Author: / Eileen Kelly /

It’s funny to think back to this moment, I was probably sixteen, didn’t know anything about it but still was compelled to sign that paper before speeding off to the mall or something. Even though I didn’t feel at that moment Planned Parenthood had any role in my life, it’s overall role in the lives of those around me would grow or at least I would grow to become more aware of it.

Everyone I know has some relationship with the provider. Whether you wear a pin on your backpack, you got your first packet of birth control from them without telling your parents, them popping up on your Twitter feed, or those very people in pink shirts rallying through your neighborhood in a protest, Planned Parenthood will show face. And I know what you might be thinking, just as I did once, what did I sign that day and why is it important? 

What is Planned Parenthood?

Planned Parenthood is a healthcare provider. They deliver high quality, affordable health care for millions of people. They are also the nation’s largest provider of sex education. So basically, they’re made up of a bunch of clinics or health centers (more than 600 in the US) where you can go to get sexual and reproductive health care and info. This includes things like breast exams, cancer screenings, birth control, family planning, STI testing and treatment, and abortion services.

– Planned Parenthood helps prevent over 500,000 unintended pregnancies a year.
– They provide more than 295,000 Pap tests and more than 320,000 breast exams a year.
– They provide more than 4.2 million tests and treatments for STIs, including more than 650,000 HIV tests.

Why is it so controversial?

The main reason you’re seeing PP in the media so often is that our government wants to eliminate the group’s $555 million in federal funding as part of their recent bill to repeal Obamacare (It didn’t pass, but that doesn’t mean the fight is over). That is around 40% of the organization’s total revenue. The main argument from those trying to defund PP is on the basis that they provide abortion services. However, ZERO federal funding goes towards abortions. Instead, the organization uses private funding (private donors and foundations) for those services. Only 3% of Planned Parenthood services are abortion services.

What are the effects of budget cuts?
Planned Parenthood is very blunt about the consequences. “People will lose access and women will die,” said Executive Vice President Dawn Laguens. “Thousands of women have had their cancer and precancerous conditions discovered by Planned Parenthood. There are not enough places for women to go to get this care.”

It’s also important to mention that defunding Planned Parenthood will ruin hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives. It will leave these people without affordable healthcare. This is mostly an attack on poor women of color especially immigrant women who are dependent on PP because they are often excluded from Medicaid. This is not a war on Planned Parenthood, this is a war on women, people of color, transgendered persons, handicapped persons, and immigrants. This is a war on what is right vs wrong.

Here’s what could happen if we lost Planned Parenthood services
– Make it harder to prevent unintended pregnancy, harder to have a healthy pregnancy and harder to raise a family.
– Block millions of people from going to Planned Parenthood for care.
– Eliminate maternity coverage for millions of women, forcing them to pay large sums out of pocket.
– Fully take away health coverage for 22 million people.

How You Can Help:

Call Your Senators to Stand With Planned Parenthood
– Call: 202-224-3121 to be connected to your Senators and Representatives.
– Tell them that any bills introduced in the Senate and the House to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would result in millions of people their health insurance and care. And that access to affordable health care is a basic human right.
– Senators need to hear that we will not stand for this.

Write a letter to Congress.

Write a letter explaining above, there are many templates online already, print it out, stamp it and send.

Post and Hashtag.

While this might seem trivial or small–everyone on social media has the ability to reach another person and to lend support. When you post and #IStandwithPP, you are making a declaration that you in are in support of an organization that helps protect, save and cherish the lives of millions of people in this country a year. As you all know, your voice and platforms matters, we encourage you to speak up for those who can’t.

****Senators (and their staff) will notice when you tag them. And believe us, they’re listening.

Donations: You can make a donation to Planned Parenthood’s website.

Donate to support Health Centers: So that they can continue to deliver reproductive and sexual health care such as birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment.

Donate to the Action Fund: This helps fight political attacks and strengthen advocacy.

Volunteer: Check their volunteer opportunities page or call your local health center.
For political activism, go to PPaction.org/volunteer to get involved with the Action Fund.
If you’re in college, join their Generation Action and become a leader.

