SEX FACTS AND RESOURCES
/ 413 posts
21 Aug 09 5:07 pm
(Thank you to Kat and Jess for originally gathering and posting this useful information).

The following links are to be used for educational purposes ONLY!!!

LINKS MAY CONTAIN NUDITY

Andrea Nemerson - Click

Encyclopedia of Sex - Click

Jackin World - Click

All About My Vagina - Click

Talk Sex With Sue - Click

Sex, ECT - Click

Sexuality.org - Click

SoloTouch - Click

MarriageBuilders - Click

Sexual Positions - Click

Gay Sexual Positions - Click

About Sexuality - Click

Sex Herald - Click

Clitical - Click

The Clitoris - Click

College Sex Advice - Click

Safe and Sane BDSM - Click

Quick Guide to Tantric Sex - Click

The Basics of Flogging - Click

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Clit - Click
/ 413 posts
21 Aug 09 5:08 pm
ALWAYS PRACTICE SAFE SEX!!! Not only will it greatly reduce your risk of getting pregnant, but it also greatly reduces your risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Some of these things CAN KILL YOU!!!

Common STDs/STIs (data from http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/std/std.asp)

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) was first reported in the United States in 1981. Since the beginning of the epidemic, an estimated 944,306 people have developed AIDS in the United States.4 AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a virus that destroys the body's ability to fight off infection.

People who have AIDS are very susceptible to many life-threatening diseases, called opportunistic infections, and to certain forms of cancer. Transmission of the virus primarily occurs during unprotected sexual activity and by sharing needles used to inject intravenous drugs.


Chancroid

ChancroidChancroid ("SHAN-kroid") is a bacterial infection caused by Haemophilus ducreyi, which is spread by sexual contact and results in genital ulcers. The disease is found primarily in developing and third world countries. Only a few hundred cases a year are diagnosed in the United States. The majority of individuals in the U.S. diagnosed with chancroid have traveled outside the country to areas where the disease is known to occur frequently.5

The infection begins with the appearance of painful open sores on the genitals, sometimes accompanied by swollen, tender lymph nodes in the groin. These symptoms occur within a week after exposure. Symptoms in women are often less noticeable and may be limited to painful urination or defecation, painful intercourse, rectal bleeding, or vaginal discharge. Chancroid lesions may be difficult to distinguish from ulcers caused by genital herpes or syphilis. A physician must therefore diagnose the infection by excluding other diseases with similar symptoms. Chancroid is one of the genital ulcer diseases that may be associated with an increased risk of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS.

People with chancroid can be treated effectively with one of several antibiotics.


Chlamydia

Chlamydia Chlamydial ("kla-MID-ee-uhl") infection is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. An estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year.6 Under-reporting is substantial because most people with chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. The highest rates of chlamydial infection are in 15- to 19-year-old adolescents, regardless of demographics or location.7 According to a 1997 report, the annual cost of chlamydial infection was estimated at over $2 billion.8

Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, oral, or anal sexual contact with an infected partner. A pregnant woman may pass the infection to her newborn during delivery, with subsequent neonatal eye infection or pneumonia. Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, it can damage a woman's reproductive organs and cause serious complications. Irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur "silently" before a woman ever recognizes a problem. Chlamydia also can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man, although complications among men are rare.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a serious complication of chlamydial infection, has emerged as a major cause of infertility among women of childbearing age.

Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics.


Genital Herpes/HSV

Genital Herpes/HSV Genital herpes is a contagious viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) which has affected an estimated one out of five (or 45 million) Americans. There are two types of HSV, and both can cause genital herpes. Genital HSV-2 infection is more common in women (approximately one out of four women) than in men (almost one out of five). Doctors estimate that as many as 500,000 new cases may occur each year.9

HSV type 1 most commonly causes sores on the lips (known as fever blisters or cold sores), but it can cause genital infections through oral-genital or genital-genital contact. HSV type 2 most often causes genital sores, but it also can infect the mouth. Both HSV 1 and 2 can produce sores in and around the vaginal area, on the penis, around the anal opening, and on the buttocks or thighs. Occasionally, sores also appear on other parts of the body where broken skin has come into contact with HSV. The virus remains in certain nerve cells of the body for life, causing periodic symptoms in some people.

