Vol. 10 No.

9
Young Talk, September 2008 

Not for SALE:

Young Talk is FREE

• Know your rights

Sex Education for

• Stay in school
primary schools

• Delay sex
“One morning, I saw blood on Periods are normal.
my bed. I thought something had But sometimes they come with pain.
bitten me as I was sleeping. Little pain is normal. But some girls
But when I went to bathe, feel alot of pain.
I saw blood on my knickers.
I was so scared but I did not see In March, we asked Young Talkers
any wound.” Nayebare Hope, 16, the kind of pain they get during
Rwentojo PS, Mbarara. menstruation.
Thanks to all who wrote in.
What do you think was happening You all win pads and rulers.
to Hope?
Yes, she had just started periods or
menstration. Periods is when blood
My period started last
I got my first period at 14. I take aspi-
leaves a girl’s womb, through the month. I felt stomach
rin to reduce the pain
vagina and out of her body. It is also Nayebare Hope, 16, P 7 Rwentojo PS, Mbarara
pain and headache.
called menstruation I’m not scared of the
pain I use panadol to
Every female or girl goes through reduce it.
periods. This starts between the Atugabiirwe Patricia 14, P7
Bwizibwera Town Sch, Mbarara.
ages of 8-15 years.

Some menstrual pain is abnormal.

This can happen to a few girls.

It is normal to get menstrual pains Signs of an abnormal pain:

during and after your period. You can l Too much pain that will not let
do many things to reduce these pains: you sit or stand. Girls who get
such pain usually end up in the
l Do exercises or sports everyday. hospital on a drip.
Running, riding a bicycle, Menstruation is when blood
comes out from the female l Your pad gets soaked by blood
swimming, playing netball, every 1 - 2 hours.
body through the vagina.
volleyball or football keep your l Feeling too tired.
I always get stomach pain
mind and body healthy. and a bit of headache. l Pain while urinating.
It takes six days but I take l Bleeding for more than a week.
panadols to reduce the
pain. Warm water can also If you have any of these signs,
help. go to the clinic or hospital for
Natukunda Deborah treatment.
Nyakatare P S Kanungu
Dr Edith Nakku, Mulago Hospital

You win a
l Go for a walk Young Talk bag, pads
l Take a bath using warm water and a Young Talk ruler
l Eat fruits and vegetables HIV is the virus that causes a diseases called AIDS.
Avoid eating fried foods All Young Talkers HIV can live in the body for over
l Put hot water in a plastic bottle
or a small jerrican and press it on who wrote in win 10 years without showing any signs.
your stomach. prizes. See more If you get pains during Once HIV enters the body it cannot get out.
If none of these things work, visit a health winners on Page 4. periods, talk to your
There is no cure for AIDS.
mother, aunt or big
centre. There are medicines like panadol You can also be a Delay sex... it is safe and healthy for you.
sister. Find out what
winner. they do about thepains.
YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7
 Young Talk, September 2008

Are you a girl?

You need this information.
You may have started your periods and
you need more knowledge on it. You
may not have started and need to know
about it.

Carry a Are you a boy?

polythene This is useful. You can help your friend
Carry bag for or sister.
extra k ping use s
e e d
Carry pads k ickers
n cotton clo th p a d
to school n e e d to l Get to know when
that you
when your use a g a in . your periods start
periods Write down the date of first day of
Cut pieces are about menstruation. For esample in October Pupils of Rwentojo PS, Mbarara say periods
of cotton to come are normal. The girls say menstration does
and then in November. Count the days
cloth. have not stop them from going to school and
Change between. These could be the days you
them ready doing their daily work. The boys support
will be taking before you menstruate and respect girls in their periods
pads at least
again. It helps you plan for your next
twice aday period.

Both my sisters go
through menstruation.
They talk to mum when
they need help. I think
menstruation is painful.
My sisters complain a lot
during periods. Some-
times they swallow medi-
cine. They carry pads in
their bags when
l Bathe at least two times a day using soap and clean water.
l Wear clean cotton underwear.
going to school.
I do not laugh at them l Change your pads at least twice a day to keep fresh.
when they are in their l Throw used pads in a latrine or burn them.
periods.Dsamson Do not throw them in a flush toilet.
Tayebwa, Bwizibwera
Town Sch. Mbarara Fact: Menstrual blood does not smell unless
a used pad is left outside for a long time.
Boys, it is wrong to laugh,
tease or gossip bout girls
in their periods.

Tha
Jane, you nks
und
should feel free. ers for
I wi tandi
Menstruation is sh e ng
J
our very b ohn.
normal. clas oy i your friend has no problem. Of the two tes-
like s wa n
you s tacles, one hangs lower than the other. This
.
makes it look
bigger than the other. But if your friend has
a swelling or pain then there could be a
problem. He needs to see a health worker.

Testicles when during warm day. During puberty, from about 11years, your
Testicles when the weather is cold or after bathing testicles start to grow bigger. This is when
they start producing and keep millions of
My friends’ testicles sperm. When a boy starts puberty it means
are not equal. she can make a girl pregnant.
One is big and the
other is small.
l Give them skills on how to make pads What could be the Testicles hang in a soft bag of skin called
from cloth problem? the scrotum. It is what you see hanging just
l Provide pads and painkillers for those
J Ampeire, 14, P7, behind your penis. The scrotum helps to
whose periods come while at school
Nyakatare PS, control the temperature of testicles. Testicles
l Have water and bathrooms
where girls can wash and change Kanungu need to have cooler temperature than your
l Talk to parents to prepare and Periods are normal body for them to make sperm.
support their daughters during You can become pregnant if you Testacles are two
menstration have sex. round parts of the When the body is cold, the scrotum shrinks
Prepare well, so you do not get body just behind
l Talk to the boys on how to and gets wrinkled to keep body heat. When
embarrased
help girls during menstration. the penis. They are the body is warm, the scrotum becomes
Boys support girls in their periods.
sometimes called larger. Not all boys have same testicle size.
N Atwine, Asst. Senior Woman teacher ‘balls’. Ampire, This is normal.
Bwizibwera Town School, Mbarara YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7
 Young Talk, September 2008 

Sara looks out side in the middle of the night thinking about her
future. The next morning, she rises up very early to go to school.
She goes first to Ms Matata’s office. Ms Matata welcomes her.
Sara tells her about her worries about school fees. Ms Matata
tries to comfort her, but she is still sad.

THE SPECIAL GIFT

SARAH ENTERS THE OH.GOOD

ZINGO STAFF ROOM MORNING SARA.
WAIT HERE ! YOU’RE VERY
EARLY TODAY.

YES...I HAVE A
PROBLEM... YOU KNOW,
MOTHER SAYS THERE’S
GOOD MORNING NO MONEY FOR
SECONDARY SCHOOL.
MS MATATA

IT WONT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE... WHAT IF I WRITE

ITS NOT FAIR! NOW CALM DOWN, SARA,
MAYBE IF I COME TO TALK TO HE WONT LISTEN ! TO YOUR FATHER ?
I REALLY WANT
BUT SARA, TO GO ON YOUR UNCLE...
YOU’RE MY BIG
HOPE !

EVEN IF HE
ANSWERS, IT WILL
BE TOO LATE

YOUNG TALK IS FOR TEACHERS

AND PUPILS IN P5, P6 AND P7
 Young Talk, September 2008
It is now 9 months since I started seeing some
white spots like flour in water under the foreskin
of my penis. What is the name of that thing and
Young Talk what causes it?
goes to Kisoro Akena A, 12, P7, Revival PS, Matuga
Young TALK
P.O.Box 22366 Kampala Akena, that whitish thing is a fluid that the
glands under your foreskin produce.
It is called Smegma and it is very normal to have
it. It helps to ease the skin of your penis to slide
back when you want to clean or check it.
You need to always clean under your foreskin
so that the smegma does not collect there and
starts to smell.
Counsellor: Stella Mungoma

Pupils from Rurembwe PS in Kisoro asking Bernard Sabiiti from Straight Talk
Foundation questions. Young Talk visited their school and most pupils won books,
Young Talk newspapers and rulers for their good questions and answers.

I am in P7, I always feel something is coming out of
my private parts and sometimes I think it is a sign of
menstruation but it is not.
N Manzubo, Yumbe PS
If what you feel coming out is a fluid, it is called
‘vaginal discharge’. If it is clear and does not smell,
then it is normal. Normal vaginal fluids will increase in
amount during puberty. Do not worry about it unless
it smells or looks like spoilt milk. In that case, you may
need to see a doctor.
You cannot know if a person is infected by
looking at them. The only way one can know Young Talkers from Mother Kevin PS, Mukono
is by taking an HIV test. Delay sex and when correcting Young Talk before printing.
you grow up and after your studies, take an
HIV test with your partner before having sex.
Can a girl who has not yet started It is ten years of Young Talk
menstruation get pregnant?
How does this happen? Write and tell us what BEST LETTERS
J Asiimwe, Rukungiri Modern PS
you want to change
In your club, discuss
Janet, before menstruation takes place,

o o l !
what you would like to

S c h
an egg is made by the ovaries and released

t a r
change or add in Young

S
Talk to make more fun
into the fallopian tubes and then the womb. and interesting.
(This is called ovulation). This egg waits to
u is
PS, Kanung be fertilized. If you do not have sex during
Nyakatare mber. Our winners this month are J. Acen and I.
st a r sc h o ol for Septe that time, it comes out of the body through Apio P5 pupils of St. James Biina PS, Kampala
Talk tters to
the Young sc h o ol sent19 le menstruation. Acen says, “I would like you to bring Young
th is o wrote
Pupils in ly. A ll pupils wh Talk to the school and explain the message.
in Ju e your
Young Talk g T a lk rulers. Mak So, before even the first menstruation has Thank you Acen. When you get Young Talk,
Y o u n
letters win riting to
school by w taken place, a girl may have released that egg ask the senior woman teacher or parent to
o o l a st a r
sch and it may be waiting to be fertilized. If a girl explain to you the message. You win Young
!
Young Talk has sex during that time, she can get
pregnant before starting her menstruation.
Talk T-shirts, pens and rulers.

I have never had sex but there is a girl who likes me so

much. When I think of her, my penis erects for a long
time. What can I do?
Richard, Bunambobi PS, Mbale
Richard, this girl may just want to be your friend.
However, if you get erections when you think about
her, then you are getting sexually attracted to her.
This is normal. However, think of her as a friend.
An erection means you are healthy and fit. But it is not
a sign to start having sex. Delay sex. Spend your time
learning and doing things that will help you achieve
your dreams. This include; reading books, sports and
making friends. Avoid being alone with her and don’t
try to have sex with her.
Over 40 Young Talkers have told us what they
learnt from Young Talk. Each of you wins two
packets of pads. We will send them to you.
Thanks for writing. Below are examples of
what some of you said about the defilement
issue -I learnt:
To say no and not to go alone to teachers’ houses.
Avoid walking alone. D Kisaka,13, P6,
Kisuule PS, Kampala
Defilement is a crime and ways to keep safe.
S Kasigati, 12, P5, Happy Youth
Organisation
Treating defiled children well, coping after
defilement. S Kyarimpa, 13, P6, Save
Street Children PS, Kabale
Tell us the story of what you have learnt
from this Young Talk. Remember to
write your name, age, class, school, P.O
Box, district. You can also send us your
picture.
Send your stories to Young Talk
P.O. Box 22366 Kampala WIN
PADS, BOOKS, PENS, RULERS

We are told that to prevent HIV/AIDS, you have to

avoid sex with an infected person. How do you know
that the person is infected with HIV/AIDS?
Buda Moses, 12, P5, Mogiri PS, Kajo-Keji
County, Sudan
Publisher: Straight Talk FOUNDATION
4 Acacia Avenue, Kololo, P. O. Box 22366, Kampala, Telephone: (031) 262030/1, Fax: 534858, E-mail:
strtalk@imul.com, strtalk@straight-talk.or.ug, Executive Director: C. Watson; Communications Director: T. Agutu,
Editorial Manager: E. Kimuli, Editors: G. Awekofua, M. Akello, D. Agaba, J. Abongowath, Chief Designer: M. Kalanzi,
Designers: GB. Mukasa, Allan B. Dentine Printer: The New Vision Young Talk is funded by DANIDA, DFiD & SIDA.