Gender Talk #5: Sex education

May 14, 2021

On July 25, 2019, Gender Talk #5 was held at Hoa Sen University with the topic: Gender education presented by Doctor Nguyen Tan Thu. Gender Talk is an academic activity on Gender and Gender Equality of the Department of Liberal Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Hoa Sen University (HSU). Gender Talk #5 focused on presenting sex education to:

1. Provide students with useful and appropriate information about sex education
2. Create a safe, open discussion environment for students about contraceptive methods.

Ideally, all students would have access to the program and be accurately informed about sexual health education. In fact, many students are still hesitant to share or discuss sexual health issues and when they are curious about it, they often ask friends or go to the Internet to find information. Because there is so much information online, it can be misleading and it can be difficult to find what is useful and relevant.  

At the beginning of Gender Talk #5, doctor Nguyen Tan Thu presented abortion data in the world, estimating that each year there are about 41 million abortions, of which 33 million are unwanted abortions and about 50 are abortions. % are in adolescence. In Vietnam, each year there are an estimated 300,000 abortions, about 60-70% among people aged 15-19. In addition, a survey of high school students on sexual health also showed that during the first sexual intercourse, men often do not wear condoms, accounting for 29.5%, and women do not use contraception. rate 8%. Studies also show that Vietnam is considered to have the highest abortion rate in Southeast Asia and ranks 5th worldwide. This is a pain and a pain for the entire society.

Regarding the effects of unwanted pregnancy, Dr. Thu shares the personal consequences:

• Often unfinished or stop studying for a long time because of giving birth and taking care of children.
• Having anxiety, stress, depression,
• Psychologically facing social prejudice,
• Suddenly the economic burden of raising a child while not making money or still in school,
• Easy miscarriage, premature birth, increased risk of death for the mother
• Unwanted pregnancy will psychologically affect both parents and the unborn child, affect social relationships, both in life and the future, and often affect future plans and intentions. can be stopped.

Regarding the misunderstanding of oral contraceptive methods because some people believe that they will not get pregnant when

• Drink coconut water, lemon juice, coriander water… after sex,
• Have sex in a standing position, have sex in water or dance after sex
• Wash with warm water or lemon water after sex.

Regarding the effects of abortion, especially unsafe abortion, include:

• Causes danger and serious effects on health, especially directly affecting the health of the mother. If severe, it can cause uterine rupture, bleeding, or infection.
• Unsafe abortion can lead to the risk of death for both mother and child, the risk of infertility, and long-term psychological and mental disturbances, and disturbance of relationships in the family and society.
• Psychological effects from abortion such as: feelings of guilt, torment, pain, flashbacks to having an abortion at an older age, prolonged depression, suicidal thoughts, sexual dysfunction, or fear spiritual consequences.

The next point where students heard was about scientific contraceptive methods. So if we want to avoid pregnancy, what do we need to do? In fact, we have many options including:

1. Sterilization method: for sterilization, it will be suitable for people who already have children and want to stop having children. This method is 100% effective through surgery, tubal ligation in women and vasectomy in men. Only one of the couple needs to use sterilization. Implementation conditions include: Only applies to women over 30 years old and men over 35 years old and have two children and children over 3 years old. The drawback of this method is that if sterilization is left for 2-3 days to resume, it may be difficult to fully recover and reproductive function may be affected.
2. Implantation method, also known as IUD placement: 95-97% effective. The advantage of using an IUD is that it is effective for a long time and can easily get pregnant again if the IUD is removed from the body. Limitations include bleeding, menorrhagia, and lower abdominal pain. The IUD method is for women who have already had children to have the IUD inserted, do not have a genital infection, and have ever had sex. Some things to note are not to insert an IUD if you have an infection, a sexually transmitted disease, a previous ectopic pregnancy, menorrhagia, bleeding, suspected genital malignancy, prolapse, or valvular disease. suspected pregnancy.
3. Hormonal methods, also known as birth control pills: Combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) contain synthetic estrogen and progestin to prevent pregnancy, inhibit ovulation and cause cervical mucus to thicken. . However, this method has side effects such as: If mild, nausea, weight gain, mood changes, and headaches. If severe, there may be a risk of heart attack or stroke. Therefore, when using hormones, we should consult a doctor.

Emergency contraceptive pills are only 75% effective and need to be used within 72 hours of having unsafe sex or being forced to have sex without using contraception. Emergency contraceptive pills have many side effects, so be careful not to use them regularly.

Ceramic less effective contraceptive method:

1. Calculate your menstrual cycle even though this is a natural way to prevent pregnancy. This method is only for women with regular and stable cycles. However, menstrual cycles are often irregular, so unwanted pregnancies are easy.
2. Ejaculation outside the vagina: This method does not guarantee the ability to prevent pregnancy because during the “making love” process, many sperm are still produced.
3. Finally, condom contraception is for men and women. The most effective way to use condoms is to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and can be 90-98% effective. However, to be highly effective, users need to be careful when buying condoms that must be of quality, valid, and of the appropriate size and know how to wear condoms correctly.

Finally, the talk on sex education focuses on discussing sexually transmitted diseases as a group of diseases: Fungi and parasites, bacteria, and viruses.

First, the myths about STDs are that people who appear healthy do not get STDs, oral sex does not get STDs, and homosexual sex has a low risk of getting STDs.

Regarding the characteristics of STDs, they not only harm the genital organs but also other organs and the whole body, are pervasive, and even cause death. Harmful effects of STDs can affect children, causing blindness, paralysis and death. Many STDs can also be transmitted through other ways such as hepatitis B/C, HIV/AIDs.

Regarding symptoms of STD infection, women have abnormal or foul-smelling vaginal discharge, genitals feel burning or itchy, pain deep inside the vagina during intercourse, sores, warts, and acne appear. genital fluid, vaginal bleeding outside of menstruation, and lower abdominal pain. For men, there are symptoms such as burning, burning, painful urination, drops of pus, the appearance of sores, warts, blisters in the genitals, swelling and pus in the groin area, and swelling or pain in the scrotum. .

STDs happen very silently:

Regarding gonorrhea, it manifests as sexual discharge from the tip of the penis after not urinating for a long time, especially in the morning, urine is cloudy, has milky white fibers, and urination is harsh, painful, and painful. The incubation period is about 1 week and is often painful, so it is easy to recognize and seek medical attention immediately. Urinary tract stenosis and the risk of infertility and gonorrhea only require early and correct treatment at the hospital to go away.

Regarding syphilis, new symptoms of infection will be painless and appear in secret places. Because there is no pain, many people do not know they have the disease; Therefore, we should check our genitals regularly. Syphilis has stages such as: Stage I: a painless, hard sore appears on the genital mucosa, appearing 2-5 weeks after infection. Stage II: erythema can be detected on the hands, feet or “red rash” all over the body. Stage III: germs travel through the blood to attack organs such as the heart, brain, bones and can lead to death.

About genital warts: The disease has lesions that are warts like genital warts in areas with genital contact, caused by the HPV virus. Genital warts can grow in different locations such as the tip of the penis or the vulva area, the outer edge of the vagina, or grow in the anus. Genital warts are a virus so they cannot be cured. The treatment for genital warts is to burn or apply medicine to remove the wart tissue. However, the possibility of disease transmission remains and is lower because the pulp has been burned. Therefore, when having sex, you should use a condom to limit STDs.       

