Yeast Infection Sprouting at the middle school Field trip

Written by: Tamar Simone Weir

In 7th grade, my small arts middle school decided it would be a good idea to take a field trip to the beautiful San Francisco. This was to be the day of all days, the day that we would dress up in our best outfits, pretend we were not 12 year olds, and feel the wind on our skin from the city breeze. I remember looking forward to this day for many weeks, building up the anticipation, and already planning out my outfit including all the accessories. Growing up in a small town, going to the big city was something ultra exciting, worth all the diary entries, and emails sent to friends.

At the time, I had never had any infections, and was just beginning my journey of self pleasure, figuring out my body and feeling the butterflies in my stomach when watching kissing scenes online or in movies. The sexual awakening was starting slowly, but the seed had been planted and was sprouting. So when it came time to go on this field trip, I was unaware of all the possibilities that the vulva had, all the fluctuating environments and ecosystems within the body.

But I was in for a treat. As we browsed the stores, way too excited to enter forever 21, I started to feel intense itching. The itch was unlike any itch I had experienced. This itch would not go away no matter how many secret itches I did in corners of the stores.. Each time we walked into a new store, continuing our adventure, the itch would come back, in full force, again and again, reminding me of the discomfort.

In my head, as a pre-teen I knew something was off, but did not have the awareness or language to seek for help, I did not even know that this feeling and discomfort in my body was a common experience for many people. A good ol' yeast infection.

My very first one.

So what does one do when their outer and inner labia feel like they're on fire, and your every thought is consumed by an itch you don't know how to describe. You suffer, you suffer for many days, and itch all throughout the field trip, eventually giving up caring if anyone sees you, cuz its too hard to care in the H&M.

Whats my point in sharing this story? Well since this first experience, I have had many yeast infections over the years. And a common misconception that I hear often is, infections and yeast infections are a result of sex... And while often times sex can trigger yeast infections for various reasons, you do not need to be sexually active to get a yeast infection, you can be a pre- teen in their awkward stages of growing up, and get the itch. Its possible and happens.

According to Yale Medicine, yeast infections can occur for various reasons, some being; lack of sleep, prolonged moisture in the area, stress, and anything that can offset the PH balance. Other common reasons for yeast infections are, weakened immune system, irritants like soaps/ products, antibiotics, and hormonal imbalances near the menstrual cycle. So as you can see, there are so many ways that yeast infections can begin, most unrelated to the act of sex altogether.

This information is crucial for youth to be aware of, because for most teens, sex education is minimal, entirely focusing on abstinence, and the dangers of sex, but what is not included is health in the larger picture of the body, and pleasure. The ways we can enjoy our bodies and the bodies of others, as we explore what it means to have a body, in a time where our bodies are constantly changing. You would think the sexual health education would be comprehensive in order to dive deep into all of the changes that youth face, year after year beginning in puberty, but that is not the case.

According to Duke Center for Global Health, only 39 states out of 50 states in the US require sex education, and out of the 39 states, only 13 require medically accurate sex information.... And out of the 13 states, only 9 require that the education is inclusive towards LGBTQIA+ folks. What does this mean for all the youth out there, that are beginning to sprout with curiosity, their seeds growing into questions, and desires? This means that the majority are left out of the discussion, and shame gets watered instead of knowledge and safe communication. The United States is one of the countries in the global north that have one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy, and this is directly related to the education that kids receive. For instance, in the Netherlands they begin their sex education in kindergarten, empowering children to get to know their bodies, and feel comfortable in their own skin, and this results in their teen pregnancy rate being 5 times lower than that of the U.S. In the United States, we teach youth to fear their bodies, that sex and desire is bad, and only results in negative consequences. We teach them that sex will lead to pregnancy and STI's, and it is true that in the U.S the pregnancy and STI's rates are higher, but it is not what the system tries to tell us. The rates are not higher because people are having more sex, on the contrary. People are not having more sex, but the sex they are having, is not in the framework for sex positive learning. There is no discussion on boundaries, desires, consent, safe sex, contraception options, variations in the spectrum of desire and sex acts. None of this is included, so then for the people engaging in sex, their knowledge is extremely limited... leading to these consequences. The American Sex Education system is failing our students, it is failing our nation, and it is failing all of us wether or not we would like to admit it.

The fact is, we are all going to make mistakes, feel moments of shame or disconnect, miscommunication, or disappointments. That happens to most of us. But what creates lasting change for our sexual health and relationships is knowledge, confidence, and communication. Most people into their adulthood do not know how to communicate their sexual needs and wants. Their do's and don'ts. Most people have heavy shame around their fantasies, their sexual history, or about their own bodies. Most people are confused about sex, and not just teenagers, this is a common thread amongst our society. But what unites and binds us together, is the need for sex education along with our other education in our schools.

Sex education is more than just about sex. It teaches us about caring for others, it teaches us about history, psychology, sociology, literature, culture, anatomy and so much more. It teaches us how to have active participation and awareness over our emotions and experiences, teaches us to be sex positive in light of all the shame that society inflicts on us every day. It teaches us joy. It teaches us about the dark and the light. The balance. It teaches us how to be accountable. It teaches us to be active agents in our own lives.

It teaches us how to thrive, and not just survive.