OMG! GYT, BFF.

“Down there? I haven’t been down there since 1953. And no, it had nothing to with Eisenhower.”

This essential sums up my approach to getting tested for STIs/ going to the doctor in general. It’s willful ignorance, really. Do I honestly want to know what’s down there? I totally should. I get it, I volunteer at Planned Parenthood, which is, like, y’know, a huge proponent of getting yourself tested and knowing what’s what with yer “down there”… and… yeah.

I don’t have a great excuse. But you know… I’m really busy; I’m poor and can’t afford the co-pay; my dogs need to be let out; I have homework; getting tested is weird; but really I don’t want to know; but really, I’m fine. Any of these sound familiar?

I’m a champion of making excuses to avoid getting preventative anything done.

April is Get Yourself Tested month, and Planned Parenthood has literally dozens of ways to get information, literally get yourself tested (do as I do, and get thee to a health center!) and get treatment if something does come up.

Many of our services are free or low cost to people who qualify as income eligible, via the Family Planning Benefit Program. Even better, dudes can get tested too, so there goes that excuse of “dunno where to go do that thing at the place.”

Everybody has time for that. Srsly tho.

It’s not exactly a secret that half of adult Americans will get an STI before they’re 25. An estimated three million Americans are infected with chlamydia every year; roughly one in six has herpes. About 50,000 new HIV/AIDS infections occur each year, with an estimated 1.2 million people already living with HIV. Additionally, more than 50 percent of sexually active people will get HPV at some point in their lives. An estimated six million new cases occur each year, with at least 20 million people already infected.

We also don’t really talk about older people, those who cannot get pregnant and eschew condoms and other forms of contraceptives, because who needs em? Well, good sirs and dames, you should, because your age bracket currently faces an increasing STI rate.

Just because you can’t have kids doesn’t mean you can’t contract something else. According to the CDC, roughly 2,550 cases of syphilis among adults ages 45 to 65 were reported in 2010, up from 900 a decade earlier. And cases of chlamydia among that group of Americans jumped to 19,600 in 2010, compared to 6,700 in 2000. To which I want to say “yes!” to getting it on, but for the love of gravity as a constant, be safe!

There’s definitely a stigma in talking about getting tested (it’s awkward!) and finding out that you may have something (I don’t know a single person who would enjoy that conversation). It’s normal, but the more we address the issue and stop making everyone feel bad about the weird things our bodies do/contract, the easier it becomes to identify, treat and prevent it. There’s no doubt that untreated STIs can wreak havoc on your physical and emotional well being. So let’s chat, and get down and get tested. PPRSR, hold me to it!

It comes down to this: getting tested means being responsible, taking care of yourself and your sex life. That’s pretty flippin’ sexy.

Some wonderful resources beyond the awesome that is Planned Parenthood:
Go Ask Alice
The STD Project 

Lauren
PPRSR VOX Intern 

Elise’s Guide to Summer Sexual Safety

The lazy days of summer are upon us. Finally the time to relax, have fun and travel is in full swing. But for many teens and young adults, summer can also be a time to turn off the thinking skills demanded of them during the school year. This week, I want to share with you how to enjoy some summer lovin’ while keeping those thinking skills on.




Stay Focused and Aware

It’s no secret that alcohol lowers inhibitions, and that includes inhibitions about engaging in sexual activity. Although risk taking doesn’t discriminate, alcohol related risk taking is the greatest threat to people ages 18-24. According to a government survey, in 2010, 400,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 reported having unprotected sex due to alcohol consumption. Having unprotected sex is an activity that shouldn’t be on anyone’s summer-fun list. Failing to use a condom will increase the risk of contracting an STD, as well as increase the risk of pregnancy. But the risks don’t stop there; alcohol consumption increases the risk for sexual assault and date rape as well. 100,000 of those 400,000 students reported that at they were too intoxicated to remember if they consented to sex at least one time. These numbers are shocking. Take every precaution possible to not be part of the statistics. Be smart, be safe and always be in control of your choices.

Safety Tip: When going out this summer always carry a condom and always stick with friends. If you’re around people that care about you, your chances of going through with a bad decision are lower.

Stay Out of the Water

If you’re going on a tropical vacation or simply sitting poolside in the backyard, summer can make couples have the urge to get “adventurous.” Fantasies about making love under a waterfall or having a steamy session in the hot tub may sound wonderful, but the condom sliding off or breaking isn’t quite so romantic. When using a condom for sexual activity in water, any water-based or even natural lubricant will be washed away, making friction a bigger issue. If there is not enough lubricant, the condom is at a greater risk of breaking; making you or your partner at greater risk of contracting an STD or becoming pregnant. In addition, if at any point water seeps in between the condom and the penis (which can happen if the penis loses erection even for a second), the condom could slide off and you may not even be aware of it. So lip-lock in the ocean all you want, but make sure to take it to shore when it gets hot and heavy.

Safety Tip: Using a condom is better than not using one at all. If you and your honey are stranded at sea from a terrible boat crash this summer, take extra precautions: put the condom on outside of the water and use a silicon based lubricant.

Don’t get Lazy

They don’t call it the “lazy days of summer” for nothing. When the weather is hot, it’s easier to make excuses or cancel appointments to go outside instead. In order to stay on top of your sexual health, get to the gynecologist or your family physician sooner rather than later. Get tested and stock up on condoms or birth control pills before you leave for that three week vacation. If you can’t afford protection, your local Planned Parenthood has got you covered, literally.

Safety Tip: Write a to-do list and make getting tested and having protection number one. Cross it off when you’ve done it and then have a safe, fun, memorable summer!

Elise
PPRSR Marketing Intern

GYT!

We’re well into April, or as we know it, National STD Awareness Month. You may already know that many STDs may have no symptoms, and that untreated STDs can lead to other health problems like infertility and cancer. Statistics show that of sexually active youth, about half contract an STD by age 25, about half of all new STD cases are among people age 25 and younger, and only a minority of people report using protection during oral sex.

Interject the GYT Campaign! The Get Yourself Tested Campaign is targeted to college-age youth to encourage people to talk openly about getting tested for STDs with their health care providers, partners and even friends and acquaintances. Since young people have higher risks for contracting STDs, and rates continue to increase among the 15-24 age group, GYT and STD awareness are highly important on college campuses and among groups that fall in this age range.

STDs are 100% preventable and as we are working toward increased awareness for prevention, we cannot forget awareness for testing. You owe it to yourself to take care of yourself, and getting tested for STDs is another basic aspect of staying healthy and knowing yourself. Once someone becomes sexually active in any way, including oral sex or even mutual masturbation, getting tested should be incorporated in routine health checkups, or more often as needed.

Those of us with the most knowledge and awareness surrounding these matters become the spokespersons for such campaigns. If you want to get the word out in your community or on campus, you can organize an event as simple as tabling with information. If you want to try something different, you can expand to tabling at another event like a health fair or speaking engagement or even a drag show!

Last year, a step team at Buffalo State College performed a step routine just for the GYT campaign in the student union on campus. Another effective method of getting the word out is “guerilla” posting – gather flyers, tape, stapler and push-pins, then go around campus posting GYT messages like those on the GYT website (www.gytnow.org) wherever you can!

Jeri
VOX Student Intern

Just how effective is the rhythm method?

Natural family planning is different from the rhythm method, and it is not just guessing about when ovulation will occur. The natural family planning method requires a woman to monitor her body temperature every day of every month and matching it to a chart to determine when she is ovulating and then avoid intercourse during that time. And that's just the easiest way to do it. To really ensure that ovulation is occurring when predicted, the woman should also be comparing her cervical mucus viscosity (stickiness), to viscosity and temperature charts daily. In order to get the 75-87% effectiveness that Planned Parenthood predicts, the methods must be used correctly and consistently. This number drops considerably when only one measurement is used or the couple isn't really diligent about following the woman's temperature or cervical mucus.

The CDC just released results of a survey that said that more teens have been using the rhythm method--up 11% since 2002. If these teens are using the rhythm method IN ADDITION TO OTHER FORMS OF BIRTH CONTROL, that's great! Avoiding the most fertile times of the month, even when using condoms or other barrier methods is a great way to avoid pregnancy. However, if these young women are not measuring their body temperature and/or cervical mucus every day, but instead are just "guesstimating" when their most fertile period is, then this method is not really giving them the effectiveness they might be assuming. Many people confuse the rhythm method and natural family planning, which may lead to false assumptions about effectiveness as preventing pregnancy. Natural family planning takes a lot of work and knowledge about to be effective. If also will not protect partners from STI transmission.

All things considered, there are many options that are easier to use and are much more effective. Birth control pills take the ovulation out of the equation for you, so you don't have to measure any fertile period, and condoms both protect against fertilization and STIs when used correctly. Taking a pill every day is much less of a hassle than recording your body temp and cervical mucus data and comparing it to a chart. You can get condoms for free at any Planned Parenthood health center. Make sure to follow the directions!! They don't have to be a burden in the bedroom, either. If you think a condom as protecting yourself and your partner, and both of you help in the application process, condoms can be a pretty sexy addition to foreplay!

Happy Anniversary to the Birth Control Pill!

As we mark the 50th anniversary of the approval of the birth control pill by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1960, we must ensure that women in the U.S. have access to effective, affordable contraception, regardless of their ability to pay or the kind of insurance they have. Why? Half of all pregnancies in America are still unplanned, and the rate is highest among teens. Ensuring affordable contraception is one of the most crucial investments we can make in women, so they can achieve their hopes for themselves and their families when it comes to family life, career, education and so much more.

The birth control pill was more than just a pill — it was a pathway for women to seek higher education, enter the work force and be able to control the number and spacing of their children. Moreover, in the past 50 years, the percentage of women who die as a result of pregnancy dropped by half. During that same period, there has been a more than threefold decline in the rate of infant deaths. The percentage of unplanned pregnancies has also declined, despite the fact that too many still occur. And, as access to contraception has increased, the rate of abortion has decreased.

There is no better way to build on the progress of the pill than by ensuring that quality contraception is covered as preventive care under the new health care reform law. To make your voice heard, please visit http://www.ppaction.org/.

Newest accessory: Condom holders aren't just for convenience.

Condoms? Yes please. A cute, incognito way to stash my condoms…but still have them within reach? Yes again.

Lets be honest, girls will find any excuse to buy cute accessories, whether it’s for their outfits, apartments, or their condoms. Though it could be used as a shopping excuse, the practicality of the array of new, fun condom holders on sale is reason enough to buy. Not many want to display their array of condom choices in public view, but stashing them at the bottom of your drawer, or losing them in that giant “purse” you carry around is just not convenient. Well ladies (and gents) those days of fumbling blindly in your drawer or purse are gone!

There are now a ton of options and ways to store your protection. The Frisky has a great article showcasing different options for condom holders. There are clean, sleek condom dispensers that hold a significant amount and are perfect for a guy’s nightstand, so they are always within reach. If you’re main concern isn’t just convenience but instead want something a little more disguised and stylish, there are several vase-like options. The newest trend seems to be sleek cases meant to hold one or two condoms and stored in your purse. Many look just like a stylish compact. I even discovered a cool website where you can design your own!


Basically, your options are endless when it comes to storing your condoms. Whether you’re looking for an industrial-sized dispenser or a sleek, fashionable holder for your purse, there’s a condom holder out there for you…so get shopping!

p.s. if you’re not in the market for a holder but still want some cute protection, check out the different lines of Proper Attire condoms.

Adventures in Sex City: Can a video game be a Sex-Ed tool?

Though it wasn’t terribly long ago, I can only remember what my sexual education consisted of when I think really, really, hard. I do not even recall any health education classes before high school, and I think this might be due to the fact that I found the whole process of sitting in a classroom, full of my peers, while my crazy teacher held up and pointed out different forms of birth control, terribly uncomfortable and embarrassing.

However, that is basically all my health class covered in relation to sex. Our teacher held up, explained, and passed around a box full of different forms of contraception. We were then required to fill out a worksheet about them, and subsequently quizzed on the varying effectiveness percentages and who they were best suitable for. Sex may have been covered for maybe a week of class time if I round up…and to be honest I do not think anyone absorbed any of the material. This may be due to numerous reasons but personally, I think it is because it was treated as a taboo topic…even in our health class!

The teacher even seemed to be slightly embarrassed to be holding condoms in front of her 15 year-old students…so how could we not exude the uncomfortable feelings right back to her? Because of this mutual uncomfortable-ness, there was no interactive learning whatsoever in this class. There were no discussions prompted, or questions asked, or any sort of interactive learning tactics used at all. In my opinion, interactive learning is most important to keep the message you are teaching stuck in a student’s brain. That, along with connecting it to a way the students will care about it and feel comfortable learning about it, is vital.

The UK seems to have recognized this as well and has come up with a virtual video game to help spread important messages about sex. Adventures in Sex City, created by the UK's Middlesex-London Health Unit, uses characters like The Sperminator, Wonder Vag, and Willy the Kid to engage teens to learn important sexual facts.

Though at first glance I was extremely skeptical, as I delved further into the material and got a sample glance of some of the characters and messages displayed, I started to think that this was genius. Why had someone not come up with a sex-ed video game sooner? Pre-teens and teenagers are notorious of being glued to their computer screens and video game consoles…so of course a video game would get their attention! Topics from abstinence, condoms, STIs to virginity were all covered in the preview that I saw. Though some may think the idea is cheesy, I think it would have definitely gotten my peers’ attention more than the textbook we were forced to read, and the irrelevant facts we were supposed to memorize in my high school.

Hopefully some companies will expand on this idea and bring it over to the States. Though I think the game can be improved to not be so silly and ridiculous, it is a great starting point….and is undoubtedly more entertaining than the old textbooks and sex-ed movies I was forced to sit uncomfortabley through as an adolescent. Hopefully these new interactive video games will save future health class goers from the same health class experiences I had to endure.

STOP STUPAK - National Day of Action

Yesterday I had the good fortune to be able to attend the National Day of Action against the Stupak Amendment in Washington, DC.

