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Yemisi (Smiley) Oderinlo

AUHORITATIVE NOTE
I am smiley because life is good and the proof is that you are reading the first issue of Novella. It is unbelievable what you will find in this piece, yet it is incredibly true. The stories are true life experiences shared by people all around the world.
Through Novella you can share your life story and you can be sure people will read it and learn from your experiences or mistakes.
Adventures of a fruitophile is young girl’s narrative of her childhood story and her evolution into womanhood.
How will the world judge her? Could she have done better?
While you are saying stone her to death, a question should come to your mind: did she commit the act alone?
In my own opinion, women and men alike must take full responsibility for sex and sexuality. I hope you learn from this story. Read and enjoy.

I remain
smiley
Smiley

INSIDE/OUT
REGULARS
*LIFE
*CHILDHOOD
*SUCCESS

COVER STORY
ADVENTURES OF A FRUITOPHILE

READER’S DIGEST
Every Woman: Alternative fibroid cure
Adam & Eve: From casual to committed
Manmade: Manner 4rm he…

DISCOVER; how babies are made

meet COSMOPOLITAN
Nigerian guy on sex rampage

AUTHORITATIVE
Smiley says we should all be sexually responsible.

SEND
Us your views and comments

EXPERIENCE
Talkabout sexcapades by first timers

ONE LAST WORD
Where is your Adam’s apple

ADVENTURES OF A FRUITOPHILE
When I was a kid our compound boasted of many fruit trees and I ate a lot of fruits back then. We had a guava tree, a tangerine tree, two cashew trees, a lot of plantain and banana trees, and a final attempt to add a coconut tree by my mother who was in charge of keeping the house failed because the coconut pod did not germinate. I remember her burying the coconut pod in a hole that had been dug some centimeters into the ground with the help of an uncle, the seedling which was already sprouting was irrigated with water and sprinkled with sugar, a hedge was constructed around it to keep goats and any perching animal away. The coconut seedling did not survive and the rest history. I felt this could be because the planting was done in front of the compound and not inside. Much later my mother would an avocado pear tree. This we were told by some of our neighbors could be substituted for butter or chocolate or peanut spread and eaten with sliced bread. And so I found myself sometime afterwards, peeling a soft avocado pear off, cutting it into two in order to get rid of the pod and mashing in a stainless plate, sprinkling it with some sugar (although some other preferred salt) and spreading it on my bread. Did it taste yummy? I am going to ask you to try it out yourself.
Tree climbing and fruit plucking was the in thing then.
All of my siblings knew how to climb these fruit trees with no exception of any one of us. Of course the adults were experts. Our uncles and aunties who were much older did everything and used every trick they could come up with to discourage us from climbing trees short of scolding or out rightly lashing us, eventually they gave up on us. One of the stories one of my aunties cook up was that if a girl is caught atop a tree by a singing bird, she invariably changes to a boy. So I said to myself ‘why not, if not’ I stayed much longer on those trees waiting for the miracle of all times, it never happened. What she said was just a ploy to get us girls to leave the tree climbing thing to the male folk.
Of all fruit trees in our compound, one stood out because of the quality and taste of its fruits. It was the guava tree. That guava tree was a seductress and its fruits were always wincing at all sundry, even neighbors came around to pluck from us and there was always enough to go round. Till today I’m yet to taste a guava fruit like it. May be it was custom made; the taste was heavenly, mind you it was a red guava.
Occasionally people fall of this tree. Once one of our male tenants fell flat on his face and went rigid. He was like that until he was discover by my granny (paternal, she is late though), who helped him up and led back into his apartment. We would find out later that this dude had other health issues which stemmed from his smoking habit, that later claimed his life. I also had my bad day on the guava tree. I was done plucking the beckoning fruits that I chased up the tree, and was alighting from the tree. Depending on the angle you are coming from, at times you could decide to descend by landing on the roof of the rabbit house erected by the fence and then jump down the roof and land on the window of the uncompleted building in the compound, that way you don’t have to climb down by jumping from one branch to the other. Anyways I took the alternative route, going by the rabbit house. Lo and behold on jumping from the window of the uncompleted building I landed on a rusting nail, which was held by a plank that was probably removed after the construction of the lintel. Before I knew it I was wounded and I was limping. I tried as hard as possible to hide the injury from my mum, but not for too long. She could help noticing how I was shifting from foot to foot as I ran errands for. She called me back and made me confess to what I what had happened to my left foot. The next she was ordering my siblings to go and get a stove. I know what going to happen to me. She was going to fry my wound. I had seen that happen so many times always hoping it would never be my turn to get fried.
When the stove arrived she lit it and placed a knife inside the hot blue flames where the heat was more fervent. Soon the knife was burning red hot, she brought it out and dropped some palm oil on the knife, the oil sizzled, and she upturned my foot so that the wound was facing up. I watched in dismay as she dropped the sizzling oil into the wound and held it like that. I screamed and some of our neighbors ran out of course my siblings had circled the scene with a knowing look on some of their faces, she was going to repeat the ritual, I saw the knife returning back into the fire, I was ready to break free, but my siblings held me back. ‘This is what you get’ she was saying ‘for climbing that tree, if I don’t this the will get infected by tetanus…’ I was thinking can a tetanus infection be much worse. Or would you prefer an anti-tetanus injection, ‘of course I would’ I was saying to myself. From that day onwards I always had my slippers on and I stopped using the alternative route while alighting from the guava tree.
Most of our neighbors with smaller compounds could not afford the luxury of planting a fruit orchard, so they brought front road side sellers. And mother’s orchard in all its glory and splendor did not have a mango fruit. If you ever feel like mango, you had to buy. Momsy did not like mangoes and she never brought them home and she also discouraged from buying. She was of the believe that mangoes sold in the market were boiled from hard green fruits to soft ripe yellow fruits, without going through the natural ripening process. To substitute for mangoes, whenever she traveled to popsys’ home town she brought us cherries and from her home town cocoa pods. But we still wanted mangoes and then the solution to our problem, we realized that the only fruit tree in church compound were mango trees, bingo!
One fateful day, one of my classmates in the primary school who parents also attended the same church asked if I could accompany him to church compound to pluck mangoes. I did not think twice. I was sitting at the edge until closing time. The moment the closing bell went I picked my bag and I was good to go. Bode well that was the name of the boy, had recruited a few other girls. He was the only in our midst. And he led us gallantly on the way to the church compound, not for mass, but on a massacre of the mango fruits.
The mango was a lot bigger than the fruit trees I was used and was not in the anyway inviting. In fact there were sand patches on the stem and branches which pointed to the fact that red ants had colonized the tree. I have been warned by my siblings that it is not unlikely to find a green snake lurking in the green lush of mango tree as densely foliated as the mango tree before us. Not even Bode (who half the time wriggles and twists like her girl would while walking or I think he used to catwalk) offered to climb the tree. yet none of us was willing to leave without those mangoes decorating the tree top dangling as if to say ‘catch me if you can’ but they were out of our reach because less than a meter tall.
We opted for stick throwing, while the others stepped back, I and Bode picked up sticks from those lying around obviously the sticks were left behind by our predecessors in the mango plucking arena. We were to bring down the fruits while the rest were waiting to pick them all up. Bode had let go of his stick and it was my turn to let go, then I felt something hit the middle of my head and my hands dropped. It must have been a mango I thought trying to console myself but the impact was too much and before I could open my eyes blood was already soaking me up. I took to my heels. Some one was saying your school bag, come and take your school bag. I was not going back; I was bound on a homeward journey.
I arrived home amidst several attempts by neighbors and passerby to stop me. The blood encouraged by the scourging sun flowed freely. My mum was descending the stairs when I appeared at the gate; she was flabbergasted too alarmed to scream. She rushed down skipping steps all the way. Without asking how did had happened she took to a nearby hospital to get me stitched. Fortunately the wound did not stitching it was too deep. The hair around the wound was scraped, treated and plastered and I was put to sleep. By the time I woke she had learnt from my classmates what transpired. I got to know that I was hit by the stick Bode threw not the mango he aimed as he never got a mango from that expenditure. Momsy warned me sternly never to take part in such a play anymore, better still to stay clear off mangoes and the trees that bare them.
But today, the blood trickling down my thighs has got nothing to do with eating a forbidden fruit. I tasted something entirely different. No one has ever taking the pains to explain to me that it would have a bitter sweet feeling, but I have felt its allure for years. It’s the gist of every conversation held in hushed tones, the ghost hiding behind closed doors, the mischief that creeps into the eyes of lovers as they leave the public eye, it’s mine to discover.
And so, when he invited me for a walk that dark starless valentine night, I was not afraid I just followed. He via off the road and headed into a bush, I was not scared. He located an uncompleted building and stopped. I also stopped. He sat a heap of sand and I took my place beside him. He laid me down; he opened me like a flower; he pierced me with his Adams’ apple. I stood up; shook myself up; took to my heels; I am going home alone – I would not suck up to mama; its time to grow up; its time to find by myself things about sex and sexuality.