Sign up for Emails & Texts

Join Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s email network. They will email you alerts and ways to get involved.
– For texts: Text “Stand with PP” to 22422.
– Standard data and text rates may apply. You can text STOP to quit at any time.

This piece was taken from the monthly column Safer Sex 101 with Eileen Kelly which exists on NastyGal.

The Center of Disease Control released a report last month that showed STD rates are at a record high in the US and that young people (aged 15-24) make up for more than half of these cases. When certain STDs were almost eradicated a decade ago (i.e. Syphilis), and are making a comeback, it forces a conversation to open up on why this is happening and how we can stop it.

There is no doubt that one of the leading causes for the increase in infection rate is that people are engaging in condomless sex. The majority of new syphilis and gonorrhea cases this past year occurred in men, specifically men who have sex with men (MSM).  The reason for this could be that with advances in HIV prevention with Prep, there may be an impact on risk behavior. If you think that you are protected from HIV and then you engage in condomless sex, you could be at risk for contracting other infections. There is less fear circulating around STIs currently, which is a positive thing, but it still means you need to protect yourself.

It’s important to stress that STI’s can affect anyone. It is essentially bacteria and bacteria doesn’t care if you’re hot, clean, wealthy, successful, educated, etc. The more you engage in sexual activity without barrier protection, the more you are at risk for contracting infections. It’s that simple.

Another reason that STIs could be on the rise is that sex is more readily available than before. Due to dating apps such as Tinder, Grindr, etc., we have the opportunity to meet more and more people. However, people are more likely to use condoms with a one-night stand or random hook up. It’s when we engage in sexual activity with a hook up buddy or friends with benefits that things get murky. If you are comfortable with someone and it’s implied that you are not exclusive, however, you don’t have that conversation and you feel as if you would offend your partner by asking them to use a condom. I stress to open up any activity and normalize it for yourself by asking all partners if they’ve been tested recently and to get yourself into a habit of always using condoms.

It seems like a no brainer, but I understand that we’re conditioned to not talk about our sex lives from a young age. That conversation in the moment can seem very daunting, awkward, or a mood-ruiner. However, it just shows that you care about your health and are proactive about having a safer sex life. I think establishing that conversation, or asking few questions before diving in, makes the most sense. That way in the moment, you aren’t fumbling around trying to find a condom or if you don’t have one, stopping activity. Also, I think it’s important that women have the boldness to carry around condoms. Don’t expect your partner to have the protection. You are in charge of your sex life and you can make the choice to always have that available to you.

There hasn’t been much research to conclude that we are having any more sex than in past. In fact, it has been shown that millennials are having less sex than previous generations. So what could be contributing to these skyrocketing rates?

It probably has less to do with changes in sexual behavior and more to do with limited access to sexual healthcare and education. With cuts to public health funding, this means fewer STD clinics and among populations who are most affected. STDs are also very expensive to screen for especially if you don’t have insurance. And you can’t blame someone for wanting to pay their rent over getting a full panel. There are organizations in almost every major city that screen for free, I would look into this online and make sure to get tested regularly. But in the meantime, use condoms!!! I know you’ve heard that a million times, but I can’t stress it enough.

Plus, I’m sure if you yourself looked at the data from last year, you would scare yourself into using them always.

Don’t forget: We still have abstinence only education in this country, which can take away the resources and tools for people to make informed and safer decisions about their sex lives. This is an epidemic. Not unlike the opioid crisis, people are dying every day from totally preventable, treatable STDs. A way that you can get involved is to make sure you are voting on a state level or even in your neighborhoods and communities. You can elect the representatives who can decline abstinence-only funding and go out there and make the choices that you would want to make for yourself, your peers, your kids, etc. You have the opportunity to teach those around you, even if its what you just read. We can be the change we want to see.

This piece was taken from the monthly column Safer Sex 101 with Eileen Kelly which exists on NastyGal.

