Tag Archives: sexual health

SOURCE WEEK: PSA’s Done Right

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Mary

This week it is SOURCE WEEK at The Feronia Project! All week we will be giving you a glimpse into the shining jewel that is The SOURCE. The SOURCE creates innovative theatre, film and videos that directly respond to the needs of youth and young adults. Award-winning, innovative, and provocative, students, educators and administrators consistently evaluate The SOURCE as one of the most effective prevention programs in the nation. The actors in The SOURCE Theatre receive extensive training in theatre, film acting, life skills, and sexuality education in order to give back to the community and the nation by becoming a “source” of life-saving information to their peers.

Aside from live theatre, The SOURCE is also known for it’s powerful and poigant public service announcements. The SOURCE and its fearless leader are never afraid to “go there.” In fact, their motto is: Saving the world – one show at a time (and you can’t save the world by being lame). As you may have read yesterday, the director of The SOURCE (who is also an accomplished writer, producer, editor, actor, and fierce mother bear) has a knack for really listening to what her youth are experiencing in their lives, and then she turns what she hears into PSA’s. Here’s a small sampling of The Feronia Project’s favorite PSA’s:

There Was That Time

Ask Her

To watch other PSA’s by The SOURCE, visit their YouTube channel.

Retro STI Posters: Beware of Prostitution!

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Firdaus

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While browsing the net recently I ran across a barrage of anti-prostitution advertisements produced by the American Social Hygiene Association, an organization that sought to reduce venereal diseases (AKA sexually transmitted infections), reduce prostitution, and educate people about sex. These advertisements were produced in the early part of the 20^th century, and were targeted at men, specifically in the military. They seem to frame women as infected succubus’s, sure to tempt pure young men into bed so they can spread their venereal diseases and ruin lives. Certainly there is no reference to how the women contract it (um, from the males they sleep with); it’s almost like prostitutes are dirty temptresses born infectious. Though I support the reduction of sexually transmitted infections (hello, condoms), these advertisements are obnoxiously one-sided.

SANE: Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, and How They Can Help You

Posted on February 12, 2013 by E.G. Hanna

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After experiencing a sexual assault a hospital is often the first place the victim goes for help and medical services. Unfortunately, a hospital is not always well-equipped to provide services for a rape victim. Often they experience long wait times in a busy and crowded place, their trauma is seen as less important than other patient’s trauma, the staff is not sufficiently trained in the type of examination needed for forensic evidence, and worse, the staff may be unsupportive and even judgmental of the victim (from a report by the US Department of Justice.)

The SANE program was created to combat this issue and provide a safe and competent way for the sexual assault victim to receive the care they need. “Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) are registered nurses who have completed specialized education and clinical preparation in the medical forensic care of the patient who has experienced sexual assault or abuse.” Planned Parenthood of Southwest & Central Florida operates a SANE program in our private health center in Manatee County, allowing rape victims to receive their care in a quiet, private environment. Typically, the person is referred to the SANE program by police or paramedics, and brought to the center. There, the nurse examiner provides the exam, which in general consists of “the medical forensic history, a detailed physical and emotional assessment, written and photographic documentation of injuries, collection and management of forensic samples, and providing emotional and social support and resources.” After the exam, the nurse also ensures the integrity of the samples is maintained so that they are admissible in court, and may testify in legal proceedings related to the examination.

Overall, the SANE program provides many services: professional forensic evidence collection, documentation, and preservation of evidence, screen for and prophylactically treat for sexually transmitted infection, evaluate for pregnancy risk and offer prevention, document and care for injuries, refer for followup medical care and counseling, and aid law enforcement in prosecution. All of this is done in a private, supportive and nonjudgmental environment by a professional who is trained to provide specialized care.

It should be noted that the program is geared towards prosecution of the rapist, and if the victim is not interested in filing an official report she will be encouraged to discuss her reasons with the nurse examiner. SANE often encourages the victim to go through the criminal justice process. For a lot of victims, going through the process of reporting the rape and dealing with the legal process is stressful and potentially harmful (personally or professionally), and so many rapes are not reported. Still, the SANE program is a more private and emotionally supportive way to receive medical care, pregnancy prophylaxis, STI testing, and other resources after a sexual assault.

Ever Heard of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?

Posted on January 21, 2013 by E.G. Hanna

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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is an imbalance of the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and androgen. It causes symptoms that are easily explained by other things and aren’t obviously linked, so getting diagnosed can be a frustrating process.