STUDENT PERCEPTIONS ABOUT GENDER TALK #5:   Truong My Ngan – a first-year student at Hoa Sen University shares about Gender Talk #5. The seminar on Gender & Gender Equality really provided me with a lot of useful information such as: what is safe sex. I think being a girl is a disadvantage, so we need to learn and have safe birth control measures to avoid becoming a burden to ourselves, our family, and society. Besides, being provided with content about sexually transmitted diseases and where to treat them has helped me fully prepare the knowledge to think carefully and be responsible for myself. This participation was very meaningful and I hope to participate in more similar activities in the future so that our students have the opportunity to learn about necessary social issues.Nguyen Thanh Truc – first year student at Hoa Sen University. After attending the Gender Talk program, I feel really lucky to be able to study Gender and Development. Today’s program is very interesting because it gives me knowledge on how to protect myself, as well as letting me know about the diseases that can occur if I have unsafe sex and think carefully. Especially meeting Dr. Thu, who is dedicated to his work. Help everyone with all your heart, especially students. Everyone created a very good, very fun and very cool Gender Talk session. Nguyen Thanh Cong shared that in general, I found this to be a very useful, interesting, professional but no less fun Talk show. I used to think I knew a lot about issues related to sex education, but through this Gender Talk, I learned a lot of new knowledge. I understand the horror that comes from impulsive thoughts of youth leading to unfortunate consequences, including abortion and suicide. What’s more terrible is that Vietnam is one of the leading countries in Southeast Asia in terms of abortion. I feel very sad. In addition, I also learned a lot of useful information about STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). Finally, I assessed that this was a very useful and engaging Talk Show to the point that it was the first Talk Show where I did not feel sleepy or look forward to leaving early. I hope there will be more events like this in the future to create opportunities for me to learn more useful knowledge for a safer, healthier life, not only for myself but also for others. around me.Vu Nguyen Da Quynh shared. First, I want to thank the organizers for creating a meaningful talk show for our students to supplement their knowledge in the subject Gender and Development. I have gained a deeper understanding of safe sex, ways to prevent and protect myself so that unwanted things do not happen (unwanted pregnancy). Through the Gender Talk session, I have a fairly complete and correct amount of knowledge to be able to protect myself and to be able to pass it on to those around me. I hope Gender Talk and the school will create more interesting and meaningful lessons for students. Pham Thi Phuong Thao: After attending Gender Talk #5, I felt very useful and learned more about understanding, loving and protecting myself better. I learned more about sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases. There were many issues that I misunderstood, but after participating in the program, I had a better understanding of those issues. And that’s what I received when participating in the program. Finally, I want to thank the Gender Talk Organizing Committee and the School for creating conditions for me to participate in such a useful program.  Doan Le Phuong Trinh shared: This is the first time I have attended an interesting seminar like this. Sex education has been a fairly popular topic widely taught across the country. But few people really understand this issue. The proof is that there are still about 300,000 abortions nationwide, according to statistics from the Vietnam Population Department. Me too, before joining the program I also thought that my knowledge was just enough to use. But after participating in this seminar, I actually realized that I still have many shortcomings and learned a lot of useful knowledge. I thank the Organizing Committee very much for organizing today’s GENDER TALK so that we can gain a lot of good knowledge and experience about this issue that is of great concern to society.Tang Hai Bang – majoring in Communication Technology Management, HSU. After the Gender talk seminar, I myself am a boy so I need to know more things about sensitive sex education but have not been answered. Gender talk #5 makes me very happy because all my long-standing secret questions have been answered. I learned about all types of diseases, from sexually transmitted diseases to diseases that I had never known or learned about before. I learned which ways HIV will be transmitted and which ways it will not be transmitted. I know how to use Ba Con Soi safely and is one of the best ways to prevent pregnancy. I learned about protecting and cleaning my genitals as safely and cleanly as possible to avoid unwanted diseases. Finally, I thank the Gender Talk organizers for helping me answer all my questions and understand more about sexual relations. I really like participating in Gender Talk and hope there will be more Gender Talks so I can participate and gain more knowledge.Huynh Ngoc Bao Chau – majoring in Communication Technology Management. After the gendertalk session, I feel as follows: Helps me know more about many diseases related to sex, many things appear on the genitals such as: Acne, blisters… it is due to the body so I You need to see and check your genitals every day and keep them clean to avoid getting sick. I learned more about ways to avoid transmitting HIV from my partner. Using Ba Con Soi has helped me understand that contraception is very safe. I learned more about how to use Three Wolves for both men and women, and better understood how to use it so as not to hurt the genitals. I find Gender Talk very useful. I thank the Organizing Committee for creating a class as well as a playground for us to clearly understand all the questions and concerns that no one has guided us for so long. Due to fear and shyness, I have not confided in or asked anyone about this sensitive issue. But thanks to the Gender Talk session, I was able to answer all the questions I had not had for a long time. I hope there will be more Gender Talk classes so that I can gain more knowledge and learn more knowledge that I have not yet learned.Tran Thanh Thanh shared: I found the recent Gender talk very interesting and useful. I expanded my knowledge about using condoms and effective birth control to protect myself. Furthermore, I have access to specialists to understand reproductive health, understand what PEP, PrEP and HIV/AIDS are. Thank you Gender Talk Organizing Committee.Dang Nguyen Ngan Ha: The gender talk session brought me a lot of useful knowledge. Firstly, I have understood that to have a safe life, it is necessary to follow the rule ‘No condom, no sex’. Second, I learned about the quality condom brand Durex as well as places where you can buy quality condoms. Besides, through the doctor’s guidance, I learned how to use condoms properly. Third, I have increased my understanding of sexually transmitted diseases. I understand that viral diseases cannot be cured and HIV cannot be treated, but there are ARV drugs to prevent it. In short, the seminar provided me with important and useful knowledge so I can prepare for a safe life.Ngo Thai Phuong Nhu’s friend. I have participated in many sessions like this, but they were always very sleepy and did not make me feel interested in continuing to listen. But at gender talk #5, I felt very excited and didn’t feel sleepy at all because it was fun, the speaker was also very happy, in fact, before now I thought I knew a lot but really NO. Thank you to the Organizing Committee for giving our students the opportunity to understand more and love themselves more.Luong Thanh Tuan shared: First of all, I would like to thank the Organizing Committee for organizing a very useful program for us, not only in terms of knowledge but also in terms of valuable experiences. Through the program, I learned about the abortion rate in our country and the world, how to prevent and promptly handle diseases of the century such as HIV, AIDS, etc. Not only that, I also understood the consequences. and the worries of young people about unwanted pregnancies and how that affects their lives. I understand better the pain that babies have to endure during abortion. With the knowledge imparted through the program, you can not only protect yourself but also protect your relatives and people around you. Once again, I thank the Organizing Committee for providing such a useful program. I look forward and hope to be able to participate in programs similar to the above.Hoang Hai Yen – Marketing major: First of all, I sincerely thank the Organizing Committee for creating the opportunity for us to have a talk on a topic that is of great interest to many young people of our age. The gender talk is not only a talk about gender or sexual orientation, but it also provides me with a lot of knowledge in life, a certain understanding of how to protect myself. yourself and those around you. Through the gender talk, I received not only knowledge but also many useful lessons for my current and future life.Bui Thi My Thanh shared: First of all, I would like to thank the Organizing Committee for helping me gain more understanding about sexual health, the effects of abortion, and better understand delicate and sensitive issues. can protect yourself. Actually, when I came to the gender talk, I was quite surprised about the actual numbers of abortions in the world, as well as in Vietnam, more than 300,000 cases/year, a very alarming number and even more heartbreaking to know. 60-70% are girls aged 15-19, a very beautiful age when they should still be in school age, instead of having to suffer very serious health and psychological effects such as emotional problems. feeling of guilt, even the worst case scenario is losing a woman’s natural abilities. Just for a very basic reason: not receiving correct and timely sex education. Regarding contraceptive methods such as: counting menstrual cycles, external ejaculation, taking birth control pills, using an IUD and the most effective is using condoms because they can avoid unwanted pregnancies and infectious diseases. through sex. Using condoms is a very simple method that can help us abort and give birth to unwanted children.

Teacher: Doan Thi Ngoc – Faculty of Social Sciences – HSU