Big words explained.
Aromantic is an identity term for someone who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others. Aromantic people are often lot interested in having romantic relationships but might be interested in sexual relationships.
Asexual is a type of . Asexual people often have little or no interest or desire for . People who are asexual may still experience romance but they may not want to act on these feelings sexually.
Decision-making capacity means being able to fully understand what will happen and what it means if you make certain decisions.
If a person doesn’t have decision making capacity, they might need someone to help them make some decisions. Sometimes this might mean someone from their family or a friend helps them.
For some other decisions, it might mean a person who has been appointed by your National Civil and Administrative Tribunal as their guardian has to make decisions for them. A guardian will talk to the person and try to make the same decision as the person wants.
The kinds of decisions a guardian might need to make are:
A cervix is inside a body. It is the opening of the at the end of the vagina. When you get a cervical screen this is the part of the body they are checking. Cervical screens help to check if your cervix is healthy.
Cisgender typically means your entirely matches the assumed for you at birth.
For example, generally you are a cisgender woman if you were assumed to be female when you were born and when you are older you experience your gender as being a woman only.
Consent is a form of agreement. We consent for lots of things like sharing our belongings or deciding with a friend or support worker what you want to do in the day.
When we talk about and consent, we mean both people have to agree to want to have sex. No one should ever force, trick, or guilt you into sex or sexual activities. If they do, it is against the law.
Contraception is a method or medicine that is used to stop a person with a becoming pregnant. There are lots of types of contraception and it is important to find the one or ones that work for you. There are barrier methods such such as condoms or dams which are used during or . There are hormonal methods such as an implant, an injection, an intrauterine device or pills which are used regularly and before sex. Or there is an emergency contraceptive pill which can be used after sex. To find out more about contraception options, go to your doctor or sexual health organisation.
Ejaculation is the discharge of semen from the penis which often happens when a person with a penis has an orgasm.
Fertility is about someone’s ability to have a baby. Sperm, eggs and bodies all need to be healthy for babies to be made. Sometimes people may have conditions or issues that make getting pregnant hard. There are places that can help people to get pregnant.
Your gender is how you feel about yourself and what your identity is.
You may feel more like a boy, girl, man, woman, neither, both, or somewhere in between.
Your gender is different to your sex. It can be about how you like to dress (gender expression), or how you like to act (gender role). There are lots of different ways that people experience and express their gender.
A hand job is when you use your hand or both hands to stimulate another person’s penis and scrotum for pleasure.
Health professionals are people who are trained to help other people with their physical, mental and sexual health. Health professionals give advice and can answer questions that you might have about your body, feelings or relationships.
There are lots of different types of health professionals. Some types of health professionals are:
Intersex is a word that describes people born with sex characteristics that do not fit doctors’ ideas of a typical male or female body. This is not always obvious at birth. For some people it might not be obvious until later in life. This might be during puberty or when they are trying to have a baby. Doctors have words for many different kinds of intersex variation. Doctors also use terms like “differences of sex development”.
Lubricant can also be called lube. Lube is a product used to make more enjoyable. Lube helps to make penetrative easier as it can make it smoother. There are different types of lube. When using lube with a condom it needs to be water based or silicon based so it does not damage the condom. If using lube with a condom, you put the lube on the top of the condom once the condom is on.
Masturbation is a type of that you give to yourself. It could involve touching your genitals, your breasts or chest, or any other form of touch that gives you a pleasurable, sexy feeling. Masturbation is a behaviour that must happen in a private place. It is against the law to masturbate in .
Menstruation may also be called a period. It is something that happens to people who have a . A period is when blood comes out of the vagina. This will happen roughly once a month and last for between 4 and 7 days.
Periods start during puberty which means it could be anywhere between 10 and 16 years of age.
Menstruation usually continues monthly throughout life until a person with a uterus reaches about 50 years of age.
Periods are healthy and natural. They are a different form of blood to when you hurt yourself. It is a healthy blood that means your body is doing its job. The blood comes from the lining of the uterus. If you have a period it usually means you are not pregnant.