The symptoms include irregular periods or lack of periods altogether. Virilization, or gaining male-sexed characteristics, can also occur, like growing body hair on the chest, face, or other areas. People with PCOS may also experience thinning of hair, acne, darkening of skin, and deepening of the voice. PCOS is also affiliated with diabetes, hypertension, & obesity. It causes higher risk of endometrial cancer, breast cancer and infertility, and in fact most women with PCOS will have difficulty getting pregnant.

To diagnose, the provider may do a pelvic exam to look for swollen ovaries. There are also blood tests to determine hormone and glucose levels. There is no specific test, so your healthcare provider will make his or her diagnosis based on test results, exam results, your medical history, and your symptoms combined.

Once you are diagnosed, treatment is largely based around managing your symptoms. Your provider may recommend trying to lose weight to fight your increased risk of diabetes or high cholesterol. There are also medications to treat abnormal hair growth. Metformin, a diabetes drug, may also be prescribed to regulate periods and prevent diabetes. If you don’t want to get pregnant, birth control pills can help control your menstrual cycle and clear acne. If you do want to get pregnant, there is a medication called Clomiphene to stimulate ovulation. Once pregnant, you will need extra monitoring due to increased risk of high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

Unfortunately, there is no cure and no one answer to managing PCOS, but a combination of lifestyle modifications and medications are necessary.

If you are living with PCOS, check out these links:

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association, Inc: “An all-volunteer grass-roots organization that is operated by women with PCOS and those who support them.”

The PCOS Foundation. They have a support group program.

Free Birth Control for Girls in France

Posted on January 15, 2013 by E.G. Hanna

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Next year, France is set to provide free birth control for girls aged 15 to 18. They will not need parental approval or notification, but it is not clear to me whether they will need a physical examination. While there was some opposition from a Catholic organization, the new law was not controversial. A member of the opposing organization, CLER, says “the French government would do better to spend the money on more effective sex education in schools rather than on contraception.” But while learning how to prevent pregnancy is important, it isn’t very useful unless you can obtain the tools needed to prevent pregnancy. Because the birth control is free of charge, “French health officials say the new measure will help protect teenagers who are from low-income families, and from families where sexuality is a taboo subject.”

France’s actions are setting an excellent example for what conscientious, evidence-based health-care looks like. Meanwhile, here in the US, we are moving towards free birth control…slowly. Right now, the Affordable Care Act “only applies to people who currently have private health insurance. Even if you have private health insurance, the coverage might not kick in for a few months or a couple of years – it depends on your plan.” It also only covers certain brands and kinds of birth control, and more importantly for young women who are on their parents’ insurance, it does not provide much privacy. Low-income women without insurance and women whose families are not supportive of their choice to use birth control are not likely to have solid access to birth control under our current laws.

I’m happy France is taking action to protect it’s young women from unwanted pregnancy, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the law affects the rate of unwanted pregnancies among teenagers. Hopefully, once insurance-covered birth control becomes common here in the US, our rates will go down and birth control will become less controversial overall.

Safer Sex: Yeah, There’s an App for That

Posted on January 7, 2013 by E.G. Hanna

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Having sex with a new partner always raises the risk of STI’s, and it’s not always comfortable talking about getting tested or whether you have potentially been exposed to something. However, technology is being developed to make “the talk” a lot easier.

An app called MedXCom is designed to let smart phone users check their potential hook-ups for STIs. From inquisitr, the “app encourages its users to seek regular medical check-ups in order to keep the info fresh and up-to-date. When the individual receives a clean bill of health, the doctor can then authorize a status update on MedXCom…Should you test positive for an STD, the app will only tell the other person that you’re currently carrying some sort of disease. The specifics are kept in the dark.”

Basically, if you are about to hook up with another person, you would first open the app and bump your phones together. The app will tell you if your partner is STI-free, or not. You both must have the app for this to work. You can get more details about the process from the developer here.

There are some downsides to relying on an app to certify your partner is STI-free. First, it requires a smartphone, which not everyone can afford. Second, I’m not computer savvy enough to know how easily something like this could be hacked and made to give false information, but I’m gonna assume it’s a possibility. Third, some STIs like herpes and HPV are not directly tested for unless symptoms are present, so these infections could still be passed from a person with a “clean” reading from the app. Fourth, because there is often a gap in time between infection with an STI and a positive test result, there is a chance the app could classify someone as STI-free when in fact they were just tested too soon. Finally, this app could lead to people having a false sense of security about the safety of their sexual activity, leading to decreased condom use and a subsequent rise in unwanted pregnancies.

