Real sex education questions asked of a teacher

[snopes]

Comment: My cousin was an elementary school teacher for many years in the NY City school system. Amongst other subjects, she taught sex education to 5th graders. There was a question box in her classroom for the express purpose of students placing anonymous questions in it about sex and my cousin would address these questions at the beginning of each new sex ed. class. Here are just some of the questions that were asked of her. By the way, these questions were asked of her in the 1980's. I'm afraid the questions now would be much more technical......and in fact, the kids nowadays might be able to teach my cousin a few things!

1) Who teaches cats and dogs to have sex?

2) Do even people who live in China have sex?

3) If you intercourse longer, is the baby born bigger?

5) I know that intercousing takes 24 hours. My question is how do you stay awake?

6) When the PENISE is put into the VIRGINIA, does it slide in quietly or click like a key in a lock?

7) Isn't there some other way to have a baby?

8) How do you know when you're finished?

9) If a black person and a white person have sex, do they get a black and white baby?

10) If it only takes one sperm to make a baby, what do you do with all the stuff left over?

11) Are you sure that somebody knows how to get that baby out of there?

12) I don't think I would tell my mother if I ever did that. Is that OK?

13) I'm sure my mother never had nothing to do with intercoursing.......maybe my father?

14) How do you become a sex maniac?

15) Wouldn't it be just as good if a boy had a baby for a change?

[mizzie]

Number five is my favorite by far! Boy, have I been getting gypped. I wonder if the student who asked that was very disappointed when he or she grew up.


ETA: Forgot to say, watch out for number 14! O_O

[Lainie]

When I was tween/young teen (early 1970s), I had a subscription to a magazine that was then called Young Miss. The editors were so appalled by the ignorance of sex displayed some of the letters they received that one issue they printed a bunch of them, and included a note asking readers to show the letters to their parents and to talk to their parents about sex. I don't remember all the wrongheaded ideas -- there were the usual suspects, can't get pregnant if you do it standing up, etc.

But one letter stuck out. The girl's mother had told her that if she kissed a boy she could get pregnant. The poor girl had kissed her boyfriend and was terrified that she might be pregnant.

Now I imagine the mother believed she was erring on the side of caution. But if a girl thinks that kissing will get her pregnant, then once she's kissed the boy, she has no reason to not to go further -- and of course she won't be using birth control.

[snopes]

Apparently entry #4 was too racy for the list.

[ElectricBarbarella]

Originally Posted by Lainie

...snip...

But one letter stuck out. The girl's mother had told her that if she kissed a boy she could get pregnant. The poor girl had kissed her boyfriend and was terrified that she might be pregnant.

Now I imagine the mother believed she was erring on the side of caution. But if a girl thinks that kissing will get her pregnant, then once she's kissed the boy, she has no reason to not to go further -- and of course she won't be using birth control.

In my defense, I was only in 6th grade, but I once (anonymously) asked my teacher if one could get pregnant having anal sex (we were just discussing how it could damage that area of your body).

But then again, I was raised by a mother who believed tampons caused you to lose your virginity.

[FullMetal]

Originally Posted by snopes

Apparently entry #4 was too racy for the list.

Or maybe just maybe, the author didn't believe in "four"play...

It's ok, I'll get it...

[Beejtronic]

Originally Posted by Lainie

But one letter stuck out. The girl's mother had told her that if she kissed a boy she could get pregnant. The poor girl had kissed her boyfriend and was terrified that she might be pregnant.

I seem to remember reading one of those "Yahoo Answers" things recently where as boy was worried about getting his girlfriend pregnant after they'd had cyber sex via webcam. So, I guess things haven't changed much. Of course, I would hope that the parents weren't actively giving their teens the wrong information.

[Dactyl]

Despite having a mother who was reasonably liberal and open to questioning and (in hindsight) books "conveniently" left about the house about sex, my burning questions for the teacher, which I didn't dare ask her - having watched a video at age 9 about sex education with the only memorable scene being a family playing naked frisbee on a beach - were as follows:

1) When having sex, did the skin on the penis peal back completely? (This sounded painful and I wasn't up for it).

2) How did parents choose the sex of the baby? (I was pretty sure this was chosen by wishing for the one you wanted).

3) What would you do if someone knocked on your door or rang the phone while you were having sex? Should you hang a notice outside so people knew not to interrupt?

By secondary school I was pretty clued in, however, my burning question then was (due to playground rumour):

- Did Gay people have to wear anal tampons to stop their organs falling out their anus? (this put me off being gay for a good five years! - you can blame the tories and section 28 for that).

ETA: To give you all a laugh, until quite recently I thought the "female opening" was on the front, placed in approximately the same position as the penis. In my defence, I never had any need to think otherwise.

[Zorro]

Originally Posted by Beejtronic

I seem to remember reading one of those "Yahoo Answers" things recently where as boy was worried about getting his girlfriend pregnant after they'd had cyber sex via webcam. So, I guess things haven't changed much. Of course, I would hope that the parents weren't actively giving their teens the wrong information.

