Questions
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If you're looking to prevent STIs, BBVs and pregnancy, the humble condom is your best bet - it's the only contraceptive that does it all. If you're looking to prevent pregnancy, there are many options you can look to!
- Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) are among the most effective, as they mostly remove the element of human error that can contribute to lower efficacy in other contraceptives.
- The oral contraceptive pill is also popular as it is easily accessible and low-cost if you have a Medicare card.
You can also talk to your doctor about:
- The contraceptive ring
- The injection
- Long-term solutions such as tubal ligation or vasectomy.
Just remember that, besides condoms, these contraceptives only prevent pregnancy, not STIs or BBVs, so it's important to still use a condom and get tested regularly
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This is quite common, although for some it may happen more often or have more of an impact than it does on others.
Therapeutic supports such as talking to a counsellor or therapist may help you to learn strategies to manage your emotions.
If you find your difficulty regulating your emotions around your period is interfering with your ability to complete daily tasks, it may be worth discussing this with your doctor to see if there are any medical management options available to you.
Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) can cause emotional dysregulation, mood changes, headaches and fatigue one or two weeks prior to your period - so this might be something worth looking into.
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The best thing to do if you misgender someone by accident is to apologise and then keep the conversation going, making sure to use correct pronouns and names going forward. Try not to make a big deal out of it, and don't put the responsibility on the person you misgendered to make you feel better about it.
The same can apply if you hear someone else misgender a person - gently correct them, keep using the correct pronouns, and keep the conversation moving. If you have to continually correct them, try to have a conversation with them later about using the correct pronouns.
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It's normal for people to have one testicle bigger than the other. Often the right testicle is larger than the left. It can also be normal to have one hang a bit lower than the other, and these things are usually no cause for concern.
However there can be some instances where different sized testicles can indicate a health problem, and if you are experiencing pain in your testicles, can feel lumps, or there has been a sudden size difference, then you should talk to your doctor.
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Masturbation is a normal and healthy part of being a human! People of all ages, genders and backgrounds masturbate.
Masturbation is a way to feel pleasure, connect with yourself, and explore what feels good for you and your body. People might also masturbate for stress release or just for something to do! Masturbating can be good for our health and wellbeing, it releases happy hormones like dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin, which can help reduce stress and boost mood.
If you're finding that masturbating is getting in the way of your daily life and stopping you doing activities or spending time with friends, then it could be good to ease off slightly. It's also good to make sure you aren't masturbating with items that could cause you any injury. Some people may become reliant on one particular method of masturbating and then find it more difficult to experience pleasure during partnered sex, but this is not the case for everyone. If you are worried about that you can always try experimenting with different positions and techniques. Otherwise masturbation is healthy and normal and no cause for concern.
Our bodies are designed to feel good and experience pleasure.
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This depends on what your concern is!
If you are worried about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or blood-borne viruses (BBVs) you could talk to your doctor or a sexual health clinic to get testing and treatment.
If you are concerned about sexual function, you could talk to your doctor to investigate any physiological or biological causes, or you could talk to a sex therapist about any emotional or psychological causes.
For sexual assault or harassment you can call a phone line such as 1800 RESPECT or talk to your local Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA).
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Experiencing pleasure during sex can help people to have positive feelings towards sex for a number of reasons. Pleasure releases happy hormones such as dopamine and endorphins which can help shape a positive outlook towards sex. Having pleasurable sex can also indicate a good connection and good communication with the person you are having sex with. Experiencing pleasure during sex can help individuals feel good about their bodies and sexual abilities, leading to increased self-esteem and body positivity. Engaging in consensual, pleasurable sexual experiences can also lead to a normalisation of healthy sexuality. Enjoyable, positive sexual experiences reinforce the idea that sex is a natural, healthy, and enjoyable part of life, whilst also reducing shame, stigma and negative beliefs about sex.
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Even though your period usually comes once a month it can be normal to miss periods sometimes. The absence of a period is called amenorrhoea. Hormonal imbalances are the most common cause of missed periods.
There are several things that can make cycles irregular, including:
- hormonal birth control
- stress
- travel
- weight loss or gain
- excessive exercise
- It may also be caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or a pituitary or thyroid disease.
If you previously had regular periods, and you are not pregnant or starting menopause, then it is best you talk to a doctor, who can talk to you about what's going on and do some tests. There are different things doctors can do to treat absent periods, which will depend on the cause.
Everyone's body is different, and your doctor should listen to you and help you figure out what is going on.
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Lots of people don't know much about sexual and reproductive health, as there is often not enough accessible education, and many people don't know how to talk or ask about it. Reproductive health is a really important topic that affects our bodies, health and general wellbeing.
Sexuality education educates young people about these topics while they are at school, but it still has a long way to go in making sure it's comprehensive and relevant to everyone. It can be hard to educate via social media as the algorithm often blocks certain words even though they are medical terms related to health!
Having conversations with friends, family and people you meet in your everyday life can be a great way to educate people. Some people might feel uncomfortable talking about reproductive health and there can still be some stigma around these conversations. We need to change this because it's something everyone should feel comfortable talking about, and everyone has the right to access knowledge and information about their bodies, health and lives. However we also want to make sure we talk about it in a way that's culturally safe and is respectful of different experiences people may have had. The more we talk about these topics the easier it will get.
It's also important that people ask their doctors questions – especially around reproductive health. Ask why certain tests need to be done, what are they looking for? Ask them if they offer medical abortions in case you ever need them. Ask them about your fertility, how you can get it tested and what you need to know about it.
Finding and sharing written resources from trusted sources can also help. Some people may not feel comfortable having a conversation straight away, so providing them with information they can read in their own time can help.
