Sex
Caution: XXX this post for adults only.
After the first rush of an emergency situation (or during, for some people) there is a very normal human response… the need for comfort and closeness.
People need the warmth of another person. They need hugs, an arm around the shoulder, a shoulder to cry on. And this has nothing to do with sex. It is the child in us crying out to the adult in the people around us. And two people can be each at the same time… the heart of a child reaching out, and the adult comforting the other person. This is the grief response we often see at funerals, and in the wake of a disaster.
It is wise to think about such things before the event. Prepare your heart to give as much as you can to those around you who need it.
Sometimes all you can do as a first responder to one who is gravely injured, is provide that support and comfort. Sometimes it becomes your primary tool of first aid, and is actually enough to ease the ravages of shock that a person is inflicting on their own body, helping them to survive. Sometimes it is not enough, but it is the comfort a dying person needs at that time.
More often, you will be hugged by people who have little or no physical injury. But their soul is bleeding. They need to have physical contact with another human being. It’s okay. Do not worry about being PC about it. Give to them as much chaste comfort as you can muster. It is a good thing to do. Almost never will it go toward anything sexual, because there is just too much hurt going on. (If in a rare situation there are sexual advances by the other person, just gently tell them no and disengage. I’m sure you already know that for everyone’s sake, two people of opposite sexes must never be alone, for first aid, for counseling, or for any other reason.)
Very often, the anguish they are feeling is a point of segue into talking about life, death, and God. You might be wise to prepare your soul to talk about the Lord to them.
Now, this post is also seriously about sex, too. Some time after an emergency situation is pretty much under control, but is continuing into an extended period, the natural need for sex will again arise. Do I need to remind you that pregnancy can be a result of sexual intercourse? In a normal situation, pregnancy might be only a minor inconvenience or perhaps even a joyous, intended result.
But if things are in chaos… not so good.
The demands of pregnancy on a woman’s body when there is inadequate nutrition can be disastrous for her, equally disastrous for the unborn.
Unless you have made complete preparations to support a pregnancy for the full 9 months, and postnatal care afterward, a woman is placed in grave danger by having sex. And realize that even with the best methods of contraception, pregnancy can result … except in cases where a woman simply cannot have any more children.
So whatever you think about condoms or other means of contraception in normal times, you might want to store some of whatever you consider to be the safest along with other essential emergency supplies. That way a husband and wife can enjoy marital relations without an unacceptable risk of pregnancy at the wrong time. An extended emergency situation is definitely the best time to practice safe sex.