Making Babies
The body begins to prepare for ovulation on the first day of the menstrual cycle. This is known as day one of your cycle. It is during this time that the ovaries start preparing a few follicles to be the potential egg. After your bleeding period is over, your body starts producing estrogen, and the ovaries are being primed for ovulation. It is during this time that the cervical fluid becomes more “fertile”. If the cervical fluid becomes fertile up to five days prior to ovulation and you have sexual intercourse, the sperm can live inside your fallopian tube during this time. For example, you can have sexual intercourse on Monday and not ovulate until Friday but still conceive. The chances of conceiving a girl are greater this way because female sperm tend to live longer than male sperm. Given the fact that sperm can live up to five days inside a woman’s body, the egg only lives 12 to 24 hours. Rarely, a second egg will pop out 24 hours after the first. So tentatively there is about a week long window for conception to occur. But things have to be in tip-top shape for it to happen. In order for sperm to live longer than about 48 hours, there has to be good fertile-quality cervical fluid present. In order for the egg to be fertilized, there needs to be sperm present, or intercourse needs to be done within the first 12 hours of ovulation. With these circumstances in mind, it’s important to know when ovulation does occur through fertility charting. I believe that conception happens the minute the sperm and egg combine. This happens within 24 hours after ovulation occurs. The body will not know it’s pregnant until the fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall, some 5 to 12 days after ovulation. Before implantation, there is nothing going on inside the body to detect pregnancy. When the fertilized egg implants, it starts sending signals to the corpus luteum to continue producing progesterone. It’s during this that minute levels of hCG – the pregnancy hormone - are released. During a healthy pregnancy, the hCG levels will double every other day. The earliest a pregnancy test would show a positive would be possibly on day 7 post ovulation, but it’s rare to see a positive pregnancy test that early. Even with the most sensitive tests, you will more stand a better chance of seeing a positive at around 10 days post ovulation. http://www.tootlebug.com/

TRUE TALK
Sex & Sexuality
There can be lot of pressure to lose your virginity - that is, to have sexual intercourse for the first time. Having sex with someone just because you want to lose your virginity, or because you think all your friends are doing it, is something you may regret later.
You might feel lots of anxieties, especially the first time you have sexual intercourse (often referred to as 'having sex'). You may feel embarrassed about how you look without your clothes on, or worried about your privacy being disturbed. It's natural to feel some worries but good communication will really help to prevent you feeling embarrassed or worried. You should be able to talk to your partner about how you feel about having sex for the first time, and about any concerns you may have. Your partner might be worried, too. Being relaxed and able to share things with your partner will really ease the tension. And if you're too shy, or you're not able to talk about these things with your partner - then you probably shouldn't be having sex!
Can a girl become pregnant the first time she has sexual intercourse?
Yes, a girl can become pregnant the first time she has sexual intercourse. So, you must use contraception the first time you have sexual intercourse, if you don't want to risk becoming a parent.
Sexual intercourse and love
For some people sexual feelings are bound up with love and close relationships. Some people think sexual intercourse should only happen within marriage. For other people sex and love are two different things.
What is important is that you feel good about yourself and what you are doing, and that you keep yourself safe. Being safe means not only thinking about physical risks such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). But also emotional risk such as the regret you may feel afterwards.
When are you ready for sex?
There is no absolute right age to start having sex. What matters is whether it is the right time for you. It also depends on what you mean by 'having sex'. There are many ways in which you can give and receive sexual pleasure without having sexual intercourse.
Giving each other massages, kissing and hugging can be very passionate. It's a way of sharing and showing love. For some people these activities can be more fulfilling than sexual intercourse.
You may feel that you are not ready emotionally. Being pushed into having sex could mean you regret it later on.
You get pressure from people talking about sex. You think, 'I've got to go and see what it's like'. It's hard, but you've got to resist and do what you want.
It's very important not to feel pressurised into having sex when you don't really want to. Just because your friends say they are 'doing it' doesn't mean they are.
Thinking through all the implications of having sex can be a useful way of helping you arrive at a decision. There are lots of reasons why people don't want to have sex. You may feel that you are not ready emotionally. Being pushed into having sex could mean you regret it later on. Some people have quite strong religious or cultural beliefs. Others just want to wait.
Some people call this decision to wait 'abstinence'. The decision to abstain from having sex can be either a long-term decision or a short-term one. Some people decide that they do not want to start having sex until they are married or in a significant long-term relationship. Other people may decide that having sex isn't the right thing for them at this particular time. Later on they may meet a person who they want and feel ready to have sex with. The decision whether to have sex or not is an important one. You should do what is right for you. It should be an informed decision, and not one based on fear or pressure from others.
But when a boy and girl do decide they want to have sexual intercourse, they should think about using a contraceptive unless they want to become parents. Gay men should also think about using condoms. Condoms can help stop infections like HIV as well as reducing the risk of getting pregnant.
Will first time sex hurt?
Many boys and girls are concerned that it will hurt the first time they have sexual intercourse. It can hurt and some girls do bleed a little bit. The bleeding usually occurs because the girl has a hymen which breaks the first time she has sexual intercourse.
The hymen is a small piece of thin skin which goes across the opening of the vagina and protects it when she is young. It has some gaps in it where the blood can come out when she has her period. Sometimes a girl might already have broken her hymen without knowing about it. For example, this can happen as a result of playing sports or horse riding.