Genital herpes infection usually is acquired by sexual contact with someone who unknowingly is having an asymptomatic outbreak of herpes sores in the genital area. People with oral herpes can transmit the infection to the genital area of a partner during oral-genital sex. Herpes infections also can be transmitted by a person who is infected with HSV who has noticeable symptoms. The virus is spread only rarely, if at all, by contact with objects such as a toilet seat or hot tub.

There is no treatment that can cure herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication.

Genital HPV Infection

Genital Warts/HPV Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the world. Experts estimate that as many as 24 million Americans are infected with HPV, and the frequency of infection and disease appears to be increasing. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection.10

Human papillomavirus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, or rectum. Low-risk types of HPV cause genital warts, the most recognizable sign of genital HPV infection. Other high-risk types of HPV cause cervical cancer and other genital cancers.11

One study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reported that almost half of the women infected with HPV had no obvious symptoms. Because the viral infection persists, individuals may not be aware of their infection or the potential risk of transmission to others and of developing complications.12 Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own.

There is no "cure" for HPV infection, although in most women the infection goes away on its own.

In June 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases in females caused by certain types of genital human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccine, Gardasil®, protects against four HPV types, which together cause 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts.13


Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea Gonorrhea ( gone-or-REE-uh) is caused by Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract. CDC estimates that more than 700,000 persons in the U.S. get new gonorrheal infections each year. Only about half of these infections are reported to CDC.14

The most common symptoms of infection are a discharge from the vagina or penis and painful or difficult urination. The most common and serious complications occur in women and, as with chlamydial infection, these complications include Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, and infertility.

Gonorrhea can grow in the cervix (opening to the womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (urine canal) in women and men. The bacterium can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes, and anus. If it spreads to the blood or joints it can be life-threatening. In addition, people with gonorrhea can more easily contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV-infected people with gonorrhea are more likely to transmit HIV to someone else.

Several antibiotics can successfully cure gonorrhea in adolescents and adults. However, drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing in many areas of the world, including the United States, and successful treatment of gonorrhea is becoming more difficult. New antibiotics or combinations of drugs must be used to treat these resistant strains.


Syphilis

Syphilis Syphilis (SIF·i·lis) is caused by the bacterium Treponema Pallidum. The incidence of syphilis has increased and decreased dramatically in recent years, and in the United States, health officials reported over 32,000 cases of syphilis in 2002. Between 2001 and 2002, the number of reported primary and secondary (P & S) syphilis cases increased 12.4 percent. Rates in women continued to decrease, and overall, the rate in men was 3.5 times that in women. This, in conjunction with reports of syphilis outbreaks in men who have sex with men (MSM), suggests that rates of syphilis in MSM are increasing.15

Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. The first symptoms of syphilis infection may go undetected because they are very mild and disappear spontaneously. The initial symptom is a chancre (genital sore); it is usually a painless open sore that most often appears on the penis or around or in the vagina. It can also occur near the mouth, anus, or on the hands. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Pregnant women with the disease can pass it to the babies they are carrying.

If untreated, syphilis may go on to more advanced stages, including a transient rash and, eventually, can cause serious involvement of the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Chancres caused by syphilis make it easier to transmit and acquire HIV infection sexually. There is an estimated 2- to 5-fold increased risk of acquiring HIV infection when syphilis is present.16 The full course of the disease can take years.

Penicillin remains the most effective drug to treat people with syphilis.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis (trick-oh-moe-NYE-uh-sis) is caused by the single-celled protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis. It is the most common curable STD in young, sexually active women, and it affects men as well although symptoms are most common in women. An estimated 7.4 million new cases occur each year.17

The vagina is the most common site of infection in women, and the urethra (urine canal) is the most common site of infection in men. The parasite is sexually transmitted through penis-to-vagina intercourse or vulva-to-vulva (the genital area outside the vagina) contact with an infected partner. Women can acquire the disease from infected men or women, but men usually contract it only from infected women.

Most men with trichomoniasis do not have signs or symptoms; however, some men may temporarily have an irritation inside the penis, mild discharge, or slight burning after urination or ejaculation. Some women have signs or symptoms of infection which include a frothy, yellow-green vaginal discharge with a strong odor. The infection also may cause discomfort during intercourse and urination, as well as irritation and itching of the female genital area.

