For the Horde!

You guys,

I have a confession. Normally I would not share this part of my life, but I feel like we've gotten really close over the course of this semester so I feel like it's ok for me to be who I truly am.While my birth name is Joe, but true name is T'Flro and I am an orc. I may be in a human's body, but I am the reincarnated spirit of T'Flro.

It is difficult knowing I am trapped in this body, but once a month I head into the wilderness and let my inner beast free.I hunt deer and boar and once I make the kill, barehanded of course, I make a fire and spit the beast until it's medium well. Then I eat straight off the bone. I also always make sure to clean my tusks after every meal.

Ok. Who thinks I'm crazy?

It's fine, because honestly, I think the idea that I'm an orc is ridiculous. I'm human, 100% and I'm not like these guys/gals here, here, and here.  And while I am sure this is a joke blog, she expresses life as a kinfolk very eloquently. Kinfolk, also known as Otherkin, is a subculture where the members think they have a soul of a non-human entity. These range form the mythical (dragons, sphinxes, fairies, angels) to animals (cats, horses, deer, raccoons) to things (aliens, trees, oceans).

Yeah.

For me, I have no idea how to think about kinfolk. Some people think kinfolk suffer from Special Snowflake Syndrome or SSS (neither Otherkin nor SSS is recognized by the American Psychological Association). And a part of me agrees. I want to shake these people and say, "You are not an oak tree. You are a person."

But then I start thinking about the possibility that I am being ignorant. It wasn't until 1974 that homosexuality was no longer considered a mental illness. Furthermore, reincarnation is vital aspect of some religions and the idea of "spirit animals" is kind of common place.

I don't know everything about the universe. I have no idea if it's possible for an eagle's spirit (assuming eagles even have spirits) to be reincarnated into a human's body by mistake. It could be possible for someone to feel phantom wing pain. It's a lot to digest and since the idea of Otherkin is realtively new (earliest cases are reported to be found circa 1990), who knows if I'm sharing a planet with a dragon.

But then again, come on! A dragon, really!?

Oh Baby

Sex.

Let's talk about sex. As a 22 year-old sexually active, homosexual male I know at thing or two about sex.

Turns out, I really only knew a thing or two. I knew that you should wear a condom during penetration to prevent disease and that it should be done with someone you loved (awww).

About that condom part, you should wear one during oral sex too. Yeah, I was surprised to learn that herpes can be spread through contact AND fluids. Not once was that mentioned in a health/sex Ed class and none of the pornos I saw had condoms on during oral. Penetration, condoms everywhere - but not during oral.

It was only until I had a steady boyfriend and started to actively seek information about sex that I discovered that little gem. I also learned that spitting after oral can still lead to chlamydia in the throat. Yay!

America is weird when it comes to talking about sex with teens and preteens. There is so much about being sexual healthy, that I've only learned in the past couple of years that could have allowed me to make smarter choices. I'm lucky that my worst sexual experience is heart-break after a relationship ended. But I know a lot of my peers cannot say the same.

That's one thing I'm glad to say about Salem State. This month, and next month, there are a lot of events happening on campus to make students more sexually prepared, including having River Huston coming to speak in Vets' Hall tomorrow. I can only hope she shares some funny insights.

What about you? What's the craziest/weirdest/scariest/most interesting thing you've discovered about sexual health?

Hello

Hey Y'all!


This blog is being created and updated for my Fall 2012 Health & Medical Journalism class. I will update it before the due dates throughout the semester (until Dec. 21 2012) and it will feature interesting/opinions about any topic in the medical field, written from a journalist's POV. I hope to inspire any and all readers to think about their medical.

Let me repeat the important part of that sentence: I am a journalist. Not a doctor. So don't come here hoping for medical advise. Because all I've got for that is folk healing and this statement "Dude, I don't know. Go see a doctor!"

Also, if I make a mistake with terminology, please let me know. I'm more than happy to admit I've made a mistake and correct it.

Comments are lovely and greatly appreciated!
Until next time!

-Joe