EVERY WOMAN ---Try Using Herbs?
Any woman who has ever had to go through surgery for fibroid or currently diagnosed of fibroid will find this story interesting.
‘When I first saw my doctor about my painful periods, he recommended contraceptive pills. I took them for 3 months then quit because they made me feel much worse. I got a second opinion and had an ultrasound, and they found 7 fibroids. I had full abdominal surgery to remove them. Two and a half years later, they grew back. What a waste of time! I have a huge raised scar running down my lower abdomen and wound up with fibroids again. I tried herbal remedies and my periods are now painless, and they couldn't find any sign of the fibroids in my last scan’.
Your Doctor Will Almost Never Tell You About Healing Fibroids Permanently... Without Drugs or Surgery. But there is that possibility. You may have
· Have recently been diagnosed with fibroids,
· Have had fibroids all your adult life,
· Never have done alternative remedies before,
If you're skeptical and don't believe in alternative remedies, or the medical establishment have failed you in the past, you will need to try out something else. Specialists in female alternative health, and the endocrine system, which governs the production of hormones, affecting fertility, weight, and other conditions that affect women such as uterine fibroids came up with a cure. After working with hundreds of clients with menstrual issues such as fibroids, they discovered a startling fact
Shocking Truth about Conventional Medical Treatments
· Some common fibroid drugs blocks your chances of getting pregnant by as much as 99%, and cause leg swellings, abdominal pains and nausea
· The pharmaceutical used for controlling heavy bleeding increases your risk of developing serious cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks, and damage your digestive system
· A common drug that shrinks fibroids - mimics male hormones, leaving you with weight gain, facial hair, deep voice, depression and acne!
· There are drugs you should never take if you have circulation problems or asthma.
Before agreeing to surgery always request for detailed information on your surgical options. What each procedure entails, the recovery times, side effects and the truth about their effects on your hormones and future fertility.

Adam And Eve
Why A Guy Will Want To “Pull Away” From You When It Comes Time For Him To Commit…And What To Do About It…
Why is “casual dating” so comfortable and exciting for men… while they just don’t seem to know how to appreciate and enjoy the amazing LONG TERM BENEFITS of a committed relationship with a great woman?The answer to these questions may surprise you… because it is NOT what you think.I heard a great quote recently that I feel describes this situation PERFECTLY…“Men are like mascara – they RUN at the first sign of emotion.”I’m sure ALL women… and even ALL OF US MEN… can relate to this.Have you ever noticed that if it were up to men, “dating” would last for years, mean little, and go nowhere “real”?Unfortunately, most women go about trying to remedy this situation in 1 of 3 less-than-effective ways:
Trying To “Convince” Himjust like a pushy salesman trying to get you to buy a car, trying to “convince” a man that he should be in a relationship with you actually makes him want it LESS, Why? Because the “convincing” FEELS UNNATURAL… he realizes that if a relationship with you was what he REALLY wanted there would be no convincing necessary. He would FEEL IT on an emotional level, and his feelings would tell him all he needs to know.
“Trading”If you start “withholding yourself” from a man when you don’t get the love and connection you want… or you only “give when you get”, you’re trading. Doing this not only keeps you from the very thing you want… but it also creates resentment and distrust inside a man’s mind, to where he won’t even want to give you what you tell him you want inside your “trading game” anymore.You can’t “win” the trading game… and this ISN’T how a man and a woman will grow CLOSER and CONNECT MORE if there was distance before.The reality is that a man will eventually stop trying to “win” your fickle affections altogether. Then you’re both left with nothing real holding you together.
Giving Him an “Ultimatum”While giving your man an ultimatum will definitely get you an answer, when you put a guy on the spot like this, it usually WON’T be the answer you want.Pressure does NOT change people’s FEELINGS. Especially when it comes to a man’s often stubborn and unexplored emotions.In fact, often times HE doesn’t even know exactly what he’s feeling, because he hasn’t spent much, or any, time “analyzing” everything on an emotional level.So, how in the world is he supposed to explain to you how he feels, what that means and how that translates into your relationship in the moment?Nod your head if you’ve ever been guilty of one of these 3 “strategies” to move into a more than “casual dating” situation with a man…If so, then I’m sure you realize that 99% of the time these strategies only succeed in pushing a man FURTHER AWAY.In the rare case that one does work… the bottom line is that it’s an UNATURAL and FORCED way to get what you want… which will bring you a SHORT-LIVED result… at best.

EXPERIENCE
Talkabout SEXCAPADES by first timers

Gabby
My first time was everything i always wanted it to be. To start i was only 13. I was about to turn 14 in about 4 days. He was 15. We were only dating for a month but it felt so much longer than that. The bond that night between us got stronger and i cried after becuase i felt so special. Unfortunately in januaray we broke up but i will never regret my first time and always know him as my first real love.

Emma
Hey there. My name is emma, and im 14. I lost my virginity when I was 13. At that point, I had a boyfriend named Matt. He was the most loveable person I had ever met in my life, so I decided that whenever I had the chance, I wanted to do it with him. For me, he was ‘the one.’
I knew it wouldn’t hurt (I broken my hymen when I was about 6 years old, because I was playing around with another girl). It was amazing. I love Matt, and we’re still going out. We’ve had sex two other times since then.
Always use a condom.

Rose
My first time was when I was 15. My BF James was 18.(I know CRAZY right?) We had been going out for just 2 months. And honestly he wasn't very nice. He always pressured me. So after a while I just gave in. We didn't use a condom, he wasn't gentle, and we never talked after that. ( We did it in his garage.) He laughed when he left me. He didn't care whatsoever. And the next thing, I found out I was pregnant, I raised her all by myself. SO NEVER DO WHAT I DID!!!!!!!!!!!!
No-one should be pressured into sex read about sex and the law and how as a young person you are protected.

Clemantine
My first time was when I was 18. It was my third boyfriend, and my first serious relationship. I met him in my first term of university, and we had been together about 2 months when we started heading down that route. We built up to it slowly, and postponed that final stage for some time. I asked him if he wanted to do this, and he said yes, did I? And I said yes. It just felt like the right moment. I went to my room to fetch the condoms. When I came back he was still there waiting for me, and we carried on where we had left off.
I have to admit that it did hurt quite a lot. It wasn't great, but it was special, because it was with someone who I loved very much and trusted completely. It got better and better the more times we did it. I'm so glad that I waited to find someone who I really cared about.