Trichomoniasis can usually be cured with the prescription drug, metronidazole, given by mouth in a single dose.


Viral Hepatitis

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). Hepatitis A virus is spread from person to person by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the stool of a person with hepatitis A. This type of transmission is called "fecal-oral." Fewer than 5 percent of infections are transmitted through fecal-oral contact during sexual intercourse. Two products are used to prevent hepatitis A virus infection: immune globulin and hepatitis A vaccine.

Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus, which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV), can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. HBV is spread when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected. For example, HBV is spread through having sex with an infected person without using a condom (the efficacy of latex condoms in preventing infection with HBV is unknown, but their proper use might reduce transmission), by sharing drugs, needles, or "works" when "shooting" drugs, through needlesticks or sharps exposures on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth. Of approximately 200,000 new HBV infections in the United States each year, approximately half are transmitted through sexual intercourse. Preliminary data from a large U.S. multisite study indicate that approximately one third of persons with acute hepatitis B virus infections in 1995 had a history of another STD.18

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is spread primarily by direct contact with human blood, including sharing of needles for injection drug use and sex with someone with HCV. There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C .

Hepatitis D (delta) is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis D virus (HDV), a defective virus that needs the hepatitis B virus to exist. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is found in the blood of persons infected with the virus. Infection occurs when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not immune. Hepatitis B vaccine should be given to prevent HBV/HDV co-infection.

Hepatitis E is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV) transmitted in much the same way as hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis E, however, does not occur often in the United States. HEV is found in the stool (feces) of persons and animals with hepatitis E and spread by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

At present, there are no specific treatments for the acute symptoms of viral hepatitis. Doctors recommend bed rest, a healthy diet, and avoidance of alcoholic beverages. A genetically engineered form of a naturally occurring protein, interferon alpha, is used to treat people with chronic hepatitis C. Studies supported by the National Institutes of Health led to the approval of interferon alpha for the treatment of those with chronic HBV as well.
/ 413 posts
21 Aug 09 5:10 pm
Sexual Abuse

NOUN:

1. The forcing of unwanted sexual activity by one person on another, as by the use of threats or coercion.
2. Sexual activity that is deemed improper or harmful, as between an adult and a minor or with a person of diminished mental capacity.




Sexual abuse is NOT something that you have to put up with. Not only is it wrong but it's also ILLEGAL!!!

If your partner forces you to do things that you do not want to do, have said NO to, then it's SEXUAL ABUSE!!!

This is a SERIOUS issue. A lot of people need counseling after being sexually abused. If you are being sexually abused or believe that a friend or loved one is, contact law enforcement or a trusted adult as soon as possible to get help.

You do NOT have to deal with it and there are a lot of ways to get help.


Fact: Rape is a violent and serious crime. Rape is sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral, or anal) without consent. Rape is not about sexual attraction, but rather desire for power over another person. The victim is not at fault. Offenders use drugs, alcohol, physical violence or threats to force another person to have unwanted sexual intercourse. No one owes anyone sex. Rapists do not always hide in the dark alleys—they are neighbors, they are your relatives, they are people that you trust. Women ages 16 to 24 are 4 times more likely to raped and 85% of the victims know their attackers. Acquaintance rape is committed by a person that the victim knows.

What to do if you are a victim of rape

Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Do not shower, eat, or smoke. These actions can destroy evidence of the attack.

Report the crime. A victim is not requited to report the incident, but it is highly recommended to prevent future attacks by the perpetrator.

Women Organized Against Rape is an organization, which provides a 24-hour hotline service (215) 985-3333. Our hotline is staffed with trained crisis counselors, that you can call any time. (This is a phone number for use within the United States. If anybody has rape hotline numbers for other countries, please let me know so that they can be added.)

Defusing the situation

Stay calm. Remain secure in your ability to control the situation the best you can.

Weigh you options. It is important to fight off your attacker (fight, scream, claw kick, punch, strike your attacker and gouge). However, fighting back can only cause more danger if the rapist has a weapon.

Say “NO”. Try to make it clear that you do not want to have sex; using the word “NO” is a clear way to communicate this lack of desire.

