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Law Spikes Price of Pill on College Campuses

LibertySugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:45:37 -0700

US university students are paying about five times more for the birth-control pill than they were a few months ago, due to a provision in the Deficit Reduction Act. Many lawmakers say the provision, which prevents drug companies from donating the pill to campuses as a way to attract brand loyalty, was an unintended consequence of the legislation.

Activists, including actress Amber Tamblyn, want to fix the mistake and are lobbying Congress to pass the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act. They say there is no good reason to prevent the donation of medicines, which reduce the price of the pill for struggling college students. With the pill spiking to more than $50 a month (from $12) some female students report taking up more part-time work, or cutting back on their grocery or social spending.

Still others, including proponents of abstinence, argue that it is irresponsible and detrimental to student health to distribute discounted oral contraception that does not prevent STDs.

Will the price of the pill make it unfordable to some, and therefore lead to more unintended pregnancies, or will students just have less beer money? Is it fair that the financial burden imposed by the law is disproportionately felt by female students?

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Saturday Morning Cartoon: The Superficial Friends

GiggleSugar — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, and the Olsen twins are back to fight off the culprit who's spreading crabs all over Hollywood. And just who is Captain Crabs? He's none other than Wilmer Valderrama from That '70s Show. Dude is on a mission to spread the crabbers like crazy so everyone who's anyone can only sleep with him. He's already infected Lohan — that one time, at a truck stop — but can The Superficial Friends crack his shell and save their fellow skanks from venereal damnation?

Why Are STDs Now Called STIs?

DearSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:00:00 -0700

I'm sure many of you were taught about STDs in your sex ed class yet you've probably noticed that I refer to them as STIs, so why the change in terms?

STD stands for sexually transmitted disease. STI stands for sexually transmitted infection. STI is a more politically correct term, since the word disease can have negative connotations or social stigmas attached. Plus, when people think of diseases, they think of something you get and have forever, but many STIs are curable, so using the term infection is actually more accurate. The term disease also implies that a person has visual symptoms, which is not always the case with STIs. Many of them such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and HPV are asymptomatic. So for all these reasons, the term STD is gradually being replaced with STI. What do you think about the switch?

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Discuss the Birds and the Bees With Your Offspring

lilsugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:00:06 -0700

When it comes to chatting with your children about sex, a startling new study suggests that sooner may be better than later.

According to a recent CNN article, at least one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. Of the national study, it said:

A virus that causes cervical cancer is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in teen girls aged 14 to 19, while the highest overall prevalence is among black girls -- nearly half the blacks studied had at least one STD. That rate compared with 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-American teens, the study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

To learn about prevention,

License Plate From Hell

GiggleSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Wait. The devil wears Prada, but drives...a mini-van?

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Online STD Screening Tool

FitSugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Quite simply, and unfortunately, if you've had unprotected sex, you may be at risk for an STD. The hard part is that most people with STDs have no symptoms so it's hard to know if you're infected.

There is a new online tool that sort of acts as a pre-screening tool before you head to the doc's office. Through a series of questions and answers, STD Wizard will tell you what you should get tested for when you do see the doc. I really like that you can print your results out and bring it with you so that you don't have to remember all the crazy names of things you may want to get tested for if need be. Also, if you're too embarrassed to tell your doc that you want to be tested for herpes, you can just hand over the sheet without H-E-R-P-E-S having to ever cross your lips.

Wondering what the heck all of this means? Then check out my posts that explain several STIs.

STIs Explained: Genital Warts (HPV)

FitSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 17:15:00 -0700

Ahh Spring is here. With all the flowers and love blooming around me, it reminds me how important it is to talk about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

You need to know about Genital Warts (HPV) since it is a viral infection, there is NO CURE. For most women, the visible infection goes away on its own, but once you get it, you have it forever. This means an infected person can pass it on to her or his sexual partner. HPV can cause mild Pap test abnormalities, and 10 out of 30 cases can lead to the development of cervical cancer.

To prevent Genital Warts and other STIs like Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Genital Herpes in the first place, abstain from sexual contact if you can. Since that's pretty unrealistic, the best thing to do is to have you and your partner get tested before you have sex.

Although using latex or polyurethane condoms is an excellent idea, the HPV virus can occur in areas that are NOT covered by condoms. Being in a mutually monogamous relationship with someone you know is uninfected is an even better way to keep yourself safe.

Make sure you get yearly Pap tests to ensure that pre-cancerous changes in the cervix caused by HPV infection do not develop into life threatening cervical cancer.

Want to know more about Genital Warts? Then

STIs Explained: Trichomoniasis

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:30:30 -0700

Since things are heating up everywhere these days, I thought it might be the time to tell you to cool down a little bit and play smart. Yep, it is time to fill you in on a fairly common STI (sexually transmitted infection - it not a disease since it is curable), Trichomoniasis. Tricky to say maybe, but not tricky to prevent!

STIs are considered 100% preventable if you abstain from sex, but let's be reasonable here, that seems pretty unlikely. However you and your partner can both get tested for STIs before you have sex, so you both know you are in the clear.

Since trichomoniasis, also known as trich, is transmitted through genital contact, using latex or polyurethane condoms can greatly reduce your risk in contracting the infection. On the other hand, being in a mutually monogamous relationship is an awesome way to keep yourself safe.

While this may not be a pretty subject, it is good to know what is out there so you can make good decisions and hopefully avoid having to deal with the organ and tissue damage trich can cause. In women, if left untreated trich can cause the fallopian tubes to become inflamed and can also potentially damage your cervix. If your man needs some convincing to get tested tell him that in men, prolonged infection of trich can potentially damage the bladder as well as the prostate. Hopefully that caught your attention!

So for more details about trichomoniasis, then

STIs Explained: Syphilis

FitSugar — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:15:00 -0700

Since Spring has arrived and romance is in the air, let's talk more about STIs.

STI stands for "sexually transmitted infection." The reason this term is used instead of STDs (sexually transmitted disease) is because the word "infection" is more accurate since many of these are actually curable (except for Genital Herpes, Genital Warts, and HIV). Also, the word "infection" carries less of a negative social stigma than the word "disease."

STIs like Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Genital Herpes, and Genital Warts are 100% avoidable, so your best bet is to abstain from vaginal, anal, or oral sex altogether. Since that's not much fun (and not going to happen), it's a good idea for you and your partner to get tested for all STIs before you have sex.

Using latex or polyurethane condoms is also a great idea, but not completely effective. Being in a mutually monogamous relationship with someone you know is uninfected will keep you safe and STI-free.

Make sure to see your gynecologist annually to get tested, because early detection of syphilis (in the first stage) can help prevent permanent organ damage to the heart, eyes, brain, nervous system, bones and joints.

Want to know about Syphilis? Then

STIs Explained: Genital Herpes

FitSugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:15:00 -0700

They say love is free, but having unprotected sex in this day and you might be paying the price forever. Did I get your attention? Well I am talking about some serious business since as I learned in high school - Genital Herpes is FOREVER. There is NO cure, so it's really important to take all precautions to prevent getting it.

STIs like Genital Herpