Sex education is instruction on issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse

or other sexual activity, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, and birth control. Common avenues for sex education are parents or caregivers, formal school programs, and public health campaigns. According to Burt sex education as the study of the characteristics of beings; a male and female. Such characteristics make up the person's sexuality. Sexuality is an important aspect of the life of a human being and almost all the people including children want to know about it. Sex education includes all the educational measures which in any way may of life that have their center on sex.

Sexually transmitted diseases, commonly called STDs, are diseases that are spread by having sex with someone who has an STD. You can get a sexually transmitted disease from sexual activity that involves the mouth, anus, vagina, or penis. According to the American Social Health Organization, one out of four teens in the United States becomes infected with an STD each year and by the age of 25, half of all sexually active young adults will get an STD. STDs are serious illnesses that require treatment. Some STDs, like HIV, cannot be cured and are deadly. By learning more, you can find out ways to protect yourself from the following STDs.

Genital herpes Human papilloma virus/Genital warts Hepatitis B Chlamydia Syphilis Gonorrhea ("Clap")

What Are the Symptoms of STDs? Sometimes, there are no symptoms of STDs. If symptoms are present, they may include one or more of the following:

Bumps, sores, or warts near the mouth, anus, penis, or vagina. Swelling or redness near the penis or vagina. Skin rash. Painful urination. Weight loss, loose stools, night sweats. Aches, pains, fever, and chills.

Yellowing of the skin (jaundice). Discharge from the penis or vagina. (Vaginal discharge may have an odor.) Bleeding from the vagina other than during a monthly period. Painful sex. Severe itching near the penis or vagina.

How Do I Know If I Have an STD? Talk to your doctor. He or she can examine you and perform tests to determine if you have an STD. Treatment can:

Cure many STDs. Lessen the symptoms of STDs. Make it less likely that you will spread the disease. Help you to get healthy and stay healthy.

How Are STDs Treated? Many STDs are treated with antibiotics. If you are given an antibiotic to treat an STD, it's important that you take all of the drug, even if the symptoms go away. Also, never take someone else's medicine to treat your illness. By doing so, you may make it more difficult to diagnose and treat the infection. Likewise, you should not share your medicine with others. Some doctors, however, may provide additional antibiotics to be given to your partner so that you can be treated at the same time. How Can I Protect Myself From STDs? Here are some basic steps that you can take to protect yourself from STDs:

Consider that not having sex or sexual relations (abstinence) is the only sure way to prevent STDs. Use a latex condom every time you have sex. (If you use a lubricant, make sure it is water-based.) Limit your number of sexual partners. The more partners you have, the more likely you are to catch an STD. Practice monogamy. This means having sex with only one person. That person must also have sex with only you to reduce your risk. Choose your sex partners with care. Don't have sex with someone whom you suspect may have an STD. However, keep in mind that you can't always tell by looking if your partner has an STD. Get checked for STDs. Don't risk giving the infection to someone else.

Don't use alcohol or drugs before you have sex. You may be less likely to use a condom if you are drunk or high. Know the signs and symptoms of STDs. Look for them in yourself and your sex partners. Learn about STDs. The more you know, the better you can protect yourself.

How Can I Avoid Spreading an STD?

If you have an STD, stop having sex until you see a doctor and are treated. Follow your doctor's instructions for treatment. Use condoms whenever you have sex, especially with new partners. Don't resume having sex unless your doctor says it's okay. Return to your doctor to get rechecked. Be sure your sex partner or partners also are treated.

Choosing a contraceptive method

Condoms give good protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. There are so many different types of contraception available that you should be able to find the right method for you. But you may have to try several different things before you choose the one you like most. We have reached the stage where unplanned pregnancies really should be rare, because of the range of good methods of birth control. At present, there are about 14 reliable ones. The Pill is a tablet containing two female hormones an oestrogen and a progestogen.

What are the most popular types of contraception? According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the Pill and the condom remain the most widely used methods in Britain. Both are employed by about 25 per cent of sexually active couples. Below is a league table of popularity among the various methods of family planning. It's based on the recent survey carried out by the ONS on contraception among women aged 16 to 49, plus information from the Family Planning Association. It relates to 2009, because at the present time no more recent worthwhile surveys have been done. The figures may differ very slightly from those in other tables. Even when using large samples, minor variations in results will occur. Table 1: League table of popularity among the various methods of family planning. Rank 1st equal 1st equal 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th equal 8th equal 10th equal 10th equal 10th equal 13th 14th Contraceptive The Pill, including the mini-Pill 25 per cent. The male condom 25 per cent. Vasectomy 11 per cent. Female sterilisation nine per cent. The coil (intra-uterine deviceor IUD) four per cent. Withdrawal method four per cent. Variations of the rhythm method three per cent. The contraceptive injection ('the Jab') two per cent. Mirena (intra-uterine system or IUS) two per cent. The skin patch (Evra) one per cent. The cap or diaphragm one per cent. The implant one per cent, but said to have become more popular in 2009 to 2012. The female condom less than one per cent. The vaginal ring less than one per cent.

