the ch!cktionary

    12 Feb 2012

    “Bring me one woman who has been left behind. Bring me one. There’s not one.”
    —

    Georgia Representative Tom Price, when asked how low-income women could access contraception without insurance

    I don’t know what country Mr. Price is living in. GOOD Magazine’s Amanda Hess and Nona Willis Aronowitz compiled stories from 25 of their peers (including yours truly) to illustrate the number of people who have been financially constrained in their contraceptive decision-making. And we are the “lucky ones”. Have a story of your own? Share it in the comments or tweet it out under the hashtag #priceiswrong.

    Concerned about women’s access to healthcare? Add your name to the list of supporters for the Coalition to Protect Women’s Health Care (whose members include Planned Parenthood, Feminist Majority, and NARAL Pro-Choice America, among others).

    16 Jan 2012

    thepoliticalnotebook asked: FYI... a great accompaniment for yeast infection treatment is upping your yogurt intake while you're treating. (Some people also apply plain yogurt directly, although I've never done...)

    Thanks for the tip! If the garlic remedy isn’t up your alley (one reader mentions that she’s super allergic), I’ve also seen suggestions online for creating yogurt popsicles by freezing *unsweetened* plain yogurt in the fingers of latex gloves. Make sure they’re sugar-free though, because yeast feeds on sugar and no one wants strawberry-flavored vagina anyway, right?

    Well … actually, that could be pretty cool. BUT NOT A YEAST INFECTION CURE. So don’t do, people.

    (As always: I am not a doctor, proceed with caution, and please get any funky stuff checked out!)

    Tags: sexual health.

    10 Jan 2012

    “The state has a right to [ban contraception], I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that.”
    — Rick Santorum in New Hampshire today

    (Source: golden-notebook)

    Reblogged: golden-notebook

    8 Jan 2012

    Holistic Medicine For Your Lady Parts

    thenewandimprovedsam replied to your post: Food Poisoning

    did the garlic remedy work?

    YES! It was the first time I attempted to cure a yeast infection without those god awful creams and I was so happy that it worked overnight. I used it again a second night just to be sure and I am now blissfully yeast-free. Woo-hoo!

    Apparently, yeast infections are fairly common among women traveling in hot and humid areas like Southeast Asia. I’m not prone to them, so I didn’t see this one coming at all. If you’re also hesitant to go the medication route, you might want to try a natural remedy. Here’s what to do:

    1. Acquire a clove of garlic, a needle, and thread.

    2. Peel the clove so that the skin of comes off. Sew a thread through it so that you’ve got a little garlic tampon (a garlic-pon?)

    3. To adjust the strength needed, expose more of the inside of the clove. You can try to poke holes and cut slits into the sides or cut it in half. (But please first read this Jezebel piece as a cautionary tale on what could go wrong if you’re not careful.)

    4. Insert the garlic before bed and remove it the morning. You can leave it in during the day as well, if you don’t mind dealing with garlic breath. (I don’t really understand the vadge-mouth connection but you taste the garlic as long as it’s inside.)

    Tags: sexual health.

    8 Dec 2011

    FDA Recommendation For Over-The-Counter Access To Plan B Overruled

    In what can only be called an astounding move by an Administration that pledged on inauguration day that medical and health decisions would be based on fact not ideology and for which women are a major constituency, today Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) overruled a much-awaited decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make emergency contraception (EC) available over-the-counter (OTC) to women of all ages.

    According to the New York Times, “no health secretary has ever [overruled an FDA decision] before.”

    EC has been available over-the-counter for women ages 18 and older for at least two years.  The FDA has been further reviewing data on whether the method should be available OTC without a prescription to those age 17 and younger at risk from unprotected intercourse.

    In a statement this afternoon FDA underscored that it “had been carefully evaluating for over a decade whether emergency contraceptives containing levonorgestrel, such as Plan B One-Step, are safe and effective for nonprescription use to reduce the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse.”

    [Source: Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check]

    Can’t tell you how upset I am about this. Just getting the FDA recommendation required all kinds of bureaucratic hoop-jumping, and it’s a huge disappointment to be denied at the eleventh hour for what seem to be purely political reasons. Health-wise, there’s simply no justifiable excuse for not allowing greater access to Plan B. Sure, an 11-year-old might get their hands on it and that thought might make everyone collectively cringe, but really, let’s wake up. Kids have been robo-tripping in Suburbia USA for decades, America has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any first-world nation, and you’re telling me that the prospect of a minor using Plan B is soooo dangerous and scary that you’re going to make a historically unprecedented decision to overrule a bunch of medical experts and doctors who have testified that there are, in fact, much more dangerous and scary things already sitting on pharmacy shelves?