When I got the first email about the event a few weeks ago, I lamented the fact the Wednesdays I have class straight from 9:30 until 3:35, and couldn't rationalize missing a Wednesday. But after receiving a few more emails, and reading up about Stupak, I couldn't rationalize NOT going down to DC. Skipping classes wasn't even a question once I thought about it. Exercising my right as a citizen, and participating in democracy is infinitely more important than one day of my classes. And what is college preparing me for, if not this? So we went. A group from my WGS 301 class with Minnie Bruce Pratt drove down with a bunch of other other students, totaling at 11!

After an eventful drive down at 4am -- I'll spare you the details, (OK I won't - we ran over a dead deer! It was so crazy! So we lost an hour off the drive waiting for AAA to come help us out. But the damage is very minor, don't worry) we made it into DC just in time for the noon rally. We were ushered to an overflow room since the main room was over capacity - and when we sat down, we noticed that our party was standing right behind the podium! Our friend Andrea was on screen the whole rally! She was directly behind so many famous and influential women, I couldn't believe it. We kept cursing that deer for making us late!

But the rally was incredible. So many women I admire so much! Cecile Richards was the emcee - it was weird seeing her right there - I'm so used to seeing her face as an icon at the bottom of all the emails I get from PPFA! Other memorable speakers were Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who got the crowd really pumped, and Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), who showed us an old campaign poster, when her slogan was "Pro-Choice. Pro-Change." My own representative, Nita Lowey (D-NY!) gave a rousing call to action that made me proud to be from the great 18th district of the Empire State. She's very vocal and wonderful and I love her a lot (She also hooked me up with tickets to Obama's inauguration, back in January!).

Many other important people spoke, and one woman relayed another woman's extremely moving story. The woman was never hugely concerned with abortion rights, since she knew that if she got pregnant, she wouldn't consider getting an abortion. But when she got pregnant with twins, and they were diagnosed with a very dangerous fetal anomaly, she was thrust into the abortion debate. The odds were that both twins would die, unless they elected to abort one in the hopes that the other survived. If the Stupak Amendment passes, this procedure won't be covered by insurance. Luckily for her, 80% of it was covered, and it seemed that it went well - she just finished paying off the bills, 3 years later. She reminded us that these diseases don't choose wealthy people, and that if she wasn't fortunate enough to be covered by issuance and be able to pay for her share of the abortion, there is no way she would've been able to have it, and she would've buried both her twins, not just one. It was incredibly moving, and refocused my thoughts on abortion and why it's necessary that it be safe and legal.

Our room began clearing out for another meeting, and the main room was open, so we went down and saw the end of the rally in person, holding up our signs and waving the our party standing behind the podium. Then we met up with KaeLyn Rich, who I'd never met in person! She told us about a free youth lunch, and about our meeting at 3:15 with Senator Gillibrand.

The lunch was one of the highlights of the day for me. Everyone says that our generation is characterized by apathy and inaction, but this lunch proved that all very wrong. It was full of youth activists and feminists, all passionate and excited. The room was buzzing with excitement. And furthermore, a host of my idols were there. I had spotted Shelby Knox at the rally, and couldn't figure out where I knew her from - and then I realized she's awesome and famous and I've seen her movie! She was at the lunch, as well as Miriam and Jos - two editors from Feministing. Latoya Peterson was there too, from Racialicious and a host of other blogs and media. There were also representatives from a bunch of other organizations that cater to youth, who were willing to talk to us and make connections. It was really a power-lunch, and I met a lot of people I admire. A lot.

Then we walked back to the Senate building to see my senator - Kristen Gillibrand - I wasn't sure it going to actually be her, I heard a lot of people would be meeting with Aides - but sure enough, she walked right in. I sat in the front row, and it was really cool. I've never really seen a politician up close like that. I thought about how powerful she is and how much impact she has on my life, yet she's just a normal lady who is against the Stupak amendment like me. And thankfully, she made that crystal clear. She was unwavering is announcing her opposition to Stupak and her support of our cause. We asked her what we could be doing to help - she said to blog about it, and spread the word. So here I am.

Then Chuck Schumer walked in! I literally gasped when I saw him walk in, I'm not quite sure why. He has so much leverage in the Senate, and is so well-known, I just was so amazed that he was there. And he, too, was very firm and positive about Stupak. He loudly voiced his opposition to any healthcare bill that restricted abortion even further than current laws. He said that what we could do is call our Representatives and tell them that they should yield to the Senate wording (assuming that no Stupak-esque language makes it into the Senate version, which is not yet guaranteed…) of the bill. My friend Mary stood up and told him where our group was from, and thanked him for his work on these issues, and he said Go Orange! It was so exciting! Someone asked him what he would do if the Stupak amendment made it into the final version, after the discussions - would he vote for it? And he basically said No. He sad that he would try to get his colleagues to urge the bill to be sent back, and for that wording to be taken out, before voting yet for healthcare. That was very reassuring to me - I hope he sticks to his guns. I emailed him today urging him to be strong on that promise.