Not that I think this app is a bad idea by any means. I believe that if this becomes widely used, it could potentially keep STI rates down. If using this app or one like it becomes standard, and people start asking their partners to use it, downloads of the app will increase which will lead to an increase in STI testing. This would undoubtedly lead to a decrease in preventable and treatable infections that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Would you use an app like this? Would your partner having this app make you feel safer having sex with them?

Feronia Gift Guide 2012

Posted on December 10, 2012 by E.G. Hanna

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It’s that time again! The Feronia Gift Guide is back to help you with stressful holiday shopping. You can still peek at last year’s gift guide, but I’ve wrangled up a few more things you and your friends will love.

Ms. magazine put out a really good list of excellent non-fiction feminist books, from Bell Hooks to Ariel Chevy, that span issues of gender, race, class, and their intersectionality. You can’t go wrong with any of them really but especially check out Audre Lord, Susan Faludi, and bell hooks.

For some more, um, recreational reading you can check out Goodvibe’s list of sexy books. Show your 50 Shades of Grey-loving friends another take on erotica.

Support some rad lady artists and make your artsy friends happy. Gingko Press just put out a book of Tiffany Bozic prints.

Charmaine Olivia is another amazing artist. Her prints sell out fast but these sticker sets are beautiful and affordable.

The mommy-minded might appreciate these Nikki McClure Mama Baby prints. They’re both gorgeous and environmentally friendly; the paper is recycled and was created using wind and alternative power.

One condoms make excellent stocking stuffers. The designs on the packaging are so cool you (almost) won’t even want to use them (but you still should).

If you’re feeling feisty check out Babeland for a great selection of sex toys and erotica. Don’t forget to pick up something for yourself.

If you want to give a meaningful gift that helps others, hook up yourself or a friend with Women for Women, an organization that allows you to help finance business training and support for women survivors of war and conflict.

Have you guys stumbled upon something awesome this year you think we should know about? Post it in the comment section.

HIV-Positive? Tips to Help You Talk to Your Partner About Your Status

Posted on December 6, 2012 by E.G. Hanna

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A study has found that a “significant number” of teens who were born with HIV are not disclosing their status to their partners. For some, it was because they did not know their status, but others knew and did not tell their partners. This study focused only on teens who were infected before birth, so it does not contain information on teens who became infected through sexual activity. Thankfully, many of the teens who did know their status practiced safer sex by using a condom, but not all of them did.

Not telling your partner not only puts them at risk, but you as well; most states have criminal statutes making it a criminal offense to not disclose HIV status to partners. In Florida, “It is unlawful for any person, knowing him/herself to be HIV positive and knowing the risk of transmission through sexual intercourse, to have intercourse without informing his/her partner of his/her HIV status and receiving consent.”(You can find the full list of state laws here.) This makes it even more important to have the HIV talk with your partner.

If you have HIV and your partner does not, you should know that while there is always a risk of passing on the infection but you can take action to reduce the risk. Aids.gov nails it:

“If you are the HIV-positive partner in a mixed-status relationship, you can lower the risk of transmitting HIV to your partner if you are on anti-retroviral therapy. Taking all your medications, on time, will help to lower the viral load in your body fluids and decrease the chance that you will transmit HIV to your partner. But remember, even if you have a low viral load, you can still transmit HIV to your sex partner. So it is important to always use a condom and practice safer sex. And, if you inject drugs, never share syringes, water, or drug preparation equipment with others since HIV-infected blood can be transmitted through them.
If you are the HIV-negative partner in a mixed-status relationship, talk with your partner about condoms and safer sex practices. If you are in an ongoing relationship with your partner, support him/her in taking all of his/her HIV medications at the right times. This “medication adherence” will lower his/her viral load and reduce the risk that HIV can be transmitted. You may also want to stay up-to-date on developments about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Though researchers are not recommending PrEP be immediately used to prevent HIV infection, recent research findings suggest this may someday be another prevention method to be used with – not instead of – condoms, safer sex practices and other HIV prevention methods.”

The article I linked to above notes that most HIV-related sex education focuses on avoiding infection rather than living with the infection, which is an excellent point. Luckily there are organizations out there with good advice on how to talk to partners and family. When you’re ready to have the talk, try HIV.va.gov’s tips for telling your partners and Womenshealth.gov’s advice on telling people you are HIV positive. Make sure you talk to a case manager or counselor first if you are telling a partner and there is a history of violence or abuse in your relationship.