    I just can’t deal with this world.

    Related posts on emergency contraception:

    Slut-Shaming, Truth-Telling, & Why Getting Real Is The First Step Of Activism
    Reader Question: What Are The Side Effects Of Using Plan B As Regular Contraception?
    Sex Really With Lena Chen: Back Up Your Birth Control

    Tags: sexual health.

    30 Nov 2011

    Free HIV Testing Tomorrow

    Tomorrow is World AIDS Day, which means that you’ll be able to find FREE HIV testing on college campuses and at community centers and clinics all around the world. Fellow Bostonians can check out all their testing sites here, or you can use Google to find one near you.

    Please reblog with information on free testing sites in YOUR local area, and be sure to tell your friends!

    Tags: sexual health.

    10 Nov 2011

    Jaclyn Friedman On Shame-Free Sex & What You Really, Really Want

    Jaclyn Friedman, a friend of mine (and the Executive Director at Women, Action, & the Media), just came out with What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl’s Shame-Free Guide to Sex and Safety. I can’t tell you how glad I am that there is finally an empowering guide for women and girls trying to figure out their bodies and their sexuality. I want to share with you the endorsement I wrote that appears in the book’s front pages:

    “For every girl (and woman!) who’s ever felt condescended to or misrepresented by sex and dating manuals, What You Really, Really Want is exactly the kind of book for which you’ve been waiting. Choosing nuance over one-size-fits-all dating rules, Jaclyn Friedman treats her readers as equals in the quest for sexual empowerment, helping them sort through confusing expectations and desires without judgment or paternalism. Interweaving advice with personal anecdote, Friedman challenges readers to rethink how they make sense of their bodies, sexuality, and gender. All the while, she offers an honest take on risks like sexual assault, unintended pregnancy, and STIs. By interrogating assumptions about gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and relationship models, Friedman reveals the diversity of the human sexual experience and the choices available to her readers. Most importantly, she emphasizes fulfillment not through relationships with others, but through one’s relationship with oneself.

    Unlike other so-called ‘sexperts,’ Friedman isn’t prescriptive and doesn’t pretend to have easy answers. But then again, why should she? Any reader of this book will realize by its conclusion that the answers lie in their own hands. By teaching girls how to become more attuned with their own bodies and sexualities, Friedman doesn’t just give her readers the tools to say no to social expectations and gender roles, but also teaches them how to say yes to their desires — the very definition of empowerment!”

    I sent Jaclyn some of the sex and relationship questions from readers that I’ve been struggling to answer, and she’s been kind enough to lend her expertise. Below is her advice on quandries like staying friends with people you turn down romantically and dealing with different sexual expectations in a relationship. Check out her thoughts and grab a copy of her book for your friends or sister :)

    I met a guy about a week and a half ago and we’ve hung out three times since then and we’re hanging out again this weekend. I might sleep with him this weekend, and I’m nervous because it’s so quick, but I know, as evident by your and many people’s other relationships, some people just have sex quickly! I really, really like this guy and as far as I can tell he really likes me (he’s cooking for me for the second time this weekend) and we talk for hours (with breaks for making out, of course). He says all the right things, and blah, blah, blah. He’s totally interested in figuring out how to get me off (it’s kinda hard) too, which is nice. He’s not pressuring me to do anything, but we have a LOT of sexual chemistry so it just kinda feels right. I’ve slept with guys right away and it hasn’t worked out, and I’ve also not slept with guys right away and it just becomes too much of a game (and also doesn’t work out), so I’m perplexed as to what to do! I know you can’t tell me what to do one way or the other, but is there ANY way to ask him what his intentions are without sounding like a complete psycho?

    JACLYN: You’re right not to play games. Research has shown that sleeping with someone “early” or “late” isn’t really a factor in whether or not you get hurt, or whether or not you get into a long-term relationship with that person. The number one factor in whether or not it goes well is whether the two of you want the same things from your sexual interaction. Which means talking about your “intentions” is crucial for both of you.

    That’s not to say it won’t be awkward. There’s no way to make it not be scary to say what you want and find out if the person you want it from reciprocates. But notice how I said that: it’s about you communicating what you’re looking for, not just asking him what he wants. It seems clear you really would like to have an ongoing relationship with this guy. But how will you feel if you find out he’s only interested in playing around? Or if he doesn’t know yet what he’d like to see develop between the two of you?

    Read More

    10 Nov 2011

    Bedsider.org Is Here For All Your Contraceptive Needs

    As many of you know, the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has been a client of mine for the past two years. Today, they are launching Bedsider.org, and I’m SUPER EXCITED to introduce such a relatable and valuable resource to you guys. Given the litany of contraceptive options out there, it can be intimidating to navigate those waters on your own. Birth control is one of the number one topics that I get questions about. I hope that Bedsider will offer the answers I can’t, while allowing you to hear from real users themselves.