This post is getting long, let me wrap it up. All in all, it was a very cool day. Being in DC, walking around the house and senate office buildings, felt so good and right - this is what we should be doing: making our voices heard. Being surrounded by other pro-choice activists felt so right. It was such an amazing, empowering day. And I left feeling reassured by Schumer's comment - let's all urge our senators to put a stop to these restrictions. We can't let this language make it into the healthcare reform. Women's rights are human rights - it's as simple as that.

With liberty and healthcare for all,
Sammy

PS - read about some of the concerns I had about the day, and some of the tension we felt, over at Conscious Media, the blog for my "Race, Gender and Media" class!

Oh! And that's me on the left!

Abstinence-Only MISeducation

I went to high school in diverse, liberal White Plains, New York. The health classes I had were more honest and less shameful than most of my friends went through. I remember my teacher putting a condom on my friend's head in 7th grade, to show how strong and durable they were (and to prove that nobody is "too big" for a normal sized condom, but that's another story). I learned all about birth control and contraception very early on, and although it wasn't always gay-friendly or perfect in all respects, I was happy with my sexual education, especially after it was supplemented by my openminded mother.

That is, until high school. Which is strange. We still had the openminded curriculum, the table full of different birth control methods (so many choices!), but we also had a textbook. A textbook from Texas. ok. And in the index, the word "condom" was not found.

I wrote an editorial for the my high school newspaper, The Orange, about how misleading this was. And how even though my teacher supplemented the curriculum with that table covered in birth control choices, it wasn't right to have that abstinence-only textbook. Not in my liberal school district. My editorial was met with scorn from the health department - my teacher cornered me in the hallway and reminded me about how well they taught birth control. And I reminded her that I really appreciated that - and that if we support teaching that, we shouldn't have been using a textbook that didn't uphold those beliefs. I'm still kind of impressed that my highschool-self had the foresight to feel so strongly about that. I wonder if they still use those textbooks.

Ok, what am I trying to say? I remember from that textbook, the chapter on STDs said, under the heading "how to avoid contracting an STD" something along the lines of "have a high self esteem! So you can't be coerced into having sex." There wasn't anything overt about shame, or about how sex is bad and dirty (not that I remember, anyway) - but even so, I couldn't take it.

Abstinence-only sex education is unacceptable. Not only does it not work (which ought to be enough, right?) but it instills shame and fear in everyone. And it's dangerous! Even if everyone listened and decided to be abstinent until marriage (63% of high school seniors have had sex), they wouldn't know how to use a condom when they got around to it. STDs and unplanned pregnancies don't just go away once you get married. IF you get married.

That's why we need REAL sex ed! This post over at RHrealitycheck details some of the more shameful tactics abstinence-only people are using, and explains how the industry is changing. As more people reject abstinence-only sex ed, the less government money goes toward it, the people proliferating it are going to have to change their tactics - and we need to watch out for that underlying shame!

How do you love it?

I wanted to post this early so that you could have enough time to plan your celebration! October 21st is Love Your Body Day and, yes, it seems sad that in our busy lives we must set aside a day to be conscious of loving your body, but it's so hard to LOVE YOUR BODY when often all you see in ads are incredibly hard to attain bodies. So, on Wednesday, take a moment with yourself or with your friends to ruminate on your curvy hips, your yummy legs, lovely tummy or that scar you got from falling off your bike when you were chasing the neighborhood boys down the street.

Leave a comment and let us know how you are celebrating!

Being Honest About Sex When Teaching Kids

I first heard about this new sex-ed approach happening in the UK from Jenna, PPRSR's Education and Outreach specialist, who provided an article that you can link to through the title of this entry.

But, here's the gist for you: the Center for HIV and Sexual Health at NHS Sheffield published a booklet on talking with youth about sex and sexual pleasure.

Wow! I think this is great. The booklet promotes masturbation, age-appropriate attention to anatomy (i.e. not just talking about vaginas but also the clitoris), breaking traditional views of sex (i.e. sex=penetration), and condom use. I think that this type of sex-ed can help foster dialogue among young people about sex and make it more comfortable for them to talk about sex with each other and their partners.

As Simon Blake, cheif executive of the young people's sexual health charity Brook, says "We need to do more to find out why people are so afraid to talk about sexual pleasure."

Furthermore, Roger Ingham, professor of health psychology at the University of Southampton's Center for Sexual Health Research, says that countries who approach education about sex and relationships in a more open and positive way have much better sexual health outcomes.

So let's hear it for sex-positive, honest, open discussion. Horay!

Follow up: Male Birth Control

(I wrote about male hormonal birth control a few weeks ago - check it out here)

So, it looks like male birth control, or "the male jab" has actually surfaced!