Summer
My name is Summer and I really need to share my story about my first time. I've just read quite a few stories about how great it was and how they will always remember it, and man i wish i had a story like that, but i don't. Honestly, i want to forget my first time.
I was 15 and he was 16. We had been 'dating' for 3 weeks. I had sex for the first time on a half deflated air matress. It was horrible. Absolutley horrible. It didn't hurt, and that could be a number of things, but it was probably the fact that he was pretty small. I regret it 100% For anyone who is reading this and thinking you want to have sex with someone, Im telling you know the person before you do anything with them. I made the biggest mistake, cause there is a chance i may have something. Im going to get tested soon, but this stress is not worth it. Think before you let someone pressure you into something you are not ready for.

Imogen
So my story here is goes...Me and my current BF have been going out for 5 months. He is older than me by 3 yrs so he is more experienced and he had done it before. I was still a virgin but he was okay with that but i was really nervous. I love him a lot and i know he loves me a lot too but i was nervous because i didn't want to make the wrong decision and i wanted to make sure he was the "one". We had talked about sex before but all we had done was kiss and hug.
I have known him for over 3 years but only gone out for 5 months like i said before. Im glad he was my 1st and now we have sex one time every weekend either Sat. or Sun. My advice is to make sure you have sex with the person your sure you want to have your first with because if it's not you will never be able to change that. Also make sure your ready and make sure you know the person. Also always use protection!!

Karington
My, Name is Karington and im 14 years old. I'm going to tell you about my first time having sex.
It didnt hurt as much as i expected it to. (Yes we used a condom). The next day i took a pregnacy test just to be sure. When the test came out positive i was shocked. We had used a condom weren't they supposed to make it so you dont get pregnant. I did another test just to be sure and it come out positve aswell.


Waiting
Me and my girlfriend have been going out for about a year and a half now. We first started talking about our views on sex about three months into the relationship, and we both had the same reasons why we wanted to wait:
We wanted to have sex as independent people. Graduated from high school, out on our own...Somehow, for both of us, having sex in our parents houses while we're still parasitising off their incomes would seem wrong. Almost like betraying trust. And we both have very good relationships with our parents.
We've been together a long time now, and we've been planning our first time here and there over the past few months. It feels good to take our time, to plan out location and talk through some things. We want our parents to know we're having sex. We want to take the time to talk to my older sister and get some tips on how to avoid some of the inevitable awkwardness (while at the same time realising that it has to exist). And we want to make absolutely sure that we're both 'ready'.
I'm really looking forward to it, five or so months from now. But it's still nice to wait, to anticipate, to take our time.

Anon, 15
I am here to tell you about the first time me and my at the time boyfriend made love. I really actually didn't like it. But i told him i did. Apparently he was having a great time and i wasn't. But i thought he was my boyfriend and i have known him for 3 years, so i thought it was ok. Having sex changed our relationship. Like every time we hung out he thought we were going to do it and i was not liking it. I was mad when he told people. I thought that could be the one thing people wouldn't have to know. But i guess it wasn't. Soon after that we broke up.
Having sex changed our whole life. Don't just have sex because he wants to or all of your other friends have. Have sex because you want. You feel that it is right. Make sure you speak your mind in the relationship. don't keep it inside let him know how you feel. And make sure to talk about everything. That's everything so far in my life. Hope you can learn from what now i call a mistake.

Jordyn
I am here to tell you about my first time making love, and my last time; Let me tell you, it was not very enjoyable. We were by a riverbed with rocks and dirt, OUTSIDE in the cold. There was a slope so we slid a lot and my knees got cuts and whatnot. I couldn't contain my excitement. Even though it was so horrible, I loved it because I had finally jumped out into the world on my own (without my Christian parents, who thought I was the most sheltered child there was), so I felt evil and imp-ish and I loved it. After that, our relationship became entirely physical and we lost all emotional feelings for eachother and broke up. Sex ruins a relationship if it becomes a priority in it. Don't let that happen. It's worth waiting for. With all these things said, I hope my experiences have left you with some wisdom to WAIT... and enjoy your innocense while you can.

Victoria
Hi my name is Victoria and I just lost my virginity to my current husband,Jake, 2 years and 4 months ago. We had been dating for 2 years and we were both nineteen. We hung out alot!! I felt like he was the one. You shouldn't just have sex though because everybody else is doing it or your boyfriend/girlfriend wants you to. You need to have the right connection and have to know you are really ready for this because having sex and losing your viginity is hard. I knew i was ready though because I could feel in my heart this was the right thing to do. So make sure you are prepared before you have sex because it could change your life forever. In good or bad ways.

Shallow
Let's just call me Shallow. But i have morals. And i was proud of myself for keeping my virginity... that is until i met my next door neighbor at age 17. I've always had an eye on him during school and i became very happy when we hung out. I dont know what the hell I was thinking. But i guess im still stupid. Especially for still wanting him, and using him as a f*ck buddy. I wish for more than that, but it's so obvious he doesnt want anything more. Ugh, i just have to be that stupid and easy. I'm not proud of myself anymore.

Cynthia
Hi lets jus say my name is cynthia...I am 18 yrs old and I jus lost my virginity a couple of days ago to my boyfriend lets jus call hiim Lance....We have been together for almost three months...it all started a couple of weeks after we began dating .... I feel as though we have become closer since that day and I don't regret losing it to hiim cuz I feel like he really loves me the same way I really love hiim...we have done it twice since that day and I can honestly say that even though it hurts the first time it gets a whole lot better and feels soo much better....my advice to girls out there is to make sure ur in love with the person you loose it to because ur giving up something real special that you won't get back....and always use protection

'Felt Right'
Hi everyone. I thought my story might help someone out there, hopefully anyways...I was 19 when I first had sex. I am 20 now, it just gets better and better for me and easier. But remember, Sex and Love are 2 different things... If there was one thing I would change, I wish I could of waited a little longer... But its beautiful it really is...
LISTEN guys and girls, please don't rush it! I see 12 year olds here writing and it makes me want to cry because I remember when I was 12 I was still playing with barbies! It seems like everyday your bombarded with sexual images and guys must be going crazy! Girls you too! When you see that hot body of a guy it just makes you melt! I know I know! But, please be wise and take your time! Don't get desensitized! WAIT WAIT WAIT! When it happens you will be so happy and you will be telling yourself everyday...THANK GOD I WAITED! SO WAIT!!! Its rewarding!!!
Good Luck everyone!

Anya
My name is Anya, an my first time was with my current boyfriend. We'd been dating for ten months at the time, and in the beginning our relationship was very rocky (I won't bore you with the details). In the beginning of our relationship, I had at times felt somwhat pressured about the physical aspect of it, and occasionally i would do things before I felt I was completely ready. It was FANTASTIC! I felt great, and closer to him then ever. It was wonderful.
The next day, however, I had some odd misgivings that were close to regret, but weren't. It confused me, because I certainly felt I was ready, and we were in love, and everything was great. It unsettled me though, and I did not know why I was unsettled, wich unsettled me more. I talked to him about it, and we figured out that it was this: Losing my virginity was just that; a loss. It was lost innocence, the final step into adulthood (I had just turned eighteen 2 weeks ago) It was apart of me, and now it is not, and though I didn't really wan't it back, and I never regreted a thing and still don't, it was still there. I think it was normal, though, and after I identified the feeling, I felt much better, and have felt no such feelings since. It is a gift he has given that's overcome anything that was ever taken away.

