J

JERK OFF: A slang word for MASTURBATE (usually for boys or men) or EJACULATE.

Return to Top

K

K-Y JELLY®: One brand of a water-based lubricant. People can buy it at a pharmacy or sometimes a grocery store, without a prescription.

Return to Top

L

LABIA: The inner and outer folds of flesh that cover a female's vagina. Sometimes called the "lips" between a female's legs. The outer pair is larger and hair grows on them. The inner pair is smaller and made of a mucous membrane. These folds of skin help cover and protect the vagina and the urethra.

LABOR: The work or effort involved in childbirth.

LAMB-SKIN CONDOM: The same thing as a natural membrane condom. These condoms are not recommended for preventing the spread of STDs. These condoms have holes called pores in them that are too small to see but are large enough for germs and bodily fluids to get through.

LATEX: A thin type of rubber used to make condoms. If used correctly condoms that are made of LATEX can prevent pregnancy as well as the TRANSMISSION (spread) of STDs.

LATEX CONDOM: A condom made of a special type of rubber called latex. It doesn't have holes in it so germs that cause STDs cannot get through it. SEMEN and PRE-SEMINAL FLUIDS can't get through either, so a LATEX CONDOM can also be used to prevent pregnancy. LATEX CONDOMS must be used correctly to be effective (to work). OIL-BASED LUBRICANTS such as Vaseline should not be used with LATEX CONDOMS as they can eat away at the condom's lining. It is safe to use WATER-BASED LUBRICANTS such as K-Y Jelly with CONDOMS.

LESBIAN: A female who is homosexual (attracted to other women). Lesbians fall in love and have to decide when and if to have sex, just like other people.

LIPS: See labia.

LOVE: A feeling that shows strong caring for someone else. It comes in many forms like LOVE for close friends, for parents or for children. Love is not the same as sexual desire. Sexual contact can be a way to express this feeling to another person, but it is not the only way.

LUBRICANT: Something wet and slippery in a tube that people can buy at a store. During sex a person can put LUBRICANT on the outside of a CONDOM or inside a woman's vagina or person's anus to make it slippery. This can keeps a condom from getting dry and breaking during VAGINAL SEX or ANAL SEX. There are two kinds of LUBRICANTS: WATER-BASED and OIL-BASED. A WATER-BASED LUBRICANT is the best because it doesn't make holes in LATEX CONDOMS.

LUBRICATED CONDOM: A latex or natural membrane condom that has lubricant put on it before it is sealed in a package. The condom might feel wet when it comes out of the package. People sometimes buy a tube of lubricant if what is already on the condom isn't enough. By using a LUBRICATED LATEX CONDOM for vaginal sex or anal sex, a person can stop STDs from getting into their body.

LUST: Having a very strong desire for someone, usually sexual and without love being involved.

LYMPH NODES: Round little bumps found under the skin. Common places for them are the neck, armpits and groin. They clean the blood by catching and stopping germs and dead cells. One way doctors and nurses sometimes check for an INFECTION is to feel a person's LYMPH NODES. If the NODES are swollen, then it means the person's IMMUNE SYSTEM is working to kill whatever is INFECTING the body.

Return to Top

M

MAKING OUT: (Slang) Usually means kissing, touching and fondling that doesn't include sex. MAKING OUT may or may not happen before, or lead into sex.

MASSAGE: The caressing or touching of the body for either relaxation or for sexual pleasure. People can do it to themselves or have someone do it for them.

MASTURBATION: Touching a person's sex organs for pleasure. This could be a male rubbing his penis or a female rubbing her clitoris because it feels good. People can do it alone or with another person. MASTURBATION is not harmful. It does not cause acne or blindness, make people crazy or cause any other awful things to happen. Almost all men and many women MASTURBATE at some point in their lives. Slang terms: beating off, whacking off, beating your meat, jacking off, jilling off, jerking off, bopping your baloney, yanking, diddling (usually for females), circle jerk, choking the chicken.

MENARCHE: The first time menstruation happens. People say that it is when a girl becomes a woman.

MENOPAUSE: The time in a woman's life when her ovaries stop making hormones and releasing eggs. Later on she stops having periods all together. After this point a woman can't get pregnant any more. The age is usually 45-55.

