My first reproductive education experience was when I was in ninth grade, when I had a health class. The school divided the boys and girls into separate classes to teach them about issues that concerned their sex. It was in this class where I learned about the different types of birth control other than condoms, along with their effectiveness. Also, we learned about the cost of raising a child and the responsibilities of having one. It wasn’t meant to scare us, but instead informed us.

This helped later that year when my girlfriend and I had sex for the first time, and we were both insistent on putting on a condom. Knowing we were safe, it was a more enjoyable and comforting experience.