Franny
hey my name is Franny and this is my first time story.
I am 16 years old and, Devon, my boyfriend is 17.He is a wonderful person, a very sensitive person who takes care of me rely well. i love him so much and he loves me and i think thats what made it so great. so make sure you loose it to some one you love and respect because even though you don't care much about it, it means allot to the person who falls in love with you some day just as it should.

At their house
"I lost my virginity when I was 13 and I still am 13 today. It hurt bad and I was so scared. I knew I couldn't tell anyone except my friend who was there. The worst part of my story is that the guy was 18. Me and my mom have talked about sex and I said that I would never do it unless I was like older but I lied to myself and my mom. It made and still makes me feel so bad. I feel like kind of dirty now, but I think eventually I will get over it in time."

Deciding to wait
"When we'd been going out a while everyone started treating us like a couple. People assume because you're going out you have to do everything together. And, once you're an item its only a matter of time before they assume that you're having sex.
"But you see, we've sort of decided to wait a bit longer before we do it. I mean, we have kissed and felt each other and all that sort of thing, you know, maybe just going a little bit further each time, and sometimes I have just wanted to get it over with. You know, the first time - I've heard people say, 'you might as well get it over with, it isn't very good so why wait?'"

Simon
"I'd known Simon for ages, but it wasn't until Year 11 that we started going out. That was two years ago now and we've been together ever since. After about a year we both felt we wanted to have sex, go all the way. "We made sure we picked the right time and the right place too. It would have been awful for someone to walk in on us, during our private time. What was it like? - Well it's difficult to describe because I'd never felt anything like it before really. I'd had orgasms through masturbation before, but sharing yourself with someone you love and respect was really good. It brought us closer together."

A great party?
"I was round at Terry's. It was a great party. Loads of people were there. I was just standing around with my mate Steve and I see this girl over his shoulder. She smiles at me, right, so I give it the business. You know, I talk to Steve but every now and then laugh really loud and look at her again, smiling loads. She kept smiling back, so I moved in. We get talking and everything's going fine. She laughed at my jokes. Next thing I know she's looking at me all soppy and we kiss. Then it all got out of control. She's whispering to me to come upstairs - you know - and I said, 'you go on, I'll come in a minute, I've got to go to the loo first', or something.
"It was awful, looking back, but I did it. I kept thinking, 'well I've done it but what could it have been like?'"

Abi's orgy pal jailed for rape spree
By CHRIS BROOKE, Daily Mail June 2006
Abi with Lanre Onabowale. An evil 'conman' drugged and raped four women after becoming an instant celebrity over his role in a sex scandal involving glamour model Abi Titmuss, a court has heard. Lanre Onabowale, 28, pretended to be a wealthy American basketball player called Jayson Blayde and was photographed by the paparazzi leaving a trendy London nightclub with this curvaceous blonde. Days later downmarket Sunday newspapers carried his lurid kiss and tell revelations of how he enjoyed cocaine-fuelled group sex and bondage romps' with Abi and her TV presenter boyfriend John Leslie, who filmed the impromptu 'orgies' at his £2m home. Onabowale justified the expose, by claiming he was 'blowing the whistle' on the former Blue Peter presenter for being 'depraved' and 'out of control.' But no words could have more aptly described the Nigerian-born surgeon's son and soon-to-be serial rapist. In June 2004, five months after his brief flirtation with fame, Onabowale committed the first of four rapes on young women he met at nightclubs or parties. All four women were raped over an 18-month period after spurning the advances of the smooth-talking African. A 'sexual predator who does not take no for an anwer,' he plied them with drink, probably spiked with a date rape drug, before attacking them as they lay unconscious. All the victims went to police, but it was only following the final sex attack that Onabowale was locked up and the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was sufficent evidence to press charges. Yesterday Onabowale was found guilty of the rapes by a jury at Hull Crown Court and jailed for 18 years.Describing him as a 'monster', Judge John Swanson said his victims would 'never forget' him. He said:'By one means or another you deceived women in to thinking they were safe with you. There was a pattern of selecting women that you considered to be sexually attractive. You consistently and deliberately courted situations where you could satisfy your own sexual pleasure.'The court heard how Onabowale cruised the VIP areas of top London nightclubs to pick up women. He charmed them with his rapping, tales of celebrity encounters and fictitious stories about being a basketball star. Onabowale told the court he would organise parties and go to clubs such as China Whites and Funky Buddha and drink copious amounts of champagne and brandy.He spoke about a casual approach to sex, boasting:'It was very relaxed. There were times when you would go out most nights and meet someone. I would have sex with them. The ladies that joined us knew we like to party all night and would come across and join us. They came out to have fun.'These conquests included pin-up Abi Titmuss, the court heard. Miss Titmuss originally became known through her relationship with John Leslie, but later forged a 'celebrity' career for herself by doing topless modelling and taking part in reality TV shows. Onabowale's newspaper recollections of his two wild nights with Abi earnt him more than £60,000 and helped fund his party lifestyle. And before long he crossed the line from party animal to sex attacker. In June 2004 he was introduced to a 25-year-old boutique manager at Browns nightclub in London's West End. The woman told the court she left with friends and later met up with Onabowale's group again. She said she was offered and took cocaine from him and he then made a pass at her. 'I said he was a cool guy, but I was not interested,' she said. 'I had a boyfriend.' She fell asleep in a room with Onabowale - who she knew by another alias. When she woke up she asked him if they had sex and he replied they had. Denying she was not a willing participant, Onabowale told her:'I can get lots of girls. I don?t get girls that are not into me.' The woman made a rape complaint to police but later withdrew it. In December, Onabowale raped a 26-year-old nightclub waitress who was celebrating her birthday with friends. He tricked her into going back to his empty girlfriend's flat. When they arrived she had a drink while he called a taxi for her. Onabowale then made his move, passing her a note saying 'Are you horny, yes or no?' She texted a friend with the words:'I am in trouble.' But her drink was spiked, she blacked out and woke up the next morning in pain and with blood on the sheets. The woman went to police after a delay and a decision was made by the Crown Prosecution Service not to press charges. Meanwhile, Onabowale moved to the north of England to continue his evil crimes. He enrolled on a business studies course at Hull University and carried out two rapes on students within 24 hours of each other in November last year. Onabowale originally met his third victim at a nightclub in the city where she spurned his advances. On the night of the rape he invited the 20-year-old to his flat to watch a DVD, smoke cannabis and drink. She told the jury she fell asleep as she played on his computer:'I began to feel hazy, as if I was not there in the room. I didn't feel strong enough to walk out to the shops or go home.' She woke up to find him having sex with her. 'I told him to stop. I asked him "what are you doing?" I fell back to sleep I could not help it.'She said she felt stupid and embarrassed for going to his house in the first place and sent him a text message asking him to keep it a secret.She went to police, but within hours he had raped victim number four. The 19-year-old was originally introduced to Onabowale at a party. He showed off a ring he was wearing and told her:'It's worth more money than you'll earn in a lifetime.' Later at another student party she collapsed after being given a vodka drink by him and he took her back to his flat.The next morning the teenager woke up next to a naked Onabowale, with her clothes on the floor. She said to him 'what have you done to me?'The teenager feared she had been raped and her drink spiked and went to police. Onabowale later accepted he had sex with all four women, but claimed they were willing participants.
Although some of his victims were given cocaine or cannabis by Onabowale, Sharon Beattie, prosecuting, said the state they were in was consistent with the administration of a date rape drug. By the time tests were carried out traces of the drug could have disappeared from the system, she said. The court heard Onabowale arrived in the UK 10 years ago to study at a London college and was given permission to stay. He later dropped out of a computer science degree at Thames Valley University after two years. His surgeon father and mother, who runs a restaurant back in Nigeria, were shocked when they heard about his partygoing lifestyle and fell out with their son. In 2002 he moved for a short period to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where he stole £2,700 from a friend using his credit card and was convicted of fraud. The rapist may be deported on completion of his sentence. One detective said he was a 'charming conman who preyed on innocent women.' Detective Constable James Harris said:'He is a sex offender of the vilest sort, deliberately targeting women who rejected his advances.'