MENSTRUAL CYCLE: This is the time period that begins on the first day of a period and lasts until the first day of the next one. The cycle starts about every 28 days. First, one of her ovaries pushes an egg out. The egg leaves the ovary and rides along one of the fallopian tubes towards the uterus. The blood inside the uterus starts to get thicker. Sperm from a man might swim inside the woman and find the egg. If a sperm gets inside of the egg, then a baby starts to grow inside the uterus. The blood in the uterus is used to help the baby grow. It is like a nest. If a sperm doesn't find the egg, then the egg dies after awhile. When the egg dies, the blood in the uterus isn't needed, so they both go out of the body through her cervix and through her vagina. This is a woman's period. A period is the last thing that happens in this cycle. Then everything starts all over again. Hormones make this cycle work.

MENSTRUAL FLOW: The blood that goes out of a woman's body during her period. Different women have different amounts of blood coming out. It is usually about three to four tablespoons or up to as much as a half a cup.

MENSTRUATION: When a woman has a period.

MICROSCOPIC: Something so small it can't be seen with the naked eye-you have to use a microscope. Viruses and bacteria are MICROSCOPIC.

MOISTURE BARRIER: A barrier that prevents liquids/fluid/wetness from getting on the other side of it. It is suggested that people use MOISTURE BARRIERS to help prevent the passing of germs that cause STDs, including HIV, from one person to another during oral sex on a woman's vulva or vagina or on any person's anus. Some examples would be plastic wrap (household), a dental dam or a non-lubricated condom.

MONOGAMY: Choosing to have sex with only one other person. One way to prevent STDs is to have two people test negative and then stay together as partners. They agree not to have sex with a different person while with that partner. If this happens no one has to worry about getting a STD. Many people might only have sex with one partner at a time but if they have many partners, one after the other, they could get an STD if EACH partner isn't tested and treated.

MUCOUS MEMBRANE: A soft, pink blanket that lines all of the natural openings/holes in the body. The mouth, eyes, nose, throat, vagina, anus and the hole in the penis (the urethra) have these linings. MEMBRANES have small holes in them. If a STD gets on it then it can go inside someone's body. You can look inside your mouth and see MUCOUS MEMBRANES. They are on the inside of your cheeks.

Return to Top

N

NATURAL MEMBRANE CONDOM: A condom made from the skins or parts of animals. NATURAL MEMBRANE CONDOMS have MICROSCOPIC holes called pores in them. Germs that cause STDs can go through these holes and then inside the body of other people during sex. NATURAL MEMBRANE CONDOMS stop pregnancy, but STDs.

NATURAL OPENINGS: The eyes, nose, mouth, vagina, penis tip or anus of a person's body. They are all lined with mucous membranes. If germs that cause STDs can get inside of these places they can INFECT a person.

NIPPLE: The very tip end of the female or male breast. Babies who are breast-fed drink from their mother's NIPPLE. If touched during sexual contact the NIPPLE feels good to most females and some males.

NON-LUBRICATED CONDOM: A CONDOM, either latex or natural membrane that is put in a package without a lubricant. It is very dry and seems like it has chalk on it. This is safe then (without chemicals) for people to put in their mouths. To stop HIV, a NON-LUBRICATED LATEX CONDOM is something that can cover the penis during oral sex. A person can cut a NON-LUBRICATED LATEX CONDOM along the side and then cut off the tip to make a square of LATEX. This square is then a MOISTURE BARRIER to be used over an anus or vagina during oral sex.

NONOXYNOL-9: One kind of SPERMICIDE.

Return to Top

O

OIL BASED LUBRICANT: A LUBRICANT made from something that has oil in it. The oil can eat holes in a latex condom when people use it during sex. Then germs that cause STDs, including HIV, can go through it and get inside peoples' bodies. Vaseline, mineral oil and lotions are some examples of OIL BASED LUBRICANTS.

OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTION: A disease or illness in a person with HIV. The INFECTION is called opportunistic because it takes advantage of the body's weakened IMMUNE SYSTEM. Once a person gets an OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTION, a doctor can say that the person has AIDS. This just means that the doctor noticed a change in how the person's IMMUNE SYSTEM works. It takes about 8-11 years for HIV to destroy the IMMUNE SYSTEM so that it doesn't kill germs very well. People with healthy IMMUNE SYSTEMS have or get these same germs in their body. They don't get sick because their IMMUNE SYSTEM works well. Different people get different illnesses. Most people don't die after they get one. There are medicines to treat many OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS now.

