts that usually first appear as small, hard painless bumps on the penis,
in the vaginal area, or around the anus.
They sometimes can be hard to see, but if left untreated can turn into a fleshy, cauliflower-like appearance
. Some people have no apparent symptoms.
HPV is linked with a higher risk of cervical cancer in women.
Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, will hopefully decrease the risk of getting genital warts and cervical cancer and can be given to girls between the ages of 9 and 26 years of age.
Syphilis
In the first (primary) stage, about 10 days to six weeks after exposure: a painless sore (chancre) or many sores that will heal on their own. If not treated, infection spreads to the next stage.
Secondary stage: skin rash that usually does not itch and clears on its own. Fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and tiredness.
Latent (hidden) stage: symptoms disappear, but infection remains in body and can damage the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Late stage: not able to coordinate muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, dementia, and possibly death. Can be completely cured, but can be caught again, especially if both sex partners aren't treated.

Matt