Sexual education classes, particularly in conservative areas, are notoriously terrible. In fact, in some states in the US it's perfectly legal and accepted for the teachers and curriculum to outright lie to students.
Typically speaking, the grounds for the deception is that teaching fact-based sexual education would encourage students, typically teens, to engage in "immoral" acts of sexuality. The unfortunate outcome is swaths of people with far less sexual knowledge than they need to keep themselves and their partners safe, healthy and happy.
Reddit user Evee_19020 asked:
What's one thing you wish you learned in sex ed?
It turns out a whole lot of people were left tragically under-educated by their sex ed programs. No, it wasn't just you. Here are some of the most popular responses.
Just Pee
"PEE AFTER SEX."
"Why is this important?"
"Not doing it increases your risk of UTIs."
"Think of a garden hose. And when it's sitting in the flower bed for a little while, and when you finally go to turn on the water, a little mud and dirty water comes out before the clean water starts flowing. Then it's great. That's why you pee after sex."
"Like, for the good lord and savior above, it ain't too much to ask, but both guys and girls need to clean out the pipes after intercourse."
"And yes, I know I sound like a worn out dishrag when I say it like that, but it is better than getting a UTI and having to find out it is because you don't know the body as good as you think."
"Obviously, or, I should phrase that as a "I hope", women know that... Right? Because your parts are so much more compact than guys, there is a lot higher chance of a UTI than for guys, but it is still there..."
What's It For?
"What's pubic hair for? I remember in sex ed I did ask that question, the entire class laughed at me, teacher shrugged and gave me a "dunno," and 25 years after the fact I still don't have an answer."
- llcucf80
"Reduces chaffing in a naturally sweaty region. Also provided a little protection for your ancestors giblets when they were marching through briers and dense brush in the nude."
Well Manicured
"Clip your nails, clean them, make sure there are no rough edges."
"Yeah, and file them down smooth afterwards too. Jagged edges aren't appreciated but well manicured fingers can end up almost anywhere."
The Steering Wheel
Giphy"In my sex ed class, there wasn't a single mention of the clitoris. Enough said."
"That's like taking drivers ed and not mentioning the steering wheel."
- deldge
Porn Isn't Real
"What we see in porn isn't normal sex."
- Forgiii
"To add to this, people don't realize how much hygienic care goes on behind the camera. Like, of course you have a UTI Stacy, you just told me how you let a guy go back to front because you saw it in a video and thought it'd be hot. They do a LOT of cleaning between takes."
"I explained to my kids that porn is like watching action movies. All fake and massively over the top to make it look interesting. Real sex is to porn like real fist fights are to action movies."
The Condom Conundrum
"How to use a condom. I went to a super religious school, so we only got taught not to have sex, not how to have it safely."
"My sex-ed teacher told us condoms don't work, because the latex has little holes, which are bigger than sperm."
"I think it was probably supposed to scare us off from sex but instead I just thought to not use a condom when having sex then, if it's that useless.He even drew a diagram: a gigantic circle for the latex gaps and a tiny dot for the sperm going through it."
"Thankfully my mom also educated me, imagine just going off of that class info!"
It's Not Just Baby
"After a woman gives birth she also has to push out the placenta. I thought the baby was just the only thing she pushed. (Also that the vagina can rip or be cut down to the anus.)"
"I had a friend who thought she was unknowingly having twins when she felt like pushing again after the baby was out. It was the placenta..."
- butwhyme
Moving On To Plan C
"That a pharmacist may refuse to sell you Plan B unless you are female, or because of their political and/or religious beliefs. Both of which I've encountered as a male with a worried partner embarrassed to enter the store."
"It didn't bother me so much, but it's worth noting to teens that this can be an obstacle (at least in America)."
"Also if you are over a certain weight one pill won't be enough."
"That the morning after pill is not as effective if you are over 150 pounds. You technically run the risk of it failing because the dose isn't high enough for your weight."
- Rezalina
Some STD Honesty
"That oral herpes can be transmitted to a partner's genitals. Always thought that they were two completely different diseases that effect different parts of the body. Turns out I was wrong."
"Also that HPV vaccines were available for boys, and that without being vaccinated there would be an almost 100% chance of contracting some form of HPV."
"Basically, I was just taught in sex ed, "Don't have sex, you could get STDs!" Ok..get real here, the sex was always going to happen. STDs didn't have to."
Like A Flower
Giphy"In order for sex to be fun as a woman you have to be wet. "Your body will open like a flower" clearly didn't get the message across to me."
- ommmlbox
"Is Everything Okay?"
"As a female, I never knew that women could also have orgasms. Was never mentioned in any class and my mom never had that talk with me. So imagine my surprise when at 17 I'm having sex and start having this crazy ass feeling down there! I hopped off and the guy is like "is everything okay?" And I'm like "yeaaah I think??" Lol. Still didn't figure that one out til months later."
Labia
"That my labia are normal. It's different for every woman, but there is this rumor that if you had a big labia, you were a whore. It's definitely not true because I've had one since I was a teenager and didn't have sex until I was 26."
"This always cracks me up because mine are noticeably asymmetrical. So, what, I'm a ho but only on one side?"
- iikratka
"always sleep on big decisions like surgery. but if you honest to god believe it will better your mental perception of your own body image, go for it."
There's so much to learn and we're clearly not giving the next generation enough information when it comes to things behind closed doors.
Do you have any to add? Let us know in the comments below.
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.