Jezebel: "Teens Bone With or Without Condoms, Say Docs for the Millionth Time"

I have to pimp out this excellent article from Jezebel, because I couldn't have said it better.  Thanks to the good folks at Jezebel for continuing to write about sexual health and education. All the applause to you! 

Take a look:

Teens Bone With or Without Condoms, Say Docs for the Millionth Time
 

 

Seriously, dum-dums, how many times do we have to go over this? Condoms do not cause sexy intercourse any more than seat belts cause car accidents. Adding yet another voice to this "conversation," which has seemingly been raging since the invention of penises, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Adolescence has released a policy statement affirming that America's youngsters need access to free, reliable contraception and comprehensive sex ed. Posthaste. Preferably via their schools.

These so-called "doctors'" endgame? RAMPANT UNDERAGE PERVERT SEXING, OBVIOUSLY. Because it is a well-known statistical fact that the fewer condoms a teen comes into contact with, the fewer babies and STIs they ha—oh. No? That's wishful-thinking garbage talk? And literally, measurably, the opposite of true? HUH.

Read more 

 

The End-of-Summer Blues (and what you can do about it)

It seems that when there is a substantial shift in the weather, or a change of season, everything gets

I know this feel

blamed on it.  Raise your hand if any of these statements sound familiar:

"I've been fighting a cold for a week now. Must be the weather change."

"I've had the hardest time getting out of bed in the morning. Must be the season."

"I've been feeling grumpy and out of sorts. Must be the cooler weather."

And so on.  I have been struggling with it myself.  It's darker in the morning, and it's harder for me to get out of the snug cocoon of my bed.  I shuffle through the day feeling like I need a nap, and I crave carbs and comfort foods.  I feel gloomy or downright emotional.  When I watch a Youtube video about an abused dog getting a second chance, I cry buckets.  We try to brush it off, but sometime it's really hard.

The truth is, SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is very real.  According to the Mayo Clinic:

Seasonal affective disorder (also called SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you're like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.

Sometimes knowing why you feel out of sorts is the first step to feeling better.  However, there is one oft forgotten symptom of depression; folks who are feeling depressed often forego regular steps in their routine, and studies show that one of these steps is to stop taking their birth control.  The percentage is staggering: a University of Michigan poll showed that of almost 700 women studied, the women who were depressed were 47% less-likely to use their birth control.  It's one thing to skip a shower or ditch your exercise routine. This particular lapse could be very dangerous, particularly because an unwanted pregnancy or STI could have a very unpleasant effect upon the already present depression.

What's even more interesting, is that studies are now showing that hormonal birth control methods can actually reduce depression. Women's Health Magazine reports:

You may have heard that the Pill was linked to mood disorders like depression, but the latest research says that’s not the case. In fact, women using hormonal contraception had lower levels of depressive symptoms than non-users, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The researchers looked at hormonal birth control use and depressive symptoms in 6,654 sexually active women aged 25-34, using data from a longitudinal study conducted in 1994-2008. Women taking hormonal contraception (including the Pill, the patch, and the ring) had lower levels of depressive symptoms and were much less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year—two factors that are strongly associated with depression. 

So there you have it.  Taking the pill, or another form of hormonal birth control, can actually help you with the moodiness associated with SAD and other forms of depression.  You can boost your results by watching a funny show or film (what a coincidence: UHPP is hosting a comedy show fundraiser next month, but more on that later), and surrounding yourself with people who make you smile.  Playing with a pet also works wonders.  Of course, if you are ever concerned about your health and well-being, or if you would classify your depression as severe and/or suicidal, you should make an appointment to speak with a professional right away.  There are treatments that can be prescribed, such as medication or light therapy.  Just don't ignore what you're feeling and remember; it's normal and common for this time of year. Smile!

Sorry Yosemite

Today, as I sat down to my computer and opened my web browser, I was greeted by another lovely Google Doodle commemorating the anniversary of something terrific.  You've probably seen it already.




No cake for you, Yosemite.

 



That's right-- Yosemite is turning 123 today! Huzzah! Break out the candles and party hats!

