I have shared this article with some of you already, but I wanted to put it out there one more time because I think it is such a great article!
It really puts a much needed perspective on the terms we throw around and the values that we stand for.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/opinion/sunday/friedman-why-i-am-pro-life.html?hpw&_r=1&
Read away and share with others!!!!
Today is the first official National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day! This nationally recognized day serves the purpose of helping the nation recognize the impact of HIV/AIDS specifically on young people. It is true that almost 40% of new HIV cases in the US each year are people aged 13 to 29. Empowering young people to play an active role in sexual health education will help the long fought battle against STDs and HIV.
Today activists around the nation have been gathering to spread awareness, abolish stigma, promote HIV testing, and to fight for more support for HIV/AIDS. This awareness day falls in the middle of STD awareness month, to further help promote sexual health education and testing!
There is so much to learn about HIV. But first, how can you get HIV??
HIV can be present is a few different human bodily fluids. If these fluids enter your body, you could become infected.
Fluids that contain high levels of HIV are:
Fluids that do NOT contain HIV are: saliva, nasal fluids, feces, sweat, tears, urine, or vomit. So this means that you CANNOT get infected with HIV by kissing or coming into contact with pee or poop.
So how are these human bodily fluids that contain HIV usually transmitted?? There are a few main ways of transmission of HIV:
So, how can you help!?? Start with getting tested!!!!
Be an active part in National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day and go to your local healthcare provider or the nearest clinic or testing center and get tested for STDs and HIV and know YOUR status!!!!
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So….why are YOU pro-choice?!?
(Taken from NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina. All photos were taken by NC State Student Charlie Harless. You can see more at NC State’s NARAL NC Facebook Page.)
BC Students for Sexual Health is quite an amazing group of individuals. They know what they believe in and are standing up for it no matter what! That is something that is not as easy as it sounds, especially when you have the administrators of your college threatening disciplinary action. I only wish I knew about the group when I started my time at BC, and not days before I am leaving the college!
I cannot quite understand why BC administrators refuse to work with the organization, why they are so unwilling to use the organizations strengths to benefit the student body while still upholding their Jesuit values. Clearly there is a need and desire for sexual education on campus. And the college does not need to abandon its values in order to endorse discussion regarding sexual health. It does not have to be black or white. Good or bad. Us or them. But it feels like BC has decided that it is black and white, good and bad, us and them, and that is why it is so disappointing.
If you are telling me that religion, views about abortion, or opinions about premarital sex determine the need for sexual health education then I am telling you that you should think again! The BC Students for Sexual Health stand for much more than just condoms. They teach, promote, and encourage discussions regarding STD education, healthy relationships, decision making, and consent. We all benefit from these discussions in such a huge way. Regardless of race, religion, age, shape or size!
See what the Boston Globe has to say about this amazing group of individuals!
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A condom breaks. You forget to take your birth control. You had unprotected sex. What do you do now!?!?!
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Use Emergency contraception! Which many people know as Plan B.
But what is Plan B? How does it work? How long after unprotected sex can I use it!?
Watch this 2 minute video to get the low-down and brush up on your emergency contraception knowledge!
I have about a bajillion new years resolutions this year. I am starting to think that maybe I should just stick to one and actually be true to it, but there are so many things I want to get better at! So many things I feel that I COULD be better at.
Here is a modified list of my resolutions:
1. Drink more water, less soda
2. Learn to cook one new meal each week
3. Wear sunscreen and take better care of my skin
4. Have more conversations about safe sex with friends and family
5. Volunteer more
What’s your new years resolution!?
Here are some new year resolutions from “Safe Teens”. Which of these should you adopt as a resolution of 2013!?!
Check out more at the Safe Teens website at http://www.safeteens.org/!!
They have tons of great helpful information!
Happy Cervical Cancer Awareness Month!! You take care of your cervix, and I’ll take care of my cervix.
Why, you ask?? Cervical cancer is a very treatable disease if caught early enough! More than 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed every year in the U.S., and more than 4,000 women die from the disease each year. Most cases of cervical cancer occur in women ages 35-55. But when the disease is caught in the early stages, it is highly treatable!
How, you ask?? There are some very simple preventative measures you can take to decrease your chances of acquiring the disease and increase your chances of early detection. These include getting the HPV shots (3 shots in total!), getting regularly pap tests, and using condoms during sex!
Here is a visual map by Planned Parenthood of how you can make sure your cervix stays in good health!
They discuss cervical cancer and HPV on an episode of”The Doctor’s”. Watch this 3 minute clip! Very helpful!
