Sam survives bush fires, but gets burnt in the end.
August 7th 2009 01:16
Like most good Aussie sheilas, Sam the Koala, thrust into the media's glare when a burly firefighter bought her a drink, was tough. She had her paws burnt and her fur singed, but she survived one of the most horrific experiences any Aussie chick might have to endure. She lost her home and family. She had to recover from her physical scars, and endure untold emotional stress. She got on, though, despite all that life could throw at her, and became a "beacon of hope" in the eyes of the world; a symbol of Australia's stoicism in the face of disaster.
Until this.
Sam succumbed to Chlamydia. That's right. An STI led to her death. The stress of her bushfire ordeal made conditions ripe for the condition to flourish, caused ovarian cysts, and pain that the vets could not control. In the end, she was euthanised. For this personified koala, it was the most humane course of action.
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It struck me, however, how similar the plight of this Aussie sheila was to that of many actual Australian women. STI rates have skyrocketed over recent years, due in part to drink-spiking and binge drinking, which in turn leads to risk taking in, or complete inability to consent to, sexual activity. Without their faculties, women are more likely to have unprotected sex, which leads to greater risk of STI transmission. Chlamydia scars Fallopian tubes, which in turn leads to problems in being able to conceive children. Just as our Eucalypts start sprouting leaves all over their blackened trunks after a bushfire, Chlamydia is stuff growing in places it shouldn't. But whilst our bush ecosystems can recover and flourish, and some species, such as the Banksia, actually require fire to germinate, and thus procreate; STI infections radically and adversely affect women's reproductive health.
For Sam the Koala, it meant the best option was to be put down. For many Aussie women, they cannot conceive without expensive, invasive procedures. Assisted reproduction tries to get around damage done.
It saddens me that Sam, and so many other Aussie sheilas, have their life choices robbed by these illnesses. Whether it is through their own choices, through risk-taking or lack of judgement, or through abuse, assault and exploitation at the hands of infected perpertrators, many Aussie women cannot have a baby when they want to. All of the emotional pain faced by life's dramas along the way pale into insignificance when faced with the harsh reality of infertility.
To be robbed of the chance to conceive and carry your own child is something I cannot comprehend. Similarly, I doubt many people consider it, when in the throws of passion, or when they are too intoxicated to think at all, or when they are being violated.
As a Christian Education teacher, I think the facts about STI's reinforce what I know to be God's wisdom on the matter. The ad. on TV about Genital Herpes, with the underpants, confirms this. The voiceover says you can have HPV "even if you've only had a few sexual partners". God designed sex to be utterly exclusive. One man with one woman, for life. Nobody else "getting their end in", under any circumstances. We think we know better. But science proves God's logic. If you have more than one partner, or your partner's had another partner before you, then you run the risk of contracting an STI. We need to know this. We need to tell young people, and older people too, that their sexual health is precious. It's not something to be trifled with. Girls need to be armed with this reality before they have any sexual contact. Boys and men need to be aware that they can end up carrying something that might rob their future wives of the ability to conceive, and therefore rob them of being a father. Judges need to take these factors into consideration when sentencing sexual offenders. Shame and fear needs to be replaced by a rational and sensible transmission of facts, so that people can get treatment to prevent further damage, without being stigmatised or ostracised.
I once heard this horror story, and I tell it to classes when we talk about sexual health and the Bible's wisdom on it. A mother told me her son developed a rash, which spread all over his face. It was misdiagnosed and mistreated, and eventually spread over the boy's entire torso. A second opinion and a round of tests revealed the diagnosis. The boy had HPV. Genital warts. All over his face and chest. How did he get it? From his first kiss. He went to a dance party, he met a girl, and they kissed. She had HPV in her mouth.
Life wasn't like this when I grew up. I was of the "Blue Light Disco" era, where much saliva was swapped in the last fifteen minutes of any event. I was incredibly naive and uneducated, and thankfully, reasonably innocent, with a strong self-esteem and a stronger belief that God was telling the truth about saving sex for within a marriage. I was also blessed with an amazing ability to repell anyone I really liked! I survived adolescence without any mishaps, and married young and STI free, and remain so.
