Sex = male and female
Gender = masculine and feminine

Sex describes the biological differences between man and women.
Only females have organs and hormones in their bodies that enable them to menstruate, get pregnant, give birth to children and breastfeed. Only males have organs that produce sperms and make women pregnant. The sex differences are the work of nature and don’t change from society/culture to society/culture.
Gender  on the other hand describes the differences in the way that (men and boys) and (women and girls) are expected to behave; their way of dressing, the work they do, the family responsibilities, their status , the way they speak, etc.

Masculine = what society expects of men and boys.
Feminine = what society expects of women and girls.

What is considered masculine or feminine may differ from society/culture to society/culture. Gender role refers to the characteristics and behaviours that different cultures attribute to the sexes.

In Uganda, men are expected to greet while standing, be courageous, pay dowry and financially support the family with the responsibility for school fees lying mainly on the men. Women are expected to greet while kneeling, care for the sick, cook food and do all the house cores and to be submissive.
In some societies, it is women who pay dowry and don’t even kneel when greeting.

“Real man “   = male sex + masculine social role
“Real woman” = female + feminine social role

Masturbation is when one stimulates one’s genital organs for sexual pleasure. Most people masturbate until they have an orgasm.
Masturbation is one of the safer sex practices as it does not lead to transmission of STIs including HIV.
The problem with masturbation is addiction. People who get addicted to masturbation may find problems adjusting to having sexual relationship with the opposite sex. People addicted to masturbation lose touch with feelings or emotions towards the opposite sex and are likely to develop homosexual feelings.
A number of religions are against masturbation.

Having small wounds on your private parts does not necessarily mean you have HIV/AIDS. The only way you can know whether you have HIV/AIDS is through taking an HIV blood test. You should not just believe in what your friends say about yoour situations.

The small wounds on your private parts may be a result of wearing tight, damp knickers in which case you need to wear comfortable dry cotton knickers. The small wounds could even be a result of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can be diagnosed by a medical personnel and treatment given.
You should immediately see a medical personnel for help.

STIs stands for Sexually Transmitted Infections. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are passed from one person to another primarily through sexual contact by body fluids (semen, vaginal fluid and blood). However some STIs may spread from person to person or from one area of the body to another by causal contact or by contaminated items and clothing such as towels.

Some of the common STIs include:

• Gonorrhea
• Chlamydia
• Syphilis
• Genital Warts
• Candidiasis
• Genital Herpes
• Unitary Tract Infection
• HIV

Some examples of common symptoms of STIs include:

• Wounds, sores, ulcer, rash or blisters on, in or around the vagina or penis.
• A pus-like or bloody discharge from the vagina or penis.
• Vaginal yeast infections.
• A smelly discharge from the vagina.
• Pain in the lower abdomen.
• Itching or redness in the genital area.
• Pain or a burning sensation when urinating.
• Abnormal or irregular bleeding from the vagina.
• Pain or bleeding during sexual intercourse.
• Swelling around or in the vagina or penis.
• A combination of any of the above symptoms.

If you notice some of the above symptoms, it is advisable to see a medical officer for treatment. Some people with STIs however may not experience noticeable symptoms but this does not mean that the STIs would cause problems down the road. STIs increase the risk of both acquisition and transmission of HIV. Thus prompt treatment for STIs is important to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

Infection with STIs can lead to acute symptoms, chronic infection and serious delayed consequences such as infertility and cervical cancer.  HIV and syphilis can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy and childbirth.

STIs that are caused by bacteria e.g. Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and Syphilis can be treated and cured by antibiotics.
STIs which are caused by viruses e.g. HIV, Genital Herpes, Genital Warts cannot be cured but the symptoms caused by the viruses can be treated  thereby limiting how they spread.

VCT  for HIV is  Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV. VCT involves a person on his or her own deciding to go for an HIV test to know whether he or she is HIV negative or HIV positive.
There are quite a number of places in and around Kampala where you can go for VCT services. Below are some of the places you can go to for VCT services:

• Infectious Diseases Clinic (IDR) at Mulago.
• Mulago Hospital Antenatal Clinic.
• Mulago, Nsambya, Mengo and Rubaga Hospitals.
• Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) in Mengo.
• TASO Mulago.
• Naguru Health Centre
• Kiswa Health Centre
• Kawempe Health Centre
• Mildmay –Uganda at Kajjansi and others.

Typically VCT services consist of:

1. A pre-testing counseling session or sessions with a trained counselor, after which you may decide to take the HIV test either on the same day or a different day or not to take the test at all.
2. In case you decide to take the test, the HIV test will be performed using approved HIV test kits and methods.
3. A post-testing counseling session or sessions with a trained counselor to prepare you to receive your results whether the results are positive or negative.
4. In case you are HIV positive, advice to referral places you can go to for medical, emotional and social care and support.

VCT services therefore provide the opportunity for people to know their HIV status with quality counseling support to help them cope with a positive or negative HIV test result.
It is not recommended to take an HIV test without pre- test and post-test counseling.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CVT) for HIV benefits people who go for the HIV test whether the test results turn out to be negative or positive.

• Knowing one is HIV negative can serve as a strong motivating factor to remain negative, particularly for those who may assume it is too late to adopt safer sexual practices.
• Knowing one is HIV positive can be a motivation to adopt a more healthy lifestyle that slows down the progression from HIV infection to symptomatic HIV disease and full blown AIDS- for example avoiding further risks of infection with other viral strains and STIs, seeking early treatment for opportunistic and HIV/AIDs related infections, having better nutrition and avoiding smoking and reducing stress.

VCT for HIV is a “gateway” for accessing medical treatment, emotional and social support needed by HIV positive people. Today, there are many HIV positive people living healthy and positive lives.

Our skin consists of millions of tiny pores. Each pore consists of a hair follicle and sebaceous or oil producing gland. Pimples form when the skin pores get clogged. Clogging occurs when the sebum or oil produced by the sebaceous gland cannot leave the pore as it normally would (to moisture the skin and hair). An obstruction forms in the pore. The blocked oil stimulates bacteria (which live on everyone’s skin and generally cause no problems) to multiply and cause the surrounding tissue around the pore to swell and form a pimple.

Clogging of the pores can be a result of:

• Dead skin cells building up.
• Dirt.
• Oily, pore-clogging products like makeup.
• Overproduction of oil by the sebaceous gland as a result of hormonal changes.
• A combination of all the above.

Many adolescents are very prone to pimples and many spend a lot of their time and money trying to prevent pimple outbreaks. A major contributor to the pimple outbreak is the elevation of hormones, usually occurring during puberty or menstrual cycles in girls. The hormones over stimulates the production of oily substance (called sedum) by the sebaceous glands resulting in clogging of the pores.

It is not advisable   for you to attempt to extract the sedum yourself as this is likely to led for further infection and scaring. There may be no way to completely prevent pimples as some people are more genetically inclined to have them and others are not. But there are measures you can do to reduce pimple outbreaks.

• Try not to squeeze or pop the pimples. The bacteria from your hands can get into the pores which may spread the infection.
• Avoid wearing tight clothes. These prevent your skin from “breathing” and can contribute to oil, dirt and bacteria buildup.
• Gently wash your face at night. This should get your face rid of the surface oil, dead cells and dirt.
• Remember to take off any makeup before you go to bed.
• Drink some fresh water every day.
• Get advice from a healthy worker in case of a pimple outbreak.