First of all, is there any use of the word "jab" that I'm unfamiliar with? Some English usage? A "jab" isn't usually something good - to me, it means pain and discomfort. Not new choices, new freedom, new advancements like "male birth control" ought to conjure.

When I asked my mom what she thought about male BC, she quickly shook her head and said "It'll never fly." Men don't want that responsibility, she said. Since she was in college, she took issue with the way that women have to deal with BC (much like the way I do now!). She doesn't seem to think men would be willing to take on that burden that BC has become. And I'm not sure calling it a "jab" will change their minds.

Anyway, I tend to think any new advancements in BC options are wonderful! And I'm sure that if this catches on and goes viral (no pun intended, ouch), it'll be a viable option for lots of couples. Why not? I still need to think some more about what I said previously - about physical consequences of pregnancy on females rather than males - but it feels good to see some scales tipping for equality of sexual responsibility.

(PS: Happy Mother's Day to my Mommy, who is the best mom in the whole world and whose amazing [feminist] spirit has brought me where I am today. And to all the moms who taught us right from wrong and how not to be sexist, racist or homophobic. Moms are great. Especially mine.)

National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Today, May 6, is the eighth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy!

Though teen pregnancy is often discussed in the media in a sensationalistic manner, we rarely have a chance to sit down and have a serious discussion about the causes of teen pregnancy and how the rates of teen pregnancy can be lowered. Among comparable countries, the U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy rate (pdf). That might be shocking to hear, but it's also important to know! Because with rates like that, it's about time to get serious about the issue.

Study after study has shown that comprehensive sex education works, and abstinence-only education fails. Teens who use condoms, of course, are less likely to become pregnant -- and in order to use condoms, teens need to know both how to put them on and how to negotiate condom use with a partner.

Read more at Stand Up South Dakota, and while you're at it, tell Congress to support comprehensive sex education. Because isn't it about time we gave all teens the information they need to keep themselves safe?

(If you're a teen looking for information on how to prevent pregnancy, head on over to Teenwire to find what you need.)

Birth Control for Men?

When I spoke to my gyno about the HPV vaccine (Gardasil), she told me lots of men have HPV, yet it's a woman's problem, just like birth control. She was subtly mocking fact that our society deems it a woman's job to take care of her sexual and reproductive health options. This was right when my feminism was getting into full swing, and I remember thinking to myself something like "heck yes!"

These days, Merck, the company that makes Gardasil, has asked the FDA to approve the HPV vaccine for boys and young men. Meanwhile, there is talk of a male hormonal birth control pill.

I asked my boyfriend what he thought about this and his answer really got me thinking. I'm on hormonal birth control now (I love it!), and we've talked about couples splitting the cost (even though my mom covers the cost now). I showed him this post from Erica over at NYC Unrated and Unfiltered, which wonders if women enjoy being in control of their own BC regimens. My boyfriend took issue with the way Erica gets nervous about male BC. He pointed out that currently, birth control requires men in heterosexual relationships to trust their girlfriends to take the pill just as much as it would take women to trust men if this came to fruition.

My initial reaction was that there are more consequences for a woman in the case of a pregnancy - after all, she is the one who carries the child if they decide to have it. But after we discussed it further, I realized that he had a valid point - he trusts me a lot to believe that I'm taking my pill every day. Me getting pregnant would greatly affect his life too - not just mine and my body.

My boyfriend is a really remarkable guy, and I'm sure not all men have this same outlook. But by his logic, I can't imagine any decent man stopping taking his BC pill (if this became a reality) - since I can't imagine stopping taking my own pill. The risk would be too great for me to take. I assume that any thoughtful man would see those risks in a similar way - even if it wouldn't directly affect his body, it could potentially affect the rest of his life.

All this thinking leads me to conclude that male birth control could be kind of cool. Of course, condoms are still awesome, and I'm not sure I'd believe a guy who told me he was on birth control right off the bat, but I think it could a really good thing in certain situations for certain couples. There are already a ton of contraceptive options for women, I think it'd be a good thing for men to have some choices too.

Get Yourself Tested!!

MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation have been partnered in a campaign called "It's Your (Sex) Life" since 1997, to encourage young adults to make responsible decisions about sexual health. Now, Planned Parenthood is joining the fight with the creation of a new campaign - Get Yourself Tested - GYT.The Department of Health and Human Services has designated April STD Awareness Month, so GYT will be working all month long to inform millions of young adults about HIV, other STDs, and related sexual health issues.

The idea of the campaign is to educate young people to the prevalence of STDs, and to encourage dialogue about routine testing. GYT can be used as an acronym in text or IM conversations and help eliminate taboos surrounding STDs. By normalizing these conversations and testing, we hope to slow the spread of STDs among youth. You may have heard this shocking statistic: By age 25, one in two people will have an STD. Furthermore, of the approximately 19 million new STDs contracted every year, most will go undiagnosed.