I remember reading this one; I was amused and horrified at the ignorance at the same time.

Actually, if these were questions from fifth graders, which would be about ten years old, I don't think most of them are that crazy.

[Sister Ray]

Originally Posted by Dactyl

ETA: To give you all a laugh, until quite recently I thought the "female opening" was on the front, placed in approximately the same position as the penis. In my defence, I never had any need to think otherwise.

I used to think women urinated out the clitoris. I've explained this one a few times, but my logic was that men urinate out the penis. Women do not have an actual penis, but must have some structure that allows for urination. The vagina and anus do not (I knew they already had roles, and ruled them out) so the clitoris must be the structure. It even looks like a small penis.

Sister "don't ask me how long I believed that one..." Ray

[Richard W]

When I was about 11, I remember my friends pretending to ask me about sex, and my understanding thereof. I knew the basics but wasn't clear what had to happen between the penis going into the vagina, and ejaculation. (I knew it was potentially tiring and thought it was something to do with tensing and relaxing the muscles in your groin, so that your willy moved up and down.)

My summary was that "... then you waggle it about a bit," and then sperm came out. Which frankly isn't that far off, but it was enough for the whole class to take the piss out of me for several days over it... the term "waggler" was used, I seem to remember (although I'd rather forget).

[mizzie]

Originally Posted by Sister Ray

I used to think women urinated out the clitoris.

Lol, yeah... so did I. For a lot longer then I'd like to think. In my defense, it's not like I can see exactly where it comes out and it seemed to make sense. Let's just say I could drink legally before I realized my mistake on that one.

[Beejtronic]

Originally Posted by Dactyl

ETA: To give you all a laugh, until quite recently I thought the "female opening" was on the front, placed in approximately the same position as the penis. In my defence, I never had any need to think otherwise.

That's okay. Once, while musing about this mysterious "sex" thing we kept hearing about, a boy in my class informed me that he knew how it worked. I don't recall the entire process according to him, but I remember it starting with "the mummy's penis."

To be fair, I think we were both about 5.

[Silas Sparkhammer]

Originally Posted by ElectricBarbarella

. . . But then again, I was raised by a mother who believed tampons caused you to lose your virginity.

They don't? (i.e., doesn't the insertion of a tampon break the hymen, which is one of the variant definitions of virginity loss?)

Silas

[Sylvanz]

Originally Posted by Silas Sparkhammer

They don't? (i.e., doesn't the insertion of a tampon break the hymen, which is one of the variant definitions of virginity loss?)

Silas

Between tampon use and a rather unfortunate accident on a set of monkey bars at the age of 10 I thought that I did not have a hymen. I was incorrect.

P&LL, Syl

[mizzie]

Originally Posted by Silas Sparkhammer

They don't? (i.e., doesn't the insertion of a tampon break the hymen, which is one of the variant definitions of virginity loss?)

Silas

It can break the hymen, but not always. But I don't think an intact hymen should be the basis for virginity. The hymen can break from a lot of, very non-sexual, things. Even something as simple as exercising can do it. Also, some girls don't ever have one, or have a partial one AND some girls have had sex, but still have their hymen intact. I wouldn't call a girl who's never had sex a non-virgin.

The only way a person (male or female) can lose their virginity is through sexual intercorse, IMO.

[Mad Jay]

Originally Posted by Silas Sparkhammer

They don't? (i.e., doesn't the insertion of a tampon break the hymen, which is one of the variant definitions of virginity loss?)

Silas

The hymen has a hole in it. You are suppossed to put the tampon through it

[Ramblin' Dave]

I think I've shared this story before: in eighth grade, my best friend (yes, really my friend, not me) and I were talking about another kid in our class who was a real dim bulb, and the friend said something along the lines of, "He's so dumb, he probably thinks oral sex is..." and then he described exactly what oral sex really is.

[moonfall]

Originally Posted by Sister Ray

I used to think women urinated out the clitoris. I've explained this one a few times, but my logic was that men urinate out the penis. Women do not have an actual penis, but must have some structure that allows for urination. The vagina and anus do not (I knew they already had roles, and ruled them out) so the clitoris must be the structure. It even looks like a small penis.

Sister "don't ask me how long I believed that one..." Ray

So did I. I think it's because my mom told me that "boys have long pee-pee makers and girls have small ones" when I was little.

Were you in college before you figured out the error like I was? I also used to think the clitoris was inside the vagina...possibly confusing it with the G-spot from reading women's magazines before I was really old enough.

No, we didn't have any real sex ed besides the puberty videos and how to prevent HIV infection. The biology and anatomy teachers never got around to that part of the course either.

[Mr. Furious]

Originally Posted by Beejtronic

I seem to remember reading one of those "Yahoo Answers" things recently where as boy was worried about getting his girlfriend pregnant after they'd had cyber sex via webcam.

Maybe it was this guy.

Mr. "I am truley sorry for your lots" Furious