The issue with rape in the United States specifically, is that there is not a universal definition. In some states, for an assault to be deemed “rape” it has to be “forced.” The issue with this is that it implies that some rapes are more “legitimate” than others. For the purpose of this article, sexual assault is defined as “any event in which a person is touched in a sexual way against that person’s will or made to perform a nonconsensual sex act by one or more persons.” This definitions by Justin Lehmiller of Harvard University is left intentionally broad. The reason for this is to show that a person of any gender, sexuality, race, etc, can be assaulted and that assault can take any form from: groping, oral, anal, and vaginal sex.

It can be very confusing if you have been involved in a rape. In some cases, you may know what happened but if you were raped by someone you know or if the force involved was verbal or emotional, rather than physical, you may be uncertain. In many cases of assault, the victim doesn’t say anything due to shock, and then they question if they were raped because in their mind they did not fight it. However, if there was no consent, which isn’t the issue of saying no, it’s the issue that you never gave a clear YES. Then that is rape.

Another common misconception is that if you belong to a certain group or are a certain type of person such as a male, it can be hard to believe that you have been raped. If you feel that what you were involved in or what happened was something that you did NOT agree to, that you withdrew agreement at anytime, or that you said no to, you are dealing with rape.

The very first step to take if you have been raped is to get to a safe place. This means somewhere away from your attacker or the place where you were assaulted. The next step is to contact someone who can help you: calling your roommate, best friend, family, or 911. If you are feeling too shocked, upset, panicked, or are too injured to do so, you can also call a Rape Hotline. We have included some resources at the end of the article.

It’s important to next go to a hospital or Urgent Care center. Even if you don’t have insurance, you will still be treated. They will call the police for you and if you want to have a family member or friend they can make that call as well. If you find yourself somewhere you don’t recognize without a phone or your wallet, yell for help and ask anyone around you to call the police.

DO NOT shower or change your clothes. No matter how much you want to, you will be removing and destroying critical evidence. Even if you are not sure that you want to press charges, it’s important to keep that as an option.

When you are at the hospital, you may ask for a SANE – sexual assault nurse examiner. This is someone who is trained specifically to deal with rape and assault. If a SANE or rape counselor is not present, you can ask for one and wait until they arrive. This person is going to be a powerful advocate for you. They are trained to know how to deal with these situations and empathize with you. They will be with you through the process and give you important information about pressing charges, getting counseling, etc.

At the hospital, they will give you a rape exam. (Taken from Heather Corinna)

• Any outside wounds or physical injuries will be taken care of, such as cuts or broken bones. The doctor or nurse may ask you some basic questions.
• You will receive an overall examination including a genital exam and STI/HIV testing. The doctor or nurse will use a “rape kit,” which is a collection of materials designed for collecting evidence from a rape victim and her clothing. If you think you were drugged, let your doctor know so they can do testing. Photographs may be taken. An exam after a rape can feel very invasive, so express your needs. If at any point you want them to stop the exam just tell them to do so.
• You will  be offered preventative medications for some STIs and emergency contraception if your rape presented a pregnancy risk and you are not on birth control. If either of those are not offered, ask for it.
• When the police arrive, they should determine if you’re able to answer questions at this time and may ask you about the assault. If YOU don’t feel ready to talk about it, you can reschedule the questioning.

Resources

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN)

Abuse an rape information, support network, and hotline

http://www.rainn.org

Work Cited

Rape Exam taken from S.E.X. by Heather Corinna

Rape definition taken from The Psychology Of Human Sexuality by Justin Lehmiller

There comes a time in every person’s life when they must get tested. In fact, it is recommended that each sexually active person get tested at least once a year or every few months if you are having sex with new partners. In the United States, there are approximately 19 million new cases of STIs each year. And young persons ages 15-24 constitute for nearly half of all new diagnoses. Most STIs don’t show symptoms so you may have one and not even be aware of it. The safest way to continue your sex life is to routinely check for STIs and prevent yourself from contracting them in the first place. You can do this through always using barrier protection.

STD tests are easy to get. While some states have a specific age of consent (usually between 12 and 14 years old), minors are allowed to test for STDs in all 50 states in the U.S. Furthermore, although 18 states give physicians the right to report that a minor is attempting to take an STD test, no state requires that parents be notified (except Iowa, in the event of a positive HIV result). If you think you may have contracted something or have had unprotected sex, it is recommended to get tested to safeguard your sexual health as well as any future partners.

