Opinions
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Have embarrassing questions about your body? |
Dear Ate Anna,
I have many questions about my body but I feel shy and feel embarrassed talking about it. Back home in the Philippines we don’t talk about this openly with our friends or family. How can I learn more about my body without feeling embarrassed?
A Reader
Dear Reader
What you are feeling is very normal! Many people have a hard time talking openly about bodies, especially areas of the body considered to be more private. Feeling embarrassed to talk about things like sex and bodies is common in many cultures.
Unfortunately, this can make it difficult to get answers to questions about these topics. For example, if a person has questions about pregnancy or puberty, they might feel alone, confused, and then might get information that is incorrect. If that person has incorrect information, they cannot make the best and most healthy choices for themselves and for their bodies.
The good news is that we are here to help. SERC, the Sexuality Education Resource Centre, has accurate information on many areas of sexual and reproductive health that you can access in many different ways. These areas include healthy relationships, women’s health, men’s health, STIs, pregnancy, birth control, menstruation, sexual orientation, and other topics.
We have two offices in Manitoba, one in Winnipeg and one in Brandon, which, if you feel comfortable, you can visit in person and speak to a staff member. Our addresses and hours are located on our website at www.serc.mb.ca.
If you do not feel comfortable or cannot come in person, you can call us at 204-982-7800. If phone calls do not work for you either, you can e-mail us at thefactsoflife@serc.mb.ca to have your question answered. No matter what way you contact us, your information is kept confidential – this means that we do not keep any record of your call and nobody else will find out that you asked us a question.
In addition to the option of visiting in person, calling or e-mailing, you can get a lot of information online at our website at www.serc.mb.ca.
Please keep in mind that we can only answer general questions about sex, bodies, relationships and sexuality. If you have very specific health concern about your own body, or the body of a loved one, it may be best to contact your health care provider to speak about this concern. If you are unsure about where best to ask your question, please contact us and we can recommend a course of action for you.
Other reliable resources are available in communities around Manitoba, which we can help connect you to. Please feel free to contact us anytime. We would love to help you get your questions answered about sexual and reproductive health.
Take care,
Ate Anna
Ate Anna welcomes your questions and comments. Please write to: Ate Anna, Suite 200-226 Osborne St. N., Winnipeg, MB R3C 1V4 or e-mail: info@serc.mb.ca. Visit us at www.serc.mb.ca. for reliable information and links on the subject of sexuality.