But STI rates are so high, and the types of sexual experimentation amongst teens is much more varied than in my youth. Even "virgins" can carry STI's.
My advice to young people today is that they better avoid the "quarter to" hook-up. Who knows where that person's mouth has been before? With the graphic horror story on their minds, I hope students at least think before they kiss someone, because it is more than just their heart that can be damaged.
.
Until this.
Sam succumbed to Chlamydia. That's right. An STI led to her death. The stress of her bushfire ordeal made conditions ripe for the condition to flourish, caused ovarian cysts, and pain that the vets could not control. In the end, she was euthanised. For this personified koala, it was the most humane course of action.
It struck me, however, how similar the plight of this Aussie sheila was to that of many actual Australian women. STI rates have skyrocketed over recent years, due in part to drink-spiking and binge drinking, which in turn leads to risk taking in, or complete inability to consent to, sexual activity. Without their faculties, women are more likely to have unprotected sex, which leads to greater risk of STI transmission. Chlamydia scars Fallopian tubes, which in turn leads to problems in being able to conceive children. Just as our Eucalypts start sprouting leaves all over their blackened trunks after a bushfire, Chlamydia is stuff growing in places it shouldn't. But whilst our bush ecosystems can recover and flourish, and some species, such as the Banksia, actually require fire to germinate, and thus procreate; STI infections radically and adversely affect women's reproductive health.
It saddens me that Sam, and so many other Aussie sheilas, have their life choices robbed by these illnesses. Whether it is through their own choices, through risk-taking or lack of judgement, or through abuse, assault and exploitation at the hands of infected perpertrators, many Aussie women cannot have a baby when they want to. All of the emotional pain faced by life's dramas along the way pale into insignificance when faced with the harsh reality of infertility.
To be robbed of the chance to conceive and carry your own child is something I cannot comprehend. Similarly, I doubt many people consider it, when in the throws of passion, or when they are too intoxicated to think at all, or when they are being violated.
As a Christian Education teacher, I think the facts about STI's reinforce what I know to be God's wisdom on the matter. The ad. on TV about Genital Herpes, with the underpants, confirms this. The voiceover says you can have HPV "even if you've only had a few sexual partners". God designed sex to be utterly exclusive. One man with one woman, for life. Nobody else "getting their end in", under any circumstances. We think we know better. But science proves God's logic. If you have more than one partner, or your partner's had another partner before you, then you run the risk of contracting an STI. We need to know this. We need to tell young people, and older people too, that their sexual health is precious. It's not something to be trifled with. Girls need to be armed with this reality before they have any sexual contact. Boys and men need to be aware that they can end up carrying something that might rob their future wives of the ability to conceive, and therefore rob them of being a father. Judges need to take these factors into consideration when sentencing sexual offenders. Shame and fear needs to be replaced by a rational and sensible transmission of facts, so that people can get treatment to prevent further damage, without being stigmatised or ostracised.
I once heard this horror story, and I tell it to classes when we talk about sexual health and the Bible's wisdom on it. A mother told me her son developed a rash, which spread all over his face. It was misdiagnosed and mistreated, and eventually spread over the boy's entire torso. A second opinion and a round of tests revealed the diagnosis. The boy had HPV. Genital warts. All over his face and chest. How did he get it? From his first kiss. He went to a dance party, he met a girl, and they kissed. She had HPV in her mouth.
Life wasn't like this when I grew up. I was of the "Blue Light Disco" era, where much saliva was swapped in the last fifteen minutes of any event. I was incredibly naive and uneducated, and thankfully, reasonably innocent, with a strong self-esteem and a stronger belief that God was telling the truth about saving sex for within a marriage. I was also blessed with an amazing ability to repell anyone I really liked! I survived adolescence without any mishaps, and married young and STI free, and remain so.
But STI rates are so high, and the types of sexual experimentation amongst teens is much more varied than in my youth. Even "virgins" can carry STI's.
My advice to young people today is that they better avoid the "quarter to" hook-up. Who knows where that person's mouth has been before? With the graphic horror story on their minds, I hope students at least think before they kiss someone, because it is more than just their heart that can be damaged.
.
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