Misinformation, social stigma, and lack of symptoms stop people from getting tested regularly. Others believe STD tests are given as part of general health care and checkups. This isn't the case, but the tests are easier to obtain than ever. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can now be tested with urine-based tests, and the rapid HIV test only requires an oral swap, and can provide results in 20 minutes. As part of GYT, young adults ages 24 and younger qualify for free testing - All 97 Planned Parenthood affiliates are participating in GYT ’09.

As part of GYT, MTV will be showing programs related to STDs all month. On April 1st, they showed the world premiere of Pedro, the story of Pedro Zamora, a cast member of the Real World who died from AIDS-related complications in 1994. You missed the premiere, but you can watch it online for the next 2 weeks here!

A ton of pop-culture personalities will be appearing in a series of promotions and PSAs on MTV and online, wearing "GYT" on their chests, and getting tested for STDs. You can get involved on Facebook, and even Twitter! Also, you can text your zipcode to the GYT mobile companion, #49809 to see your nearest testing location!

Be sure to check out the GYT09 website for further information and some cool videos and programs. And be sure to go out and get tested!

Affordable Birth Control On College Campuses (one hurdle to go!)

After 2 long years of fighting to get affordable birth control back onto college campuses and into providers like Planned Parenthood, we are one short hurdle away from success.

Do you remember birth control pills being as cheap as $5 on your college campus? I don't. I don't remember BC ever being that inexpensive. I guess I wasn't paying much attention to BC prices when Congress inadvertently cut safety net providers (like college health centers) from obtaining birth control at low prices, with the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act in the fall of 2007. A legislative error in this bill caused birth control prices to skyrocket - as much as 900%.

Birth control isn't a privilege, it's a right. In these tough economic times, no woman should have to choose between a week's worth of grocery shopping and a month's worth of birth control. Cecille Richards put it bluntly, "Now more than ever, government needs to remove — not create — unnecessary barriers to health care services."

All that needs to be done to correct this error is a simple technical correction, in the form of an appropriations bill. This FY09 Bill is a no-cost provision, and includes no federal funding. It has passed already in the House, and just passed Tuesday in the Senate.

Believe it or not, there was some opposition in passing this commonsense correction. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) positioned this legislation as an "unnecessary earmark" and tried to halt its progress. In a Facebook update, Kendall from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund said, "I don't know about you, but I've had enough of anti-choice politicians hiding their opposition to family planning behind claims of fiscal responsibility." It rings especially true considering that this bill costs nothing to the US government.

We urged senators not to allow DeMint to strike our provision from the bill, and they listened to us. They voted for the appropriations bill, including the provision known as the "Affordable Birth Control Act," that will help American families make responsible choices in these difficult economic times.

All that's left now is the desk of Barack Obama, who we are confident will sign it. We at Planned Parenthood salute Congress for recognizing the need for affordable birth control and fixing this problem.




PS! Hi! I'm new here at Sex. Justice. Change. - my name is Sammy and I'm a sophomore at Syracuse University, hailing from White Plains, NY. I'm delighted to be a part of this community, and excited for the future - Thanks for reading!

National Condom Week

This Saturday February 14 is Valentine's Day, the national day of love. And what better way to show love for your significant other -- and for yourself -- than playing it safe? That means using condoms every time you engage in sexual activity.

That's why February 14 also kicks off National Condom week.

National Condom Week is a national effort, sponsored by over 100 health and youth-focus agencies and organizations. It's primary purpose is to educate sexually active Americans about the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections, the risks they pose if they are not detected and treated, and the best methods for prevention including proper use of condoms.

Other than total abstinence from all sexual activity besides masturbation, condoms are still the most effective way way to prevent STIs, including HIV/AIDS. They can be used for vaginal, anal and oral intercourse for people of all genders, can be easily turned into dental dams for oral sex performed on women, and should even be used with sex toys that are shared between partners. If you don't know how to properly use one, or just need a refresher course, learn now!

With a new Facebook application created by the City of New York, you can remind your friends to protect themselves, too. And don't forget that you can get free condoms by stopping in at any local Planned Parenthood clinic!

Rates of Teen Sex Are Lower Than Most Think

Parents everywhere will likely be relieved to hear this news. The idea of today's teenagers engaging in rampant, promiscuous and unprotected sex is just what many of us have been claiming all along . . . a myth.

The news is troubling, but it’s also misleading. While some young people are clearly engaging in risky sexual behavior, a vast majority are not. The reality is that in many ways, today’s teenagers are more conservative about sex than previous generations.

Today, fewer than half of all high school students have had sex: 47.8 percent as of 2007, according to the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, down from 54.1 percent in 1991.