How do you get tested?

The easiest way to get tested is to make an appointment with your healthcare provider. You can also go into any Planned Parenthood, clinic, or gynecologist office.

You must ask to get tested. Don’t assume if you’re doing a urine test or pap smear that they are testing you for STIs.

Why Planned Parenthood is a good option to get tested at?

Although the wait time for an appointment can be long, going to a Planned Parenthood is a good way to ensure your privacy is protected.  If you pay out of pocket, no information will go on your permanent health record.  You can use insurance at most Planned Parenthood centers as well. Teens, under age 18, get a 25% discount in many Planned Parenthood centers—check to confirm for your state. They also offer some free treatment options if positive.

What is an STD test?

STDs are usually tested in a few ways. It is important to ask for a full panel when you go in to have one done. For certain infections can only be tested with blood samples.

Your test may include a:

• physical exam — Your health care provider may look at your genitals and/or your anus for any signs of an infection, such as a rash, discharge, sores, or warts. For women, this exam can be similar to a pelvic exam.
• blood sample — Your provider may take a blood sample, either with a needle or by pricking the skin to draw drops of blood.
• urine sample — You may be asked to urinate into a special cup.
• discharge, tissue, cell, or saliva sample — Your provider will use a swab to collect samples that will be looked at under a microscope.

The results may not be available for several days or weeks depending on what lab they send to.

How much do they cost?

• For patients covered by health insurance, tests can be free. If not, typical out-of-pocket expenses consist of a laboratory copay of $10 to $30 per test.
• For patients not covered by health insurance, STD tests done at a doctor’s office usually cost $50 to $200 each, depending on the test. For patients who do not want to visit a doctor for testing, perhaps because they do not want the testing and results to become part of their permanent medical record, private STD testing companies that do not accept health insurance offer testing for about $50 to $150 per test, depending on the disease, or a package of seven to 10 STD tests, including HIV, for about $400.

How to protect your privacy?

In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed into law the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, otherwise known as HIPAA. One of the primary functions of HIPAA is to protect a patient’s right to privacy with respect to their medical records and medical history. Many STD testing facilities are not confidential so make sure to check that the one you are going to is. If you are on your parent’s insurance plan, ask the testing facility if your results will be made available to the policy owner. If so, you may opt to pay out of pocket if you do not feel you can have an open conversation with your parents. Make sure to do a check on the clinic you are going to. If the clinic is conservative and anti-abortion they may try to contact and notify your parents of your test. If you have ruled this out and the clinic is confidential, be honest with them. Ask as many questions as you can, this will insure your results go to you and only you.

What to expect?

Getting an STD test is pretty simple. You go into the clinic and whether or not you are using insurance, you will either pay the fee or a co-pay. They will take you into a back room and ask for a urine sample. And then they will draw your blood. If you are having symptoms for an STI, they may ask to do a physical exam and look at your genitals. An STI test is quick and you are out of there. The results can take a few days to a few weeks depending where you go.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization

Planned Parenthood

Referring back to our post on HPV, HPV stands for the human papilloma virus. It is the most common sexual infection and infects 6 million people in the US every year. HPV is a viral infection, meaning that it’s caused by a virus instead of bacteria. These tend to be more worrisome because unlike bacteria, we cannot cure a viral STI. HPV is spread through sexual activity and skin to skin contact.

There are over 100 types of HPV, however a dozen types of HPV can cause cancer or genital warts. This brings me to the HPV vaccine. Also known as Gardasil,  it helps protect you against the types of HPV I that cause cancer or genital warts.

The vaccine may not protect everyone and it doesn’t protect against all types of HPV, but it has been shown to be very effective in protecting against the high-risk types of HPV. It is administered over the course of six months with three different injections.

I was recently at lunch with a friend when they brought to my attention that someone close to them had gotten pregnant with their IUD. I was shocked. Although, I never deem anything impossible, I had never crossed paths with anyone in this specific situation. It is extremely rare to get pregnant with an IUD. Around 1 in 10,000 women get pregnant with an Intro Uterine Device in place. Just like any method of birth control, it is not going to be 100% effective. That being said, in most cases where pregnancy occurs while having an IUD, the IUD has been misplaced inside the uterus or has fallen out.

