It is a myth that the hymen 'breaks'. The hymen is made up of elastic folds of tissue just inside the entrance of the vagina. Hymens come in different shapes and sizes and cover varying amounts of the vaginal opening. The hymen stretches and the opening usually gets larger as a young person grows and matures. If something is put into the vagina that is bigger than the opening (e.g. a tampon, finger, penis, sex toy), they hymen will stretch. Sometimes when it stretches there may be some small tears which can bleed. Going slowly and using lubricant may help. Watch this YouTube video which explains more about the hymen and common myths:

To test for all common STIs and BBVs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, you need to get both urine or swabs and a blood test.

Often, the doctor will only order urine or swabs, but it's important to also ask for a blood test to know that you're getting a full test.

Remember, a 'full' STI screen will not test for STIs such as herpes or HSV.

Learn more about getting an STI test: https://www.getthefacts.health.wa.gov.au/sexually-transmitted-infections/sti-tests

There's no way to know if someone has an STI or not.

Remember, most STIs don't show symptoms, so many people don't know if they have one.

Using condoms and/or dams and getting regular STIs tests are the best way to protect yourself and your partners.

Some people have no or very little sexual desire, sexual attraction and do not want to have sex (sometimes ever!). People with no sexual attraction can identify as being asexual. To learn more about what asexual means, watch this video:

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and can be passed on through blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk. You can get HIV from having vaginal or anal sex without a condom, sharing needles and other injecting equipment, sharing body piercing or tattooing equipment, or through pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. Learn more about HIV from WAAC: Promoting HIV education in Australia | WAAC.

You need to get a blood test to test for syphilis.

Syphilis cases are increasing in WA so it is important to ask your doctor to include a syphilis blood test in your STI screening. Learn more on our syphilis page: https://www.getthefacts.health.wa.gov.au/sexually-transmitted-infections/syphilis

Just as we have natural variations in our height, skin colour, hair colour, body shape, we can also have natural variations in our chromosomes, genitals, sexual organs and hormones.

People who have intersex variations are born with sex characteristics that don’t fit medical and social norms for female or male bodies.

Approximately 1.7 per cent of people are intersex.

Learn more about intersex from this article: What does it mean to be intersex? - ABC Everyday

HSV is so common that doctors don't test for it on routine STI tests.

It also doesn't usually cause any serious health problems.

Use condoms and/or dams for oral, vaginal and anal sex to avoid HSV transmission.

If you do have HSV, it can be good to remember that most other people do too!

See your doctor if you get regular or painful outbreaks. There are medicines that can help.

Watch this YouTube video to learn more about this:

Just because you’re in a relationship or you’ve had sex with someone before, consent should never be assumed.

You always have the right to say no to anything sexual.

Make sure to get consent from someone before doing anything.

Learn more about consent by watching Consent - The REAL sex talk.

Some people are able to orgasm easily, others take a lot longer or find that only certain sexual activities can make them orgasm. For people with a vulva, clitoral stimulation is often needed to help them orgasm.

Sex does not always = orgasm. The goal of sex should be about exploring pleasure and people can experience a lot of pleasure without an orgasm.