This league table changes from time to time, depending on factors such as Pill scares and the introduction of new methods.

What works and what doesn't? With the exception of Withdrawal (coitus interruptus), the above methods have the blessing of family planning experts because when used properly, they have a superior chance of preventing pregnancy. However, while the rhythm method is okay for well-motivated couples who have been trained in its use by a qualified 'natural family planning' teacher, for the rest of us, it's a bit risky. Also very risky are certain non-approved methods, for instance, using spermicides (chemical pessaries, creams or foams), or douching your vagina after sex. Practices like 'doing it standing up' or 'coughing a lot afterwards' or 'trying not to come' dont work, and will simply lead to unwanted pregnancy. How effective are the various methods? Some contraceptive methods are more effective in preventing pregnancy than others, while only condoms offer any protection against sexually transmitted infections. The following figures will give you some idea of which kinds of contraception are the most efficient at protecting you against pregnancy. Table 2: Effectiveness of contraceptive methods. Contraceptive method Vasectomy Female sterilisation The Pill Contraceptive injection Contraceptive implants IUS (Mirena) IUD (the coil) The mini-Pill Male condom Female condom Diaphragm with spermicide Effectiveness Almost 100 per cent Almost 100 per cent Almost 100 per cent Almost 100 per cent Almost 100 per cent 98 to 99 per cent 97 to 98 per cent Around 98 per cent 90 to 98 per cent 90 to 98 per cent 90 to 96 per cent

None of the methods is quite 100 per cent effective, which means the only guaranteed way of preventing conception is to not have sex.

You should also remember that some methods are quite complicated to use, and no method is as safe as the figures quoted if you don't follow the instructions carefully. For example, if you are taking the Pill, you shouldnt miss taking a tablet. If you are using condoms, you should make sure you put them on before sex starts not half way through. If youre relying on the contraceptive injection, you do need to turn up for your jab on time. Every method, except vasectomy and sterilisation, can fail if you don't take care.

What about new methods of contraception? Other methods of contraception will be available in the future. Below are two fairly recent developments. The vaginal hormone ring The vaginal hormone ring (NuvaRing) has been tried out extensively since 2001. It is approved in 32 countries, but only became available in the UK in 2009. Since then, some thousands of British women have been using it successfully. You keep it in your vagina for three weeks out of every four. During the week you take it out, you will have your period. Like the Pill, it contains two hormones. We don't know what its long-term effects will be, especially with regard to cancer. Because of the presence of the Pill-type hormones in the ring, it should NOT be used by anyone who is at risk of thrombosis (clotting). That includes heavy smokers, especially those over 35. On the 'plus' side, the ring is now thought to make periods lighter and less painful in many cases. The most common side-effects are known to be:

vaginal discharge headache breast tenderness nausea possibly mood changes. It can also have much the same major side-effects as the Pill. As is common with hi-tech methods of contraception, the ring has attracted legal action. In 2008, a lawsuit was launched by a husband who claims that his wife died as a result of using it. Since then, many more people have alleged that the ring gave them a deep vein thrombosis, a pulmonary embolism or a stroke.

As of 2012, over 1,000 lawsuits have been launched in the USA by former NuvaRing users or their partners. These cases are expected to come to trial in 2013. The most recent significant research on the vaginal ring was published in the British Medical Journal in May 2012. The Danish authors found that the ring may increase the risk of venous thrombosis (clotting) by a factor of 6.5. This reinforces the message we have stated above: you should NOT use the vaginal ring if you have any factors which predispose you to clotting.

The male Pill Research work continues on the male Pill, particularly in California and in China. Alas, it's still at least five years away from general release, despite the fact that it keeps making optimistic headlines in the newspapers. At present, it's an injection, or an implant or patch, not a pill. Among the difficulties is the fact that hormones which reduce sperm production may also reduce sexual desire. It's very unlikely to reach the British market before 2017. In August 2012, newspaper headlines hailed yet another 'breakthrough' in the development of the male Pill. On close inspection, the research work in question turned out to be a study on male mice in Texas. When given a drug called 'JQ1', the mice produced fewer sperms, and their testicles began to shrink. Some of them became infertile. At the moment, it is hard to see that JQ1 is going to be of much use to the human male.