A less recent report suggests that teenagers are also waiting longer to have sex than they did in the past. A 2002 report from the Department of Health and Human Services found that 30 percent of 15- to 17-year-old girls had experienced sex, down from 38 percent in 1995. During the same period, the percentage of sexually experienced boys in that age group dropped to 31 percent from 43 percent.

The rates also went down among younger teenagers. In 1995, about 20 percent said they had had sex before age 15, but by 2002 those numbers had dropped to 13 percent of girls and 15 percent of boys.

[. . .]

As for that supposed epidemic of oral sex, especially among younger teenagers: national statistics on the behavior have only recently been collected, and they are not as alarming as some reports would have you believe. About 16 percent of teenagers say they have had oral sex but haven’t yet had intercourse. Researchers say children’s more relaxed attitude about oral sex probably reflects a similar change among adults since the 1950s. In addition, some teenagers may view oral sex as “safer,” since unplanned pregnancy is not an issue.

In other words, the fact that teenagers are seemingly somewhat more comfortable discussing sex than their parents were doesn't necessarily mean that they're engaging in risky behaviors. Of course, proponents of comprehensive sex education have been arguing the same thing -- that being open and honest about sex isn't the same as having more of it -- for many years!

It is, however, important to note that while promiscuity among teens is not a major problem, there are other sexual issues involving teens that need addressing. The fact that the teen birth rates have risen for the first time in 15 years, as well as the high rates of STD transmission, both need our immediate attention. And as the NY Times notes, if these trends are not due to increased rates of sexual activity, they're almost certainly due to a decrease in the use of condoms and other contraception. That's something important to chew on -- and to remember when abstinence-only supporters try to take credit for this study's findings.

Who Decides?

Yesterday, NARAL Pro-Choice released their 2008 "Who Decides?" annual report, which tracks pro-choice and anti-choice trends throughout the country and gives a pro-choice grade to each state based on policy and legislative make up. (Note: Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region is non-partisan and takes stances only on policy, not candidates for office.)

NARAL ranks New York State as an A-, which makes it one of the most pro-choice states in the nation but means there's still room for improvement. You can read the full state profile here.

Other key findings include the fact that while more anti-choice legislation was considered than pro-choice legislation (502 measures vs 459 measures), significantly more pro-choice legislation was successfully adopted. Surely, with 16 states enacting 24 anti-choice measures in 2008, there's still a lot of work to be done -- but 23 states enacting 39 pro-choice measures is definitely nothing to sneeze at!

For more, check out the federal profile, state profiles, pro-choice policy key findings, and anti-choice policy key findings. And here's to a pro-choice 2009!

FDA Advisers Recommend New Female Condom

An FDA committee has recommended that a new female condom be approved for the general market:

Like the other version of the female condom -- the "FC" approved by the FDA in 1994 -- the second-generation "FC2" is made by the Chicago-based Female Health Company. Just as effective as its predecessor at preventing unwanted pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the new version is made of nitrile, a cheaper material than the older version's polyurethane, and is 30 percent less expensive.

Cost estimates range from $1.40 to $2.10 for consumers and about half that for health care organizations that distribute it. The new condom has won support from women's advocates for its reduced price and because women can insert it without a sexual partner's help.

"Our interest in seeing a second-generation female condom comes from the changing face of the AIDS epidemic," says Kirsten Moore, president of the Washington-based Reproductive Health Technologies Project. "With the growing number of women becoming infected with HIV, we clearly need more and better female-controlled prevention options."

The women's health organizations that spoke before the FDA's Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Advisory Committee included representatives of the Atlanta-based SisterLove; the Washington-based National Women's Health Network; and the Washington-based National Research Center for Women and Families. They will convene in Gaithersburg, Md., near the FDA's headquarters in Rockville, Md.

Eighty-seven U.S. advocacy groups and 50 international groups submitted petitions in favor of FC2. Other health authorities, such as the New York-based Guttmacher Institute, are submitting separate letters of support.

Health advocates say that if the government moves quickly in recommending FC2 approval, the new condom could be on U.S. pharmacy shelves -- and in the hands of aid organizations that distribute it worldwide -- some time in 2009.

Of course, the new female condom still has its downsides. It's prohibitively expensive compared to male condoms, and much more difficult to find. Further, the new female condom has not undergone an extensive redesign to make it more comfortable and easy to use -- that is still underway.

But the fact remains that it's still an important development. Making the female condom less expensive is a step forward, even if its still more expensive than we'd ultimately like to see. And the female condom is still the only method of female-controlled STD prevention, meaning it's an important part of women's sexual health and empowerment.

One of the major obstacles that women face to using the female condom is an unfamiliarity with how to use it. That much, at least, can be cleared up immediately -- Planned Parenthood has all the information you need on how to use the female condom properly and safely.