Actually, no. Yosemite will have to spend its birthday all alone-- well, without human visitors, anyway-- because the government shut it down today. Not to over-anthropomorphize a swath of land, but it seems sad.  Though 123 is hardly a milestone-- which makes me ponder Google's motives-- a birthday is a birthday.

The actual humans hardest hit by today's government shutdown are the over 800,000 "non-essential" federal employees who will have to be furloughed, meaning their jobs-- and their paychecks-- are put on hold until Congress and the Senate sort this mess out. 

Why is this happening?  You are sure to receive a different response based on whether you ask a Democrat or a Republican.  Democrats say that it is because the Republican-controlled House is essentially holding the government hostage until they get the amendments they want passed along with the budget. The major amendment in question, is the delay of Obamacare.

Republicans say that it is because Obamacare, as it is written, is unconstitutional, could be disastrous to the economy, and allowing it to go into effect right now would be irresponsible.

Okay.  Here are the facts: "Obamacare," or the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was signed into law three years ago. Why is this happening now, on the day it is supposed to go into effect-- especially when ACA really doesn't even have anything to do with the budget?

Not content to just let sleeping dogs lie, The House is determined to delay or outright repeal ACA, even though 60% of Americans support it, and in 2010 it passed in both the House and the Senate. In 2012, it was under attack by the House, with conservatives challenging its constitutionality.  The Supreme Court ruled that it was not unconstitutional, because:

"According to Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution, “Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approve he shall sign it. . . .” This is how Obamacare became the law of the land. The House passed the Senate’s version of the health care bill on March 21, 2010 by a vote of 219 to 212. The Affordable Care Act was signed into law by the president two days later." --Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post

So really, these attacks are nothing new.  It wouldn't even be the first time the House threatened to shut down the government based on provisions that they wanted in the budget.  Unfortunately, it is the first time in 17 years that it actually happened.

Hopefully it won't take them long to sort this out, because 800,000 Americans aren't getting paid anymore, and that would be disastrous to the economy.  It could take a day, or even weeks.

Obamacare doesn't have to be a dirty word. Health Care Reform should be a good thing.  If our elected officials would just put on their grown-up pants and work together on this, the country can get back to business.

50 Years of Dreaming

Civil rights rallies, then & now
Credit: (1963) USA Today
(2013) Pablo M. Monsivais/AP

50 years ago today, over 250,000 people marched upon the United States Capitol in the name of civil rights.  While we may have come a long way since that historic day, Dr. King's message is still very relevant.

I'm not the one to decide whether minorities have achieved their "invigorating autumn," but if it were up to me, I'd say we have a long way to go. Disparaging remarks have been made in recent years about minority groups, same-sex couples, and even women, and I'm sure that if Dr. King were here today, he wouldn't be pleased. 

Therefore, I think we should all take some time today to reflect on his message.  Think of ways that we can improve our thought-processes and overall ways of life.  How can we all do our part to make the world a better, more equal place?

Has the Country Lost its Mind, or Have I Opened Mine?

Sometimes I ask myself; "is the country actually getting more insane, or am I just more aware of it because I'm an adult?"  When I was a kid, I just believed what my parents believed because, well, as Eric Draven said in The Crow, "Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of all children."  They were right in my mind because they had to be.  What a crushing disappointment it was to realize that I had an entirely different set of ideals, and that my folks were actually fallible.

Maybe not much has changed, and it's just easier for public figures to be heard because of an increased media presence-- whether they intended their opinions to be heard by the masses or not.  Politicians have been captured on camera phones comparing immigrants to dogs.  At an anti-immigration rally, another speaker compared Hispanics to donkeys.  Don't forget Mitt Romney's doozy about 47% of Americans being “dependent” on government because they see themselves as “victims,” and that it’s not his job “to worry about those people.”

The Southern Avenger. Really.

I understand that this has been going on for years and it's not particularly new. Therefore, I shouldn't have been surprised to discover that Senator and presumed 2016 Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul had hired someone called "The Southern Avenger" not only as his media director, but to write his frigging book.  Yes, you heard that correctly.  The Southern Avenger, aka Jack Hunter, is a known neo-confederist who hails John Wilkes Booth-- you know, that guy that murdered President Lincoln-- as a hero, and celebrates his birthday as if it was his own twisted form of Memorial Day.  

