July 2012
41 posts
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kennethcole:
SPREADING THE WORD
July has been designated as National HIV Awareness Month. In partnership with the organizers of this initiative, we’ve created these posters to help get the word out. Our goal is to help end the spread of this disease, which still infects 50,000 Americans every year.
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Waiting for sex
Someone asked us:
Q. I told my boyfriend that I want to stop having sex because it doesn’t feel right doing it until I’m in love. He said that I may have a problem with sex because of how I was brought up (very conservative background). Why would he say that I have a problem? Is he right?
Deciding to stop having sex until you feel ready does NOT mean you have a problem. Your...
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Low cost birth control options
Someone asked us:
Q. I’m going to start college in the fall, and while I don’t plan to be sexually active for some time, I’d like to go on birth control. My menstrual cramps are really bad and I’ve heard that birth control can alleviate this. However, my parents are strongly opposed to letting me get birth control, especially on their insurance. What are some low cost...
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OF LOVE & LOSS: My one year BC anniversary: Thank... →
Belated Happy Anniversay!
meghanic:
On July 18, 2011, I had my sexual awakening. It has officially been a year since I decided to become part of the “sexually active” club. It has been one year since I decided to take the leap and decided that it was time, my time, to figure out what this sex business was all about. Jeez, it…
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What’s the deal with the placebo birth control...
We’ve been seeing a lot of questions in our ask box about the placebo pills at the end of your birth control pack—so we wanted to clear some stuff up.
If you’re taking birth control correctly and consistently (check out a more detailed explanation of how to do that here) then you’re protected against pregnancy absolutely all the time, every hour of every day of every week of your pack. This...
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PMS
Someone asked us:
Q. Hello! I was wondering what can cause changes in relation to pms. For the last seven years, I never really had issues with cramps and nausea, but within the last two months, they’ve really been coming full force. I’m 18 and not sexually active, so I don’t really know what is going on.
Women’s periods can change over time, especially as they get older. ...
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Rookie: What you waiting for?
Great story from Rookie about virginity and waiting for what you want.
“There is always so much conversation for girls about having their virginity ‘taken’ that it starts to feel like sex isn’t actually your choice when, in reality, it TOTALLY is your choice. It was my choice to decide when, where, with whom, or if ever. There was something cool about being able to set boundaries and vocalize...
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The birth control shot and missed periods
Someone asked us:
Q. I’ve been on Depo for almost two years now and have not had a period for eight months. I am not pregnant and my gyno does not see it as a serious issue. Should I still be worried that something might have happened, or maybe the pregnancy tests have been false? I am petrified of being pregnant and I dont want to end up like the women on the TV show, “I didnt...
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Why do I have irregular periods?
Someone asked us:
Q. Hey there! Wondering if you could elaborate on some of the reasons someone might have an irregular period. In sex ed they always just said, “Oh, it’ll take a couple years to become regular.” Fifteen years later, it’s still completely unpredictable if I’m not on birth control. None of my gynos have ever seemed concerned, which makes me think...
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Can I get my period when I am pregnant?
Someone asked us:
Q. Can I get my period even though I am pregnant? A friend of a friend didn’t know she was pregnant until she was in her 5th month because apparently her periods kept coming. Are they actually periods or is this just a myth?
A little vaginal bleeding during a pregnancy isn’t unusual — it happens to one in five pregnant women. Some women might mistake it for a period,...
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Birth Control: Yesterday and Today
Birth control. For millions of people it’s an essential part of their health care. It helps people avoid getting pregnant, plan their families, and can even help manage major health issues like endometriosis.
I know, I know. Preaching to the choir.
But ever stop and think about just how big of an impact birth control has had on people’s lives throughout the past 100 years or so? Here’s a little...
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Teens and Healthy Relationships
Maybe you’re the parent of a teen, or maybe someday you will be. What sort of advice are you going to give them about their romantic entanglements? Spoiler alert: it can be complicated, but they’re going to really need you. So get ready.
Parents play a key role in helping kids define and establish healthy relationships, and can also keep an eye out for signs that their child might...
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Painful periods
Someone asked us:
Q. How easy it is to spot ovarian cysts? I’ve had insanely painful periods for a while now, and I went to a gynecologist last year and she said everything was fine and prescribed me on birth control, but they didn’t help. So is it possible that I have cysts, but the gynecologist somehow missed them? Or could it be that my painful periods are not caused by cysts at...