ORAL SEX: When a person kisses, licks, or sucks another person's GENITALS to make them feel good. Putting a penis into a mouth is one way. Another way is to touch the penis, anus, clitoris or vulva with the mouth, lips or tongue. People can get STDs this way. It doesn't matter if they are doing it to someone or if someone is doing it to them. Either person could get INFECTED. This could happen if BLOOD or sexual fluid got inside someone's mouth, or there is contact with a sore from a disease such as HERPES or SYPHILIS. Also, if INFECTED blood from someone's mouth got inside another person's penis, anus, clitoris or vulva this could happen. Moisture barriers and non-lubricated latex condoms can be effective in stopping someone from getting infected. ORAL SEX is said to be less risky than ANAL or VAGINAL INTERCOURSE. Slang terms: Sixty-nine (69), when two people have oral sex with each other at the same time. See also, cunnilingus and fellatio.

ORGANS: A part of a person's body. Each one has a special job to do so that a person stays alive. The heart, skin, liver, and stomach are a few examples of ORGANS.

ORGASM: A strong, intense, good feeling that happens in someone's genitals during sex. When a male has an ORGASM, he usually EJACULATES. He can have an ORGASM without ejaculating. For a female, it's when sex feels the best and involves spasms that can last for a few seconds or a minute or longer. Someone can have an ORGASM just by thinking about sex. Sometimes a person can have an ORGASM while masturbating or when having sex with another person. ORGASMS don't always happen every time someone has sex. Females can get pregnant even if they do not have an ORGASM. Slang terms: Coming, cumming, climax.

OVARIES: The part of a female's reproductive organs that store the eggs. Girls are born with all of the eggs they will ever have. After puberty, the OVARIES take turns and push one egg out each month. The OVARIES also make hormones that help the menstrual cycle work. Most females have two OVARIES, each one about the size of a strawberry. They are inside the body one on each side of the uterus at the ends of the FALLOPIAN TUBES.

OVULATION: When one of a woman's eggs is ready, it is pushed out from inside of one of her OVARIES. It moves down one of the fallopian tubes toward the uterus. This usually happens about 14 days after she stops her period.

Return to Top

P

PAP SMEAR: An exam that a doctor or nurse gives a female. They are looking to see if her CERVIX is healthy. The doctor or nurse scrapes cells from the cervix and then looks at them under a microscope. This doesn't hurt. Cells that look unhealthy could be a warning of cancer or a cervical infection, but not always. A woman should have one done every year once she starts her period.

PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID): An infection of a woman's reproductive system. PID is usually caused when an STD (most of the time either chlamidia or gonorrhea) goes untreated. Symptoms for PID include cramping, tenderness, or pains in the pelvic area. PID can scar a woman's reproductive system. It can cause lifelong pain and even make her infertile (unable to have children).

PENETRATION: Any kind of sex that has a significant chance of spreading an STD involves PENETRATION of some kind. Penetration includes VAGINAL sex (a man putting his penis in a woman's vagina), ORAL sex (someone licking, sucking, or putting his/her mouth on another person's genitals), and ANAL sex (someone putting their mouth or penis or or in someone's anus).

PENIS: The male sex organ outside the body between the legs. It is made of soft spongy tissue and blood vessels. This is what a male uses to urinate. Most of the time it is small and soft, but when a male gets excited it gets larger and stiff or erect. A penis must be erect for a condom to be put on it. The tip of the PENIS is very sensitive and gives the male a lot of pleasure when it is touched. The hole at the top is covered by a mucous membrane. Germs that cause STDs, including HIV, can get into that hole during sex without a latex condom. This could happen during oral or anal sex. Also through vaginal sex if any blood, cervical or vaginal secretions with STD germs, including HIV, in them get inside this hole. Slang terms: Cock, dick, peter, putz, schlong, schwantz, wang, willie.

PETTING: Touching or rubbing another person's genitals or breasts.

PERIOD: The time at the end of a female's menstrual cycle when 3-4 tablespoons or up to about a half of a cup of blood comes out of the vagina. This is the blood that would have lined the uterus for a fetus to use to grow if an egg had been fertilized by a sperm. When this doesn't happen the blood lining the uterus isn't needed. It is released/let go/let out from the body. A woman can use sanitary napkins or tampons to soak up this flow of blood. HIV could be in this blood if the female is infected. A PERIOD lasts between 3-7 days for women. Once a female starts doing this it happens about once each month. A female can get pregnant while having a PERIOD. Another egg could have been pushed out of the ovary early and be waiting for a sperm to meet it. A woman could also have a PERIOD every month and still be pregnant. A girl could get pregnant before she has her first PERIOD.

