This post is sponsored by Merck Canada. The opinions on this blog, as always, are my own.
It was just two weeks ago that an email landed in my inbox: “Physical Education Form – Please Sign”. Normally I skim over such permission slips, but this time, the words seemed to jump off the page –
We will examine some aspects of sexuality, including sexual characteristics, sexual identity, and sexual roles. We will review the changes of puberty and the development of male and female fertility. We will discuss sexually transmitted diseases, and how to prevent them.
It suddenly hit me – I’ll soon have brand new teenager in the house. And he’s almost TALLER than me.
Conversations that I’d convinced myself I could put off for months (years?) suddenly became a priority. And while I know that my boy’s father will take the reins for much of the “talk”, as a woman, and as a Canadian mother to boys who may choose to become sexually active in the coming years, it’s my responsibility to openly discuss HPV infection, cervical cancer and how to help protect against both. By getting vaccinated to help protect himself against HPV, his own risk of getting infected is reduced and he may, in turn, be less likely to transmit HPV to his partner(s). …