Use the word “RAPE.” This may alert your attacker to the seriousness of the offense.

Act quickly.

Assess the situation. Look for an escape.

Remember—no matter what you do or do not do, no one deserves rape. If the sex was unwanted, especially if you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you were raped.
/ 413 posts
21 Aug 09 5:12 pm
Rape Facts & Myths


Myth:
Rape is only committed by strangers in dark alleys and parking lots.

Fact:
As many as 84 percent of women are raped by someone they know, such as friends, family or an acquaintance.

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Myth:
If a woman is raped, then she must have deserved it, especially if she agreed to go to the man's room or wore sexy clothing.

Fact:
No one deserves to be raped. Being in a man's room or wearing revealing clothing does not mean a woman has agreed to have sex.

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Myth:
Women who don't physically fight back haven't been raped.

Fact:
If a woman did not or could not consent to having sex, it is considered rape. Forcing a woman to have sex against her will, whether she physically fights back or not, is rape, plain and simple.

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Myth:
If there isn't a weapon involved, you haven't been raped.

Fact:
Whether the man uses a weapon, his fists, the weight of his body, verbal threats, drugs, alcohol, or takes advantage of a woman's diminished physical or mental state to force her to have sex, it is rape.

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Myth:
It's not rape if the man is her boyfriend or husband or if they have had sex before.

Fact:
A woman has the right to decide what she does with her body at all times - if she does not want to have sex, it is her decision, even if she willingly had sex with the man before.

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Myth:
If a woman lets a man buy her dinner or pay for a movie or drinks, she owes him sex.

Fact:
No one owes sex as a payment to anyone else, no matter how expensive the date.

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Myth:
When a woman agrees to "make out" with a man, she is implying that will have intercourse with him, too.

Fact:
Everyone has the right to say "no" to sexual activity, regardless of what has preceded it, and to have that "no" respected.

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Myth:
Women lie about being raped, especially when they accuse men they date or other acquaintances.

Fact:
Rape really happens -- to people you know, by people you know.

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Myth:
When men are sexually aroused, they need to have sex or they will get "blue balls." Also, once they get turned on, men can't stop themselves from forcing sex on a woman.

Fact:
Men don't physically need to have sex after becoming aroused any more than women do. Moreover, men are still able to control themselves even after becoming sexually excited.

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Myth:
Only women are raped.

Fact:
Ten percent of rape cases involve men as a victim.

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Myth:
If both people are drunk at the time of the incident, no one can be accused of rape.

Fact:
Being drunk does not mean someone cannot be accused of and convicted of rape.







Any woman can be raped.

Women from the very young to the very elderly, women of all ethnicities, of all socioeconomic levels, and of all sexual orientations are raped. Although most studies show that the vast majority of rapes are committed against women under twenty-five years old, no woman is free from the threat of rape.(2) Women are raped because misogynist men take out their aggression on women in general. Women are not raped because they “put themselves in a dangerous situation,” as is so frequently stated, or because they wore certain clothes, or because they followed a particular lifestyle. These aspects are highlighted only to further blame the victim and excuse the violent behavior of the aggressor.

Men who rape are mostly ordinary, everyday guys.

Only a tiny percentage of men who rape would be considered clinically insane by standard psychiatric criteria. It is these cases that are often highlighted by the media. The vast majority of men who rape are indistinguishable from your friends. Some may even be your friends! The major difference between men who rape and men who don’t rape is in their attitudes toward women. They believe that they have a right of sexual access to women whenever they please and therefore often don’t view what they do as rape. They typically view women with contempt and sometimes deep hostility. Women are seen as manipulative and needing to be “put in their place.” They believe the myths about rape. They have a firm belief in women’s rightful place as dependent, passive, and “in the home.” Women’s liberation and gay/lesbian liberation are very threatening to them. They believe men’s rightful role is to be in control, and they are often very jealous and controlling toward loved ones in their own lives. These attitudes are strongly reinforced by the popular media.

Men can be and are sexually assaulted.