When getting an IUD inserted it is crucial that you test for placement. This means coming in a month later and checking that it is in the right place in the uterus. They should do this with an ultrasound. Many women skip this visit because they think it’s fine but if the IUD is misplaced then it won’t work correctly.

A person’s body can also expel the IUD, meaning it will fall out and leave them unprotected against pregnancy. People can also become pregnant if their IUD expires while still inside them. Remember to replace your IUD on time, you can do it before the expiration date.

The symptoms of pregnancy while having an IUD are typically the same as being pregnant without one. This includes nausea, fatigue, and breast tenderness. If you are experiencing those symptoms and you’ve missed your period, call your doctor. Many women don’t menstruate when they have an IUD so missing your period might not have much of an effect. Pay attention to other signs and remember to get an in office blood test because they can test pregnancy much earlier than an at home test.

If you happen to be pregnant with an IUD in place, there are a few routes you can take. If you decide to keep the baby, there are going to be many pregnancy risks. Women with an IUD in place are 50% more likely to miscarry. It is recommended to remove the IUD if possible and continue the pregnancy. You will still carry the risk of a 25% increase in miscarriage if you do so.

There is a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy. This is where the fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube rather than the uterus. If found early this can be treated with medicine or surgery.

If you decide to get an abortion they will remove your IUD first and then make sure once again you are pregnant using an ultra sound. Depending how far along you are, they will either do an in office abortion or give you a pill. From all accounts I’ve read online, it seems that clinics prefer to do in house abortions when you’ve gotten pregnant with an IUD but talk to your doctor if you find yourself in this situation.

What is it?

Scabies is a skin condition caused by small parasites. Scabies mites are tiny, insect-like parasites that infect the very top layer of your skin. It is easily passed from skin to skin contact, usually during sex.

Scabies mites burrow under your skin and lay their eggs. The eggs then lead to more mites. They are very small, so you might not see them. However, you will most likely notice the itching they cause. They are easily cured.

How do I know if I have it?

Symptoms include itching, rashes, and burrow lines (dark, small curling lines under your skin).

The rash itself can consist of tiny blisters or pimple-like bumps.

The most common symptoms of scabies include a rash and intense itching that gets worse at night

Common affected sites?

• webbing between fingers
• wrist
• elbow
• armpit
• nipple
• penis
• waist
• buttocks

How to get tested for it?

You can get tested at your doctor’s office or local health clinic. If you are itching and have rashes on your body, you should get them checked out.

How do you contract it?

Scabies is spread by touching. It is commonly spread through sex. Scabies spread in crowded places where you have close skin contact (schools, prisons, nursing homes).

After the initial exposure to scabies, it can take up to six weeks for symptoms to appear. The symptoms usually develop more quickly in people who’ve had them before.

How to reduce your risk?

Scabies is incredibly contagious so the only way to prevent it is to not have close, intimate contact with anyone. That’s not exactly realistic, so it’s probably best to avoid touching or sharing clothes with anyone you know that is infected until they finish treatment.

Condoms unfortunately don’t protect you from scabies. Scabies sounds scary but try not to stress about them. They are very easy to treat.

How to treat it?

Scabies is treated with prescription medication that kills the mites and their eggs. It is called “Scabicide.” It is usually prescribes in the form of a cream. You rub the scream everywhere from your neck down and then wash it off after a few hours.

Along with taking your medication it is important to wash and dry all of your bedding, towels and any clothes you’ve worn while being infected. Wash everything on the hottest setting that’s safe for your clothes and then dry them on hot as well.

Vacuuming carpets and furniture where you’ve laid around or hung out.

Tell your sexual partners so that they can get checked and potentially get treatment. Don’t engage in any sexual activity or contact until you finish treatment.

How to prevent spreading it?

Follow your doctor’s care on treating it. Don’t have sex until you’ve finished treatment and wash everything properly.