    In coming weeks, the National Campaign, in collaboration with the Ad Council, will distribute Bedsider PSAs to more than 33,000 media outlets (in television, radio, print, and web) as part of the first-ever multimedia public service campaign aimed at addressing unplanned pregnancy among young women in America. Bedsider, a comprehensive online and mobile program, helps sexually active women 18-24 find the right birth control method for them and use it carefully and consistently in an effort to prevent unplanned pregnancy. At Bedsider, visitors can explore, compare, and contrast all available methods of contraception, set up birth control and appointment reminders, view videos of their peers discussing personal experiences, and view animated shorts that debunk myths about birth control.

    Some of my previous writing for SexReally has already begun appearing on the Bedsider blog. I can’t wait to share the new ways I’ll be working with them in the months to come :)

    Tags: sexual health.

    9 Nov 2011

    Anonymous asked: I have not had PIV sex and am looking for appropriate birth control. Hormonal is not an option for me due to migraine issues / stroke risk. I love the idea of a non-hormonal IUD, but I'm worried about insertion given my lack of experience. Do you know of any work / publications on this issue? Or, are there readers out there who had IUDs inserted pre having ever had PIV sex? I know I can double up on barrier methods, but diaphragms just feel risky and IUDs are so much more hassle free.

    Unless your hymen is intact, a gyno should be able to insert the copper IUD even if you have never had sex. It’s true that women who have not previously been pregnant often feel more pain at insertion than those who have. Some doctors will only insert the IUD if you’ve already had children, due to outdated fears about infertility risks and infections, but the most recent research and a new generation of providers have come to recognize its growing popularity as a safe and effective long-term contraceptive method among young women. (For reference, here’s one academic article from the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology that supports the use of the IUDs in younger populations.)

    Anyone have IUD stories they’d like to share in the comments? I’m always curious to hear about other solutions to finding non-hormonal contraception. And if you’re interested in reading about my Mirena insertion, I’ve wrote a piece for Bedsider about my own IUD procedure (not a particularly comfortable one).

    More burning questions? Ask Lena.

    Related posts on the IUD:

    Reader Question: “Is rough sex with the IUD totally intolerable?”
    No Pain, No Gain: The IUD Insertion Process
    Consider An IUD: “I got my Mirena last April and never looked back”
    How I Dumped The Pill And Met The IUD
    5 Reasons Why Women Should Consider An IUD
    Reader Question: “How Do You Like Your IUD So Far?”

    27 Oct 2011

    Anonymous asked: my vagina has a kind of fishy smell ... what should i do? im only 14 so i refuse to go to my parents or to a doctor... is this a serious medical condition? is there any home remedies i can use? please help. :s

    UMMMMM … I just want everyone reading this to take a second and appreciate the fact that I am answering q’s (just like this one!) directly before dinner. Love you that much.

    SO. A stinky vagina is unlikely to kill you but without knowing more about this “kind of fishy smell” or your sexual history, it’s near impossible for me to tell you how serious the situation really is. All vaginas have a smell and discharge - that’s totally normal. I don’t have an odor-o-meter, so I don’t know what “kind of fishy” means. That said, if your vagina smells like the inside of a fish market and it’s accompanied by burning, itching, or funny-colored discharge, then you’ve got a problem. And that problem could be a form of vaginitis called bacterial vaginosis (yes, you can get this even without having sex) or it could be an indicator of a STI or it could be Mystery Pussy Disease X. I really don’t know, since 1) I’m not a doctor and 2) I’m working with, like, four sentences worth of information. So on the off-chance that shady stuff is, in fact, occurring down there, you really should see a doctor just to make sure.

    My one piece of advice is that whatever you do, DO NOT DOUCHE OR WASH OUT THE INSIDE OF YOUR VAGINA. It’s not necessary as your body cleans itself, and douching will actually do more harm than good. If you do it anyway, it will mess with your vaginal pH levels, which can put you at risk for the same medical conditions that lead to fishy smells. I know, the IRONY! Even the US government doesn’t want you to douche, okay? Okay.

    If you absolutely cannot go see a real live doctor with this issue, I suggest you head over to the Scarleteen boards and ask a volunteer for help. Good luck!

    More burning questions? Ask Lena.

    Would you like to see me do sexual health coverage and reader Q&A’s on video? Head over to SHAPE Magazine to vote for TheChicktionary.com in the Best Blogger Awards. (It’s super easy to vote, just a click!)