Non-binary typically means your is outside of being a woman or a man. Being non-binary can look like:
There are lots of different ways to be non-binary. You may also use other words to describe your gender. You can also use a different set or multiple different sets of pronouns if you are non-binary (words like she, he, or they). You can ask someone for their pronouns if you are unsure. You can tell someone your pronouns to make sure they get them right.
Penis pain is pain that is experienced in the penis. This may be during , or urinating.
Pornography is any photo, video or writing that mentions or is about . Pornography is usually made to make the reader or viewer feel sexy. Pornography is sometimes called porn. Some porn is legal and some porn is illegal. Watching or looking at porn is a behaviour that must happen in a private place.
Private things can be places, behaviour, talk, body parts, and types of touch. Private places are where no one can see or hear you.
Some examples of private places are your bedroom (if there is no one in it, and the door and blinds are shut) or the toilet at home when the door is shut. You can do private behaviours in these places such as masturbate, have , or look at . You can only do private behaviours in private places otherwise there are legal consequences.
Public things can be places, behaviour, talk, body parts, or types of touch. Public places are where there are people that can see or hear you. Some examples of public places are the shops, school, buses and the beach. You can do public behaviours in these places such as eat, meet friends or read a book, but you cannot do behaviours in these places like masturbate, have or look at .
The term queer can refer to the LGBTAQ+ community or can be used as an identity term by members of that community. It can refer to an individuals , their or both.
Refused Classification (RC) is a rating for movies, computer games and television shows that means it is illegal to purchase, download, or sell in Australia. If something has an RC rating, you must not watch or share it as it is against the law to do so.
Rights are like social rules that we all live by, no matter who we are. They are things that the law says you are entitled to as a human being. There are many different types of rights, just some of them are in this book. Every person has rights to be safe and healthy in the community. You always have these rights from the day you are born. This means that other people have rights too so we must respect ourselves as well as others.
Rimming is the use of mouth or tongue to stimulate someone else’s anus for pleasure.
A romantic relationship is when people feel very strongly for each other in a way that is intimate and closer than a friendship.
Most romantic relationships are with people we are in a sexual relationship with such as a partner, boyfriend or girlfriend.
You cannot be in a romantic relationship with someone who is in your family.
A scam is like stealing. It is when someone lies to get money or goods.
Scams are illegal and can happen:
Sex characteristics are the external genitalia, hormones, chromosomes, and internal reproductive organs that you are born with.
You can have typically female, typically male, or not typical body parts. Sex characteristics and gender are different things.
Sex workers are adults who receive money in exchange for consensual sexual services.
Sexual activity can include lots of different things.
It can mean any kind of sexual touch including hand jobs, fingering, oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, genital to genital contact, using sex toys with partners, sexual intercourse and other things too. Sex is with another person or persons. Sex needs to be consensual, meaning you both want to do it. You can stop having sex at any time. Sex should feel good for both partners.
Sexual health is a part of your overall health. Sexual health includes your relationship to yourself and others, sexual health checks and having safer sex. Everybody has sexual health whether they have had sex or not.
Sexual pleasure is the enjoyable sensations you feel on different parts of your body during sexual activity.
You can give yourself or your partner sexual pleasure through lots of different types of touch.
Sexuality is who you feel attracted to and also how you feel about yourself. Sexuality is related to your sense of self and your relationship with others. It is not just about who you have sex with or want to have sex with. It involves self expression, fantasies, desires, and more.
Sterilisation is typically a medical procedure or medicine that is used to permanently stop someone from menstruating or biologically having children. These include surgical methods like removing a person’s uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries or testicles.
Transgender typically means your gender identity does not entirely match the sex assumed for you at birth. For example, if you were assumed to be a man but know you are a woman, you might be transgender. You do not have to use this word. Transgender people may want to dress differently or use a different name or pronouns (words like she, he, or they).
A trusted person is someone that you know well, that you like and that helps you. Trusted people are good to talk to and to ask for help from.
A uterus is inside a body. It can also be called a womb. If you are pregnant, this is where the baby grows. If you are not pregnant this is where your menstrual blood or period comes from.
Vagina pain may be a condition called vaginismus. Vaginismus is pain that is experienced when muscles around the vagina tighten when something is inserted. This might be pain when using a tampon, sex toy or penis.