According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics from 1997, an estimated 9 percent of rape survivors are male.( Their attackers are almost always other males. Sometimes the man who rapes another man is heterosexual and homophobic, and the rape is an expression of the contempt he feels for the other person, whom he views as not being sufficiently masculine in appearance and behavior. In other cases, the assailant is indiscriminate in his choice of a male or female victim. In all cases studied by Nicholas Groth and Ann Burgess, “the sexual assault was an act of retaliation, an expression of power, and an assertion of their strength and manhood.” The survivor in such sexual assaults is not necessarily, nor usually, gay.

There are different problems for men than for women after rape. Expectations around masculinity assume that rape is an impossibility. Gay men have particular fears about reporting, especially in conservative communities. It is important that male rape has been acknowledged. As more men are willing to talk about being raped and offer help to other male survivors, the trauma of the aftermath of rape for males will be eased.

Women are sometimes sexual aggressors.

Much more attention is being given to same-gender rape than in past years. Accurate statistics are difficult to find, but as more research is done information should improve. Although all rape survivors have much in common, there are particular issues involved in women raping women that need careful attention. Often, in a relatively small lesbian community, privacy is difficult. Other people’s reactions become a big issue. Heterosexist assumptions on the part of those in a position to help can also be a problem.

Women raping men is rare, but not unknown. Most situations reported involve a woman assailant in conjunction with a male assailant, a group of women targeting a male victim, or a woman exploiting a male’s inability to resist because of too much alcohol or other conditions.
/ 413 posts
21 Aug 09 5:13 pm
When would it be ok to have sex without a condom?

- When both you are your partner have been tested for STIs and have come back "clean".
- You both must agree that you are in a monogamous relationship (Only seeing and sleeping with each other) to stop the risk of catching an STI off another partner and spreading it.
- It is recommended that unless a pregnancy is intended from unprotected sex, the woman/girl be on a form of contraception - pill or implenon - to reduce the chance of pregnancy.

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Whilst most contraceptions are 99% accurate, it is strongly recommended that there be more then one method used eg condoms and pill.

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The more sexual partners you have, the more STI checks you will need.

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You can contract an STI through oral and anal sex.

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/ 413 posts
21 Aug 09 5:14 pm
STI Checks In General....

Generally, a STI check up will involve:

A discussion about your sexual history
These are standard questions that the doctor asks everyone. They might be embarrassing but it's important you answer them as truthfully as you can as it will help the doctor to work out your sexual health needs. Questions may include asking you how many people you've slept with, how regular your period is, whether you've had unprotected sex etc.

A physical examination and/or test
Physical examinations can be embarrassing but they are really important for the doctor to work out just how healthy your sexual health is. A physical examination can involve any or all of the following:

* Examining your genitals;
* Taking a swab (taking a sample with a long cotton bud) from the cervix, vagina or rectum, tip of the penis or back of the throat;
* Carrying out a simple blood test; and/or
* Taking a urine sample.

Remember you can say no to having any of these tests or have them at your next visit. Your doctor may recommend tests if he/she believes there's a chance you have an STI.

If tests are taken, then it is important that you return to your doctor for follow up. For some tests they can give you results on the same day. Sometimes you may be able to get the results by phoning but for some STIs, such as HIV, your doctor will require you to attend in person.

Remember to always go back for your results if asked to do so and finish any course of medication you're given. Plus, make sure both you and your partner are treated and cleared before you have sex again because if only you are treated and your partner has the infection and isn't treated, you could get it again.
/ 1174 posts
07 Dec 13 8:48 pm
I haven't touched a condom since the 1990's.
/ 867 posts
10 Jan 14 1:17 am
I remember all the time Jess and I spent getting all those facts together.
/ 1174 posts
07 Feb 15 7:34 am
I used to practice with condoms.
/ 526 posts
19 Oct 20 10:42 am
WHEN I *USED* TO RECKLESSLY-DRINK BOOZEDRUGGAGE YEARS BACK (Embarrassing, I know):


I had a girlfriend back then who would be on-top of me Going Coitusly-Crazy In Full-On Pr0n5t4r Mode as I was Awakening From Being Blacked-The-Fuck-Out from the Boozedruggage.

Then I'd actually often Black-Out again on The Hip-Bucking Equestrian, then in the morning as I was Getting Ready For Work, I'd get these vague faint memories from some hours ago, then I'd ask her:


"Did We.....Do It Last Night?"

O_o ?????


She'd then say: " *I* Did. aHaHaHaHaHaaaaa....."