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Trouble getting pregnant
Someone asked us:
Q. My husband and I have been trying to have a child, but even when we get the timing correct, I just can’t seem to get pregnant. I have regular periods and all. What other things could be causing this? (I mean in general, as obviously, to get an exact answer I would need to see a doctor.)
We’re sorry you’re having trouble getting pregnant. Sometimes this stuff just...
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STDs and Sex Toys
Someone asked us:
Q. For a lesbian couple in a monogamous relationship, is it necessary to cover sex toys with condoms? Thank you.
Hi! It’s good you’re thinking about safer sex, even when pregnancy isn’t a possibility. For anyone using sex toys, it’s important to keep them clean to avoid transmitting STDs as well as bacteria. Using condoms is one way to minimize transmitting anything between...
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Planned Parenthood Saved Me: Announcement: We won... →
Huge congrats to Deanna Zandt and everyone who has contributed to her Tumblr, Planned Parenthood Saved Me, for winning Planned Parenthood’s first ever social media Maggie Award. Check out her acceptance speech below and be sure to follow her Tumblr to read some amazing patient stories.
plannedparenthoodsavedme:
And by “we,” I mean all of us who have contributed stories to this blog. That’s...
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Peeing to prevent pregnancy
Someone asked us:
Q. I was wondering about a rumor I had heard. Something about how urine has chemicals that, not necessarily kills sperm, but reduces the risk of getting pregnant. So going to the bathroom after sex helps lower your chance. Is this true, or ever heard of this or anything?
Going to the bathroom after sex does absolutely nothing to lower your chances of getting pregnant.
Even...
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Jezebel: How to help a friend through an abortion
For a long time, I was pro-choice but I seriously didn’t know anyone who had ever had an abortion. Then suddenly, around the time I turned 18, I realized I knew a whole bunch of people who had had abortions. And in the past few years I’ve helped a number of different friends and loved ones get through their abortion experience.
Don’t get me wrong, they were all glad to have the option to end...
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Turns out Americans don't actually think birth... →
bedsider:
From the just-as-we-suspected files, looks like birth control isn’t so controversial in the U.S. after all. According to a new Gallup poll:
Eighty-two percent of U.S. Catholics say birth control is morally acceptable, nearing the 89% of all Americans and 90% of non-Catholics who agree. The level of acceptability on this issue is far greater than that of the other 17 issues Gallup asked...
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Is my period too light?
Someone asked us:
Q. I know birth control is supposed to make your period lighter, but is there a point where it’s too light? Is this ever a problem or even unhealthy to not be having a period?
No, having really light or no periods while you’re taking hormonal birth control is not a problem or unhealthy. Here’s why: When you’re not taking hormonal birth control, the lining of your...
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Ah-maz-ing! →
Gift idea for the person who has everything. Check.
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Someone asked us:
Q. I want to be an ob/gyn when I grow up, to help people with family planning in particular, esp. because of the shortage of abortion providers out there! Besides the usual answer of good grades, med school, etc., is there anything you folks would suggest for getting a foot in the door of reproductive health services?
First of all: you rule. Second of all: check out Medical...
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Someone asked us:
Q. My daughter will be 11 this year, and will probably begin menstruation at any time. When should she have her first gyn exam and what are her options during menstruation? Pads only, or what? I purchased her a really good book on puberty and have spoken with her on the topic (Not as much as I would have liked; she gets embarrassed, but I’ve seen her reading the book in...
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“…we view being a sexual person and having a disability, or two or three, as just...”
– Great resources on disability and sexuality, from Scarleteen
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I'm a Bubble Blower
After taking this amusing sleep test, I found out that my sleep pose is the Bubble Blower. Good to know… Although now I just need to find my other slumbering half.
[[MORE]]How do you sleep in the same bed with your sweetie? Are you a Fireman’s Carry type of couple? Or is the Excalibur more your style? -Nathan at PPFA
(source: The Secret Language of Sleep)
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How close is too close?
Someone asked us:
Q. Hi, I was wondering what are my chances of getting pregnant if my boyfriend ejaculates close to, but not inside, my vagina? Thanks!
Hi! The best way to avoid getting pregnant is to steer clear of your boyfriend’s ejaculate, because pregnancy can happen when sperm gets in the vagina or on the vulva.
That being said, the most likely way to become pregnant is through...
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The Swiss Army Tampon →
“Try to forget everything you know about tampons.”
