About 'Auntie Stella' Using Auntie 'Stella' Activity Cards Auntie Stella Bulletin Board
       
GLOSSARY OF DIFFICULT WORDS
 
The Auntie Stella letters include some words that may be difficult to understand: these are explained below. Underlined words have their own explanations.
Introduction
 
What to do
 
List of Questions
 
Facilitator's Role
 
Off - Line Review
 
 
 

AIDS

 

 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a disease caused by the HIV virus. AIDS is when the body - protectors (immune system) is so weak that the person cannot fight illness. AIDS is passed on through sex, infected blood, or from mother to baby.
Allergy When certain people react badly to something they have breathed in, eaten or touched. For example, people sneeze or cannot breathe if they go near cats or chickens.
Cancer A serious disease that causes cells to change and grow in an abnormal way, causing growths. Cancer can affect women's breasts, the cervix, the stomach or other parts of the body.
Cervix The opening of the womb, at the back of the vagina.
 
Chiramu/Sibale A traditional custom aimed at socialising young girls to prepare them for adult life. Nowadays it is sometimes abused by older male relatives who touch the girl's private parts. This is not part of the tradition.  
     
Climax Also known as orgasm. When the body reaches the highest moment of sexual pleasure and excitement.  
   
Conception The moment when the woman's egg is fertilised by a man's sperm, and she becomes pregnant.  
 
Ejaculate When a man reaches his peak of sexual pleasure and his semen comes out.  
 
Erection When a man becomes sexually excited and his penis gets hard.  
 
  Gonorrhoea Also known as clap or VD. A disease passed on through sex. It can cause severe infection and infertility if not treated.  
   
  Groin The part of your body where your legs meet.  
     
  Herpes A disease that cause sores on the mouth or genitals. It can be passed on through sex.  
   
  HIV Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus. The virus that causes AIDS. HIV slowly kills the body-protectors that normally fight diseases. You can have the virus for years without being sick, but give it to other people through sex, infected blood, or from mother to baby.  
     
  Hormones Chemicals made by the body that tell it when and how to grow and develop.  
     
  Hymen A thin piece of skin over the opening of a woman's vagina. It can be broken through sport or hard physical work or when a woman first has sex. Sometimes it bleeds when it first breaks.  
     
  IUD Intra - Uterine Device. A small object put in the womb to prevent pregnancy. It is usually made of plastic and must be put in by a trained health worker.  
     
  Impotent When a man cannot have sex because his penis will not get or stay hard.  
       
  Infection A sicknesss caused by germs, bacteria or viruses. They can attack the whole body or only part of it.  
       
  Intercourse Another name for sex.  
 

 
  Kuzvarira/
Kubeletha		 When parents pledge, or give, their daughter to an older man for marriage without her choice, usually to relieve economic burdens.  
   
  Masturbation To stroke or rub your own private parts for sexual pleasure.  
   
  Mbanje/Imbanje Also known as dope or grass. The marijuana plant, a drug which is illegal in Zimbabwe.  
       
Menstruation A woman's monthly bleeding. Also known as her periods.
   
  Menstrual Cycle The time between one monthly bleeding and the next - usually around 28 days.  
   
  Orgasm See Climax  
   
  Ovaries Two small sacs (bags) on each side of a woman's womb. Ovaries produce eggs that join with a man's sperm to produce babies.  
   
  Ovulate When an egg comes out of one of the ovaries in the middle of a woman's monthly cycle.  
   
  Pap Smear A test to check for early signs of cervical cancer.A tiny piece of skin is scraped from the cervix and examined.  
       
  Paternity Whether a man is the father of a particular child.  
   
  Penis A man's sexual organ.  
   
  Progesterone A hormone produced by women's bodies. It is found in birth control pills and is used to control irregular or painful periods.  
   
  Promiscuous Someone who has many short-term sexual relationships by his or her own choice.  
   
  Prostitute Also known as commercial sex worker. Someone who has sex in exchange for money, goods or other favours, usually because they have no other way of earning a living.  
   
  Puberty The time when girls turn into women and boys into men. Various body and emotional changes occur, such as the start of a girl's monthly bleeding.  
   
  Semen The liquid containing a man's sperm which is released from his penis when he has an orgasm.  
   
  Sperm Tiny organisms in a man's semen that can swim up a woman's vagina and fertilise her egg.  
   
 
STD
Sexually Transmitted Diseases for example, syphilis and gonorrhea. A disease which is passed to another person during sex.
 
 
 
  Symptoms Signs of a disease.  
   
  Syphilis A disease passed on during sex. It first produces sores on a person's private parts and can be very serious if not treated.  
     
  Tampon A hard tube of cotton wool put into the vagina to absorb the monthly blood. For example - tampax or OB.  
     
  Vagina The passage between a woman's outside private parts and her womb. The place where the penis goes during sex.  
     
  Virgin A person who has never had sex.  
     
  Wet dream When semen comes out of a man's penis while he is asleep. It often happens to young boys and is a sign that they are now sexually mature and have reached puberty.  
     
  Womb Also called uterus. A small bag-like part inside a woman's body where a baby grows before it is born.  
       
       
 
 
© TARSC