PLASMA: The clear liquid part of the BLOOD in someone's body. People can donate their PLASMA, just like blood. PLASMA is tested for HIV and STDs and thrown out if before it is used if any are found. People in hospitals might need PLASMA during a TRANSFUSION.

PLASTIC WRAP (HOUSEHOLD): A MOISTURE BARRIER that can be used during ORAL SEX. A person can tear off a piece large enough to cover the vulva, vagina, anus or clitoris. It does not work as a good moisture barrier to use on the penis and should not be used instead of a latex condom.

PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome): Physical pain or emotional difficulties that a woman might have up to two weeks before she has a period. This could be things like cramps, sore breasts, bloating or holding extra water inside the body, or headaches. Sometimes people feel sad, angry or depressed. Everyone might get different things. If someone has really bad cramps or a lot of blood coming out of the body, she should tell someone like a school nurse, parent, teacher or doctor.

POLYURETHANE CONDOM: A condom made out of a plastic called POLYURETHANE. People who are allergic to latex condoms can use these without a problem. A LATEX CONDOM is still the best, but if a person doesn't have one it is much safer to use a POLYURETHANE CONDOM than nothing.

PRE-CUM: Fluid released from a man's penis before he ejaculates. Another word for PRE-SEMINAL FLUID. Pre-cum can come from a man's penis even without him realizing it. It can cause pregnancy or even transmit a STD.

PREGNANT: The time from when an EMBRYO, then later a FETUS, first starts to grow in a woman's uterus, until it is born. This is about nine months. If a man puts his PENIS on or near a woman's VAGINA, she can get PREGNANT even if he does not EJACULATE. SPERM can be present in PRE-SEMINAL FLUIDS that leak from the PENIS before EJACULATION. SPERM from SEMEN or PRE-SEMINAL FLUIDS can swim up the VAGINA into the UTERUS where a woman's egg is stored. PREGNANCY begins when SPERM and EGG cells fuse (come together) and begin splitting into more cells. Once this becomes an EMBRYO and sticks to the lining inside of the uterus, a woman is then PREGNANT.

A woman CAN GET PREGNANT even if:

• she has vaginal bleedingshe is having a period
• she does not have an orgasm
• she does not have vaginal intercourse very often
• she has vaginal intercourse standing up
• she urinates right after sex
• she douches with anything
• a man pulls his penis out of her vagina before he ejaculates
• she jumps up and down after intercourse
• she hasn't had her first period yet
• she is under 12 years of age
• it is her first time
• the man only touches the outside of her vagina with his penis

PRE-SEMINAL FLUID: A few drops of semen that leak out of the penis just before a man ejaculates. It has about one thousand sperm swimming in it. Most men do not know this happens because they cannot feel it coming out. PRE-SEMINAL FLUID could get a woman pregnant. PRE-SEMINAL FLUID can also transmit STDs.

PRIVATE PARTS: Another word for genitals.

PROPHYLAXIS: (pro-fill-AX-iss) Prevention of or protection against a SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE. The most common form of PROHYLAXIS are condoms.

PROSTITUTE: Any person who has sex to get something else. Sometimes PROSTITUTES have sex for money, drugs, food, or a place to sleep. They are also called sex workers.

PROTECTION: Doing things to take care of yourself or someone else. It could be doing something to stop something dangerous from happening or not taking a risk. Latex condoms are also called PROTECTION because they stop someone from getting STDs, during ORAL, VAGINAL, or ANAL SEX.

PUBERTY: When a young person starts to change into a young man or a young woman. Hormones cause these changes. It doesn't happen to everyone at the same time. For a girl this begins to happen between ages 8-14. Her breasts grow larger and she begins menstruating. In a boy PUBERTY starts around 12 years old. His PENIS and TESTICLES grow and develop. His voice also starts to change. Both boys and girls begin to grow pubic hair. They may also grow hair on other parts of their body. These changes are usually finished by age 20. It is also a time where feelings about self, family or other people change. Moods and emotions change, too. It can be a very confusing and frustrating time.

PUBIC AREA: The area between the legs in both males and females where the genitals are located. After PUBERTY, this area is covered with PUBIC HAIR.

PUBIC HAIR: Hair that grows on and around the GENITALS.

PULLING OUT: When a man removes his penis from another person's VAGINA, ANUS, or MOUTH before he EJACULATES. It does not keep a person from spreading an STD, and it will not keep a woman from getting PREGNANT. Pulling out is another term for WITHDRAWL.