If you’ve contracted HIV, it’s important to talk to your sexual partner(s) about it. It’s not an easy conversation to have but it’s one that will help keep your partner(s) safe and alert to their status.

Controversial Ballot Measure Passed Requiring Condoms in Porn

Posted on November 14, 2012 by E.G. Hanna

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People in Los Angeles voted last week to pass a ballot measure mandating that condoms are used in adult films. Measure B, titled the Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act, requires condoms to be used during all vaginal and anal intercourse in order to protect adult actors from the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

The adult film industry is unhappy with the outcome of the election, arguing that the measure is unnecessary. Performers are required to have frequent STI testing and can be entered in a database accessible by the entire industry to ensure they are banned from performing.

The attitude taken by many in the industry is that condom use makes the films less appealing, saying that past company-internal condom mandates have resulted in decreased sales. If porn is a fantasy, then condom use is an unwanted dose of reality.

Personally, I wonder if part of the reason why condoms are unappealing in porn is because so many people are unaccustomed to them? If porn is the ultimate sexual fantasy (to many, at least), and condoms aren’t a part of that fantasy, perhaps that helps to make them less attractive. If condoms were to become a routine part of porn, I believe they will become normalized and therefore less unattractive. That’s my theory, anyway. Regardless, I believe if people are given the choice between porn with condoms or no porn, people will choose porn–and so if a mandate is enacted throughout the industry then sales will not be impacted to a severe degree. Overall I’m in favor of the ban, because testing rules in the industry only detect sexually transmitted infections after they already occur. Why put actor’s lives and careers at risk when we could prevent infections in the first place?

The new law won’t be enforced immediately, in part because the adult film industry plans to fight the measure, threatening to potentially move their work to another city. A move would cost Los Angeles a tremendous amount of money in tax revenues. It remains to be seen whether the condom mandate will last (or even begin), but it will be interesting to see the long-term effects.

What do you think, porn-watching Feronians? Does condom use in a porn movie decrease your enjoyment? Tell me what you think of the ban in the comments.

What to Expect at Your STI Exam

Posted on November 8, 2012 by E.G. Hanna

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So you’ve made your appointment to get tested for STI’s, and you’re nervous. No worries! It’s actually very easy to get tested. The most common things to get screened for are HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea, and if you have no symptoms you may not even need an exam. If you have symptoms like genital bumps or sores, you may get a physical examination by the practitioner for diagnosis.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are often tested for together. They can now be tested for with a simple urine test, no exam needed. It’s important to not urinate for at least an hour before your appointment and follow the instructions for the urine sample precisely, because an incorrect sample can make the test inaccurate. If you have a vagina, you can also do a self-obtained vaginal swab or have the practitioner swab your cervix during a pelvic exam, but the urine test is the least invasive way. It is no longer common for a swab of the penile urethra to be performed (whew!).

For HIV testing, you have some options. Depending on which test you and your provider discuss, you may have your mouth swabbed, your finger stuck, or your blood drawn from your arm. Many places require you to return to the clinic for the results, so if you have the option of doing the 20 minute rapid test, go for it. You get your results the same day. Don’t forget it can take up to 3 months, and rarely, 6 months, for HIV to show up on a test, so take that into account and plan to retest if you’ve been potentially exposed recently.

Syphilis is a blood test, no way around that one unfortunately. To prepare for your blood test, eat and drink something before your exam and tell your provider if you have a history of fainting or getting sick with needle sticks.

Other infections people frequently request screening for are genital warts and Herpes. These tests are ideally performed when physically symptoms are present. It is important to get into your health center as soon as possible if any new bumps or lesions are noticed, because if they begin to heal or go away by your visit time it can make diagnosis more difficult. A blood test for the Herpes Simplex Virus does exist, but it is usually extremely expensive and will only tell you if you have anti-bodies to the virus (meaning you’ve been exposed), which many of us have. It can’t tell you if you will have an outbreak or if you are capable of passing it to a partner. The best test for genital Herpes is a culture of an open sore or lesion.

Important tips for your visit:

Ask every question you think of! There are no stupid questions, and we clinic workers like to educate our patients so we’re happy to talk about whatever your concerns are.
Tell your provider what’s going on. If you have symptoms or discomfort, let them know. You may need another test, an exam, or some medication. Don’t be embarrassed to talk about possible exposure, symptoms or anything else.
Make sure you call or return to the clinic for your results. Your provider should contact you with any positive results, but it’s always best if you check on the results yourself.