Manners 4rm Hell
Super annoying guys don't hit on me in bars assuming I know what the hell they're talking about when they use terms like "the burn," "the man" and "off the grid." And at house parties, there are no chicks that become uncontrollably drunk and then attempt to show you how they can "fire dance," accidentally setting fire to the host's potted plant/small dog/infant. Sent to me by more than one high-profile local sex educator -- was a snaky list of ways to "enjoy Burning Man at home." The list included many observations about the experience, like: Before eating any food, drop it in a sandbox and lick a battery. Stack all your fans in one corner of the living room. Put on your most fabulous outfit. Turn the fans on full blast. Dump a vacuum cleaner bag in front of them. Buy a new set of expensive camping gear. Break it. Get so drunk you can't recognize your own house. Walk slowly around the block for five hours. Have a 3 a.m. soul-baring conversation with a drag nun in platforms, a crocodile and Bugs Bunny. Be unable to tell if you're hallucinating. Lust after Bugs Bunny.
Cut, burn, electrocute, bruise, and sunburn various parts of your body. Forget how you did it. Don't go to a doctor.
Pay an escort of your affection preference subset to not bathe for five days, cover themselves in glitter, dust, and sunscreen, wear a skanky neon wig, dance close naked, then say they have a lover back home at the end of the night.
For those of us who work in the sexual health professions, it's the last bit that seems a bit mild. For while we might make fun of a sex-positive, inclusive gathering that celebrates art and community, and fosters -- even strongly emphasizes -- tolerance among all genders and orientations. But what some of us don't love is the noticeable impact on local STD clinics and call centers when the "burners" come home.
Here at home among clinic workers and sex hotline operators, our thoughts are long after the man has burned, and the ozone has thinned a bit more. Maybe it's a coincidence that local health workers have complained to me that they think there's a noticeable increase in STD testing around the weekend, presumably from those who found bliss and new friends for life (of the genital virus variety) while spreading the, um, love and art. According to one local clinic worker who requested anonymity for this piece, "What we usually see is both a weekly trend and a seasonal trend in STD and pregnancy testing. For example, Mondays are always the day we get lots of requests for Plan B. We see a huge rise in pregnancy and STD testing (and, more telling than the number of tests, the number of positive results) around the holidays." Holidays like Christmas -- or Labor Day? To wit: The Man might be burning, but so is your ass.
Think about it. Before you go, have mock-Burning Man sex, just for fun. Lube up a condom with playa dust or the kitty litter of your choosing. Have anonymous sex with people who haven't showered or used a functional bathroom in a week. Have a theme party featuring creative enlightenment peppered with drug busts, heatstroke and, um, community. But before you end up at Herpes holding a cardboard sign that reads "will trade ice for antibiotics and Famvir," pack your safer-sex gear, boundaries and some sexual common sense along with that fabulous outfit you're about to ruin with dust and sweat.
Not everyone is telling their potential sex partners that they're infected before engaging in sex acts -- or maybe they don't know they're infected, or are too filthy with playa dust to see an outbreak. When you're reluctant to screen a new sex partner (asking about STDs and using a condom), keep in mind that HIV will eventually kill you, herpes and HPV last a lifetime and the latter is linked to cervical cancer. Does that white Rasta hippie in caked clown makeup still look worth it?
Infections love dark, moist areas, heat and dirt, and unlike you, they get into clubs for free. Carry baby wipes to keep you clean; Look for ones that are alcohol-free, unscented and pH balanced. Don't buy ones with added oils and moisturizers if you plan on using latex condoms -- and please plan on using condoms (not just for keeping your camera dust-free). Use latex or polyurethane (non-latex) condoms, and don't get any oil near your latex. You can use oil with your non-latex condoms but use lots of lube, as they don't stretch like latex and might break if they dry out. Avoid animal skin condoms at all costs, as they are not proven effective against HIV transmission. Buy and carry a pack of latex or non-latex gloves, as your (and your partner's) hands will be filthy, and genital contact with germs will give you an infection, especially if you can't clean yourself off afterward. Also, if you're not sure that your sex partner is virus-free; a glove for a hand job might save you accidental transmission of the virus or infection to your eyes, nose, mouth or elsewhere later.
And no, you can't just lick all the dust off and have everything be OK. Unprotected oral sex is still a risk. Going down on a woman is a low risk activity for herpes and HPV, unless she's having an outbreak. Then you're getting a gift that keeps on giving (yes, HPV can blossom like a pretty bouquet in your throat). One in three men and women carries HPV (genital/oral warts), and many don't know it because the virus might not show up for years. Use a condom when giving a new male partner a blow job if you want to be absolutely safe. If he objects, you know you have a loser on your hands (but at least not in your mouth). Additionally, you lower your risk for contracting an oral virus if you do not brush your teeth -- tooth brushing opens tiny cuts around your gums to make you bleed, giving viruses the ultimate ticket to the burn in your bloodstream. So that naked guy with socks and Birkenstocks with the gnarly, clotted teeth? Mustache rides are free in the desert, ladies!
Herpes clubs isn't on the map, but you should know your way around it. It's true that you can contract herpes when the virus is shedding (the period prior to an outbreak when there are no visible sores), but generally, people with herpes can tell when they're shedding, and won't engage in sex during this time. Medications like Famvir are extremely effective in preventing outbreaks, so if your partner discloses their herpes status but is on a medication such as Famvir and are in the clear for sex, your chances of contracting herpes are extremely low.

Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) is another name for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). The name STI is sometimes preferred because there are a few STDs, such as chlamydia, that can infect a person without causing any actual disease (i.e. unpleasant symptoms). Someone without symptoms may not think of themselves as having a disease, but they may still have an infection that needs treating.
Some of the common STIs are Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is not strictly an STD as it is not transmitted via sexual intercourse. However, it can be exacerbated by sex and is more frequently found in sexually active women than those who have never had intercourse. It is caused by an imbalance in the normal healthy bacteria found in the vagina and although it is relatively harmless and may pass unnoticed, it can sometimes produce an abundance of unpleasant fishy smelling discharge. Treatment for BV consists of applying a cream to the vagina or taking antibiotics.
Chlamydia is one of the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted diseases. It is caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium. It infects the urethra, rectum and eyes in both sexes, and the cervix in women. If left untreated, long-term infection can lead to fertility problems in women. Chlamydia is transmitted through genital contact and sexual intercourse with someone already infected. Symptoms usually show between 1 and 3 weeks after exposure but may not emerge until much later.
Crabs or Pubic Lice are small crab-shaped parasites that burrow into the skin to feed on blood. They live on coarse body hair, predominantly pubic hair, but can also be found in armpit hair, facial hair and even on eyelashes. The lice are yellow-grey in colour and use their crab-like claws to grip hair strands. They can sometimes be spotted moving on the skin. Crabs are easily passed on during sex, but can also be passed on through sharing clothes, towels or bedding with someone who has them. Crabs cannot be transmitted via toilet seats or swimming pools. Symptoms are usually noticed around 5 days to 7 weeks after infection and include: itchy skin; inflammation of the affected area; sometimes visible lice and eggs; spots of blood as lice feed from blood vessels in the skin. Although there is no effective way to prevent becoming infected during sex, a person who has crabs can reduce the risk to others by washing bedding, towels and clothes on a hot wash to kill off the parasites. Treatment for public lice is easy, consisting of special shampoos, lotions and creams that kill of the lice and their eggs. It is not necessary to shave pubic hair as this is unlikely to remove all lice.

Genital warts are caused by some sub-types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). They can appear on the skin anywhere in the genital area as small whitish or flesh-coloured bumps, or larger, fleshy, cauliflower-like lumps. They are unlikely to cause pain but may itch and can be difficult to spot. Often there are no other symptoms, but if a woman has a wart on her cervix she may experience slight bleeding or unusual coloured vaginal discharge.

Gonorrhea (once known as the clap) is a sexually transmitted infection that can infect the urethra, cervix, rectum, anus and throat. Symptoms usually appear between 1 and 14 days after exposure, but it is possible to have no sympton. Men are more likely to notice symptoms than women. Symptoms can include: a burning sensation when urinating; a white/yellow discharge from the penis; a change in vaginal discharge; irritation or discharge from the anus (if the rectum is infected).

Severe hepatitis causes yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Hepatitis is the ancient Greek term for ‘liver inflammation’. Hepatitis can occur following excessive and prolonged consumption of alcohol or the use of certain medicines and drugs, but it is most commonly caused by a virus. Several different types of hepatitis virus exist (labelled A to G), with hepatitis A, B and C being the most common. On a global scale, HSV-2 is a very common STD; for example research suggests that one in five Americans is a carrier of HSV-2.1 Symptoms of herpes usually appear 2 to 7 days after first exposure to the virus and last 2 to 4 weeks. Both men and women may have multiple symptoms that include: itching or tingling sensations in the genital or anal area; small fluid-filled blisters that burst leaving small painful sores; pain when passing urine over the open sores (especially in women); headaches; backache.; flu-like symptoms, including swollen glands or fever.

Molluscum contagiosum (MC, also known as water warts) is a common viral infection resulting in a skin disease that presents itself as small pearl-shaped papules (bumps or lesions), often in clusters. MC can be transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact and also indirectly through sharing towels, baths or clothing with someone infected. It is not strictly an STD as it often occurs in children, especially those prone to skin conditions such as eczema. Children are more likely to assist transmission by scratching the infected sites, although it should be noted that the chance of passing on the virus is small. MC is grouped with sexual infections because of the risk of transmission through close body contact during sex, which is why it is often screened for in sexual health clinics. The risk of becoming infected with MC can be reduced by: using condoms during sex, although this only offers partial protection as MC can be passed on by anal/genital lesions not covered by the condom. covering affected areas of skin (where possible) with clothing or sterile dressings. not sharing baths, clothing and towels.

Scabies is an intensely itchy, contagious skin infestation of the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. The adult female mite is around 0.4 mm (one sixtieth of an inch) long and barely visible by the human eye, with the male being half that size. Female mites burrow into the outer layer of the skin (stratum croneum) to lay eggs. Symptoms begin 2 to 6 weeks after infection and include: burrows that appear as silvery or brown wavy lines up to 15 millimetres (half an inch) in length. The burrows can appear anywhere, but usually occur on the webbing between fingers and toes, on the genitals, around the anus, or on the buttocks, elbows or wrists. an intensely itchy rash of inflamed pimple-like lumps (papules/lesions) as an allergic reaction to the mites, their eggs and faeces. widespread itching, particularly at night or after baths when the body is warmer, as a reaction to the mites. Again, scabies it not strictly a sexually transmitted disease, as the scabies mite can be passed on through other forms of prolonged direct skin contact.

Syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by Treponema pallidium, which used to be known as the pox. It is usually sexually transmitted, but can also be passed from an infected woman to her unborn child. Syphilis progresses through several stages, of which the primary and secondary stages are very infectious. Syphilis symptoms can be difficult to recognise and may take 3 months to appear after sexual contact with an infected person. They include: one or more painless ulcers on the penis, vagina, vulva, cervix, anus or mouth.; small lumps in the groin due to swollen glands; a non-itchy rash.; fever or flu-like symptoms. Left untreated the infection progresses to a latent stage. This may be followed by tertiary syphilis, which can seriously affect organs such as the heart, sometimes leading to death.

Thrush, also known as candidiasis, is a yeast infection caused by the Candida species of fungus. Thrush is not technically a sexually transmitted infection, as Candida is a common yeast that is found on the skin and genitals of most people, even those who have not had sex. Candida is usually suppressed by the immune system and the natural bacteria found in the body, but there are many things that can upset the balance and allow Candida to grow. The symptoms of a thrush infection are: in women - irritation, itching, thick white discharge, redness, soreness and swelling of the vagina and vulva. in men - irritation, discharge from the penis, difficulty pulling back the foreskin usually caused by the swelling of the head of the penis (balanitis). Thrush occurs a lot less frequently in men. There are many causes of thrush, but the most common are: in women, wearing nylon or lycra clothes that are too tight (the lack of air circulation can cause Candida to proliferate). certain antibiotics or contraceptive pills that alter the pH balance of the vagina. a change in the hormonal balance in pregnant women, causing a change in the level of normal bacteria. spermicides (found on some condoms) or perfumed toiletries that irritate the vagina or penis. douching (washing out the vagina) or using tampons. sexual contact (either genital or oral) with someone who carries the candida yeast. Treatment for thrush involves applying an anti-fungal cream that contains Clotrimazole. If an infection is recurring then Fluconazole may be prescribed to be taken orally, unless the patient is pregnant. It may also be suggested to wash the genitals with water only to avoid irritation, use sanitary towels instead of tampons, and wear loose fitting cotton underwear and clothes.

