Marisol Pavez, better known as the “Sol Pavez”, is a midwife from the University of Concepción and monitors violence against women and girls. The expert was invited to the most recent chapter of the podcast of The Fourth Wave and, in conversation with Macarena Segovia, was tasked with tearing down some myths about female sexuality.
Sex education, birth control methods and how the morning-after pill worked were some of the topics.
The Lunar Matron, as Marisol is known on Instagram, says that there is no formal or established sex education for all Chilean schools, “there are only different programs that establishments are taking, but it depends on the will of those in charge whether they take them or not,” he says.
In addition, Pavez said that “sometimes families do not agree to sex education,” which helps foster myths in sexuality and that children seek peer or online knowledge and not a specialist in the subject , which encourages the creation and transfer of these sexual myths.
“Discover your clitoris”
For Marisol “there is enough taboo” around the organ whose only known function is to give pleasure and clarify that penetration is overrated around the female orgasm.
The midwife explains that “the organ that allows for greater stimulation or that reaches orgasm faster, is the clitoris, not the vagina”, in addition, it is known that “in the clitoris there are more than 8 thousand nerve endings”.
The professional added that orgasms in general produce a lot of pleasure and all the hormones that are generated at that time help manage different types of pains, for example, menstrual pains, headaches, helps insomnia.
Breaking down myths
Regarding myths about sexuality, there is one in particular for which “Sol Pavez” has received more consultations: Can you get pregnant if you are menstruating? The answer is yes, says Marisol, but according to this myth, many women have altered their perception of contraception.
Can I make a pill the day after with birth control pills?
Yes, says the expert. The morning-after pill has a hormone that is levonorgestrel, a progestin that prevents ovulation. This hormone is found in Anulette and other contraceptives. So, he says
“You can, by taking the anulette or other contraceptive with levonorgestrel, make the same amount of dose that the pill has of the day after they come as… compressed,” he said.
What are the best birth control methods?
The Lunar Matron says that it is not a fan of promoting sexual abstinence – unlike other specialists – she says she is more of a condom fan, because in the right use she has 98% effectiveness and also prevents sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unwanted pregnancies.
“The female condom is wonderful, but unfortunately it is very inaccessible, they sell it in very few parts, at least here in Santiago I think it is in APROFA or in some foundations. In pharmacies it is practically impossible to find it, besides that it is very expensive, so the truth is not so recommended because of the lack of accessibility it has. But it’s more effective than male condoms in STD control,” he said.
Child masturbation
Another topic was child masturbation. Marisol clarified that children begin to feel different kinds of pleasures with different things and to touch each other at an early age, so it is advisable for parents to teach their children that such behaviors stay in the house and that it is an ideal time to start with the sex education.
“There are countries where sex education is in the early childhood stage, so being aware of what can and can’t, sexual activity is delayed and teenage pregnancy is prevented.” Said.
Sexuality during pregnancy
Finally, Marisol commented that there are women who increase their sexual desire in the first trimester of pregnancy, but during the second trimester, these desires increase by 80%, because women during that period have a hormonal and functional peak. What’s more, anorgasmic women have been shown to feel orgasms at this stage of pregnancy.
On the other hand, “during postpartum quarantine you can return to active sex life, but it depends on each woman and her delivery, as there are quite a few possible factors that may delay having sex and penetration during these forty days,” he concluded.