Hunter's infamous blog has been taken down, but cached versions of it can still be found.  My favorite article is "John Wilkes Booth Was Right."  Or perhaps it's, "Don't Vote, It Only Encourages Them."  In light of the firestorm that ensued when people found out who this guy really was, Rand Paul finally caved and "cut ties" with the guy, but not before defending him and making a variety of excuses for several weeks.

Don't get me started on the anti-choice movement sweeping the country.  Some states, like North Dakota, Ohio and (of course) Texas, have introduced historically aggressive anti-choice legislation.  Not satisfied with their victory over women in recent weeks, which will reduce the number of safe, legal abortion providers in the state from a few dozen to five, Texas has introduced even more stringent legislation in an attempt to ban abortion after six weeks. Six weeks?!  Don't they realize that six weeks is usually around the point at which a women starts freaking out because her period is late??

Florida is losing its mind over the Stand Your Ground laws, something which Senator and former Republican Presidential candidate John McCain has admitted should be reviewed in his own state of Arizona.  Which then leads me to gun control. This past weekend in my own city of Albany, New York, a nine year-old boy found a handgun hidden in a flower pot in an empty lot and accidentally shot himself in the hand with it.  Police believe that it was most likely a communal gun.  Ever hear of those?  They're the real deal, and they might be lurking in your city.

I don't want to feel feelings!

This is the point at which I take a deep breath and another sip of wine.  Look, I am not saying I'm losing faith in humanity, or that one particular political group is full of evil people.  There are scary people everywhere, but they should never define the general populous.  I need to remind myself of that sometimes.  Maybe it just frustrates me because it seems that every time we take a step forward, we take another step back.  Sure, we've seen a lot of progress. DOMA was repealed.  More and more states are signing same-sex marriage into law.  Glass ceilings are shattering everywhere.  However, while I used to think that a lot of antiquated beliefs were being phased out, they are proving to be more pervasive than I had previously thought, or these asshats wouldn't keep getting reelected in the first place.

They say that when it rains it pours. Is it just me, or has it been storming a lot lately?  I hope that things will calm down and people will be willing to stop and really listen to each other.  To stop hating on each other so much and be willing to work toward a stronger, more unified America.  Wouldn't that be nice?

Newspaper Penis!

It's not every day that a newspaper unwittingly puts a penis on their front page.  Sure, it's just a straw, but I think the world could use more penis. Don't you?

Life-- you're doing it right.

The HPV Vaccine-- IT WORKS!

Now you have it, folks! As a follow-up to my previous post about the HPV vaccine controversy; those of you who doubted the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine now have some hard data to assuage your fears: the CDC is now estimating that the vaccine has reduced new cases of HPV infection by fifty percent!  Considering that 5% of cancers worldwide-- including nearly all cases of cervical cancer and a large number of throat, anal, vaginal and penile cancers-- are cause by HPV infections, I would say that it is a huge step in reducing these cancer incidents.  

Sure, there will still be naysayers; the people who-- because of one ridiculous bias or another-- refuse to acknowledge its validity or effectiveness.  Many people immediately rejected the vaccine because of HPV's connection with sexuality. Can't talk about it if you believe in abstinence-only education right?   I mean, to discuss it might make it true!  What's most frustrating, is that abstinence-only education has been repeatedly proven not to work.  Folks will try their hardest to rally against it, citing incredibly misleading or flat-out false data to support their reasoning.  Remember Michele Bachmann's "mental retardation" comment?  Her fact-checkers must have been cringing over that gem, considering there was absolutely no truth in the statement. 


Well, for those of you who have been on the fence, now there is proof that the HPV vaccine does work. Just because some people choose not to believe it, doesn't make it untrue.  I implore everyone to check sources, read the CDC numbers, and do their research.

The HPV vaccine is available FREE to women between the ages of 19-26 at Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood.  Contact your local health center today to learn more, or if you would like to have your own son or daughter vaccinated at a younger age.  Yes, now boys can receive the vaccine too!  This really is a hugely advantageous leap in the fight against cancer and the spread of STIs. You owe it to yourself and to your family to arm yourselves with the truth.