Trichomoniasis (also known as Trich) is caused by the single-celled organism Trichomonas vaginalis, which is transmitted through sex. It can infect the vagina and the male and female urethra. Often this STD presents no symptoms, though women are more likely to have symptoms than men. If symptoms do appear, they commonly include: discharge in both men and women (sometimes copious and unpleasant smelling in women). discomfort or pain whilst having sex. pain when urinating and inflammation of the urethra. Women may also experience an inflammation of the vulva and cystitis (an infection of the urinary system). Transmission is usually through vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected person. The most effective prevention method is to practise safer sex by using condoms. Treatment for both men and women is a drug called metronidazole which can be taken orally or applied as a gel. It is important for any sexual partners to also be treated as trichomoniasis can be carried and spread without symptoms. If a woman is pregnant then she should seek medical advice before pursuing treatment.

HIV is found in the blood and the sexual fluids of an infected person, and in the breast milk of an infected woman. HIV transmission occurs when a sufficient quantity of these fluids get into someone else's bloodstream. There are various ways a person can become infected with HIV. Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person Sexual intercourse without a condom is risky, because the virus, which is present in an infected person's sexual fluids, can pass directly into the body of their partner. This is true for unprotected vaginal and anal sex. Oral sex carries a lower risk, but again HIV transmission can occur here if a condom is not used - for example, if one partner has bleeding gums or an open cut, however small, in their mouth. Contact with an infected person's blood If sufficient blood from an infected person enters someone else's body then it can pass on the virus. From mother to child HIV can be transmitted from an infected woman to her baby during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding. There are special drugs that can greatly reduce the chances of this happening, but they are unavailable in much of the developing world. Use of infected blood products Many people in the past have been infected with HIV by the use of blood transfusions and blood products which were contaminated with the virus - in hospitals, for example. In much of the world this is no longer a significant risk, as blood donations are routinely tested. Injecting drugs People who use injected drugs are also vulnerable to HIV infection. In many parts of the world, often because it is illegal to possess them, injecting equipment or works are shared. A tiny amount of blood can transmit HIV, and can be injected directly into the bloodstream with the drugs. It is not possible to become infected with HIV through:sharing crockery and cutlery; insect / animal bites ; touching, hugging or shaking hands; eating food prepared by someone with HIV; toilet seats

SUCCESS STORY
Oprah Winfrey was born on 29 January, 1954, in Kosciusko Mississippi to Baptist parents. Besides being host of the Emmy Award winning show, Oprah is a prominent book critic, and a magazine publisher. Though her childhood was full of hardships, the determination of this leading lady helped her to fetch such recognition. Her deprived childhood started when she took birth to poor unwed teenagers - Vernita Lee, a housemaid, and Vernon Winfrey, a coalminer who later joined Armed Forces. For the early six years of life, she lived in extreme poverty with her grandmother, and learned to recite Bible verses. At six, Oprah moved to Milwaukee ghetto in Wisconsin with her mother. There, she became a victim of repeated incestuous molestation, primarily when she was nine. In spite of her messed up childhood, she studied and got a scholarship to attend Nicolet High School of Glendale Wisconsin at 13.

Opra was very famous; however, she couldn't afford to head towards the town like her wealthier classmates. Resembling other teenagers, she rebelled and ran away from home at the end of the 1960s. At 14, she got pregnant though the baby boy died soon after birth. After the incident, her mother sent Winfrey to live with her father in Nashville, Tennessee. The encouraging and strict father made education a priority for her. Voted for the Most Popular Girl, Oprah joined as an honors student, and stood second in dramatic interpretation (nation).

After winning an oratory contest, she brought to her name a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, where she took lessons of communication. While studying, she started working at a local radio station. At 18, Oprah Winfry won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant. She was actually both, the youngest news anchor and the first black female news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV, as she worked in local media. In 1976, she switched to co-anchor the six o'clock news at Baltimore’s WJZ-TV. Thereafter, she became the part of WJZ's local talk show - People Are Talking as co-host of Richard Sher.
After relocating to Chicago in 1983, she started to host WLS-TV's low-rated morning talk-show, AM Chicago, which shot up to fame within months. Being highly influenced by Winfrey, the show was extended to one-hour, and renamed as The Oprah Winfrey Show. Its popularity can be ascertained that even after getting aired for over 20 years, it is still much loved by the audiences. In Feb’ 2006, Oprah signed a whopping $55 million contract with XM Satellite Radio to start a new channel (Oprah & Friends). Late in 2006, Harpo production and ABC together, disclosed plans of bringing two new reality TV shows - Oprah Winfry's The Big Give, and Your Money or Your Life.
In 2000, with her net worth of $800 million, she was acclaimed to be the richest African American of the 20th century. TV Guide reported in July, 2007, that Oprah is the highest paid TV entertainer in the U.S.
Since 1986, Winfrey, and her partner Stedman Graham, are living together. She lives on her 42 acre bungalow ‘The Promised Land’ in Montecito, California. Apart from California, she has close associations with Chicago, Maui, and Telluride, due to her property and work. Her skills, quality of work and life, brought her the title of ‘the World’s Most Powerful Woman’ by CNN and Time.com. Like any other successful person, Oprah got into controversies too, but her communication skills and social genre have kept this philanthropist on the world’s hit-list.

LAST WORD
Adam’s Apple
This is the protuberance in the fore-part of a man’s throat; so called from the superstition that a piece of the forbidden fruit which Adam ate stuck in his throat, and occasioned the swelling. The Adam’s apple is just the result of thyroid cartilage enlarging in males during puberty. It has no direct function.

When it was first use few heroes are as legendary as crossbowman William Tell of Switzerland who is said to have shot an apple off of his son’s head. The History Bluff tells the forgotten tale of William Tell and his other son on that fateful day. In 1307 William Tell disrespected Hermann Gessler, the ruler of Tell’s province, by refusing to bow to him. As punishment Gessler arrested Tell and his two boys, Walter and Adam, and placed an apple on each of the boys’ heads; Gessler then told William Tell to shoot the apples. Tell first took aim at the apple on Walter’s head, released, and breathed a sigh of relief when the bolt from his crossbow sliced the apple right through the middle. Confidently, the crossbowman took aim and shot at the apple on Adam’s head, but watched in horror as the bolt fatally struck his son in the larynx, which as a tribute, is now known as Adam’s Apple. Adam was fatally struck in the larynx, ending all hope of a music career and/or life. William Tell and his son Walter were later released from custody, but William could not get over the death of Adam. Many years later in 1354 a villager saw Tell jump into a lake with two large stones tied to his left ankle. Tell’s body was found two days later

NPALS

Novella bookazine is about to go to print, and I would like you to be a penpal; all you have to do is share a similar experience. If your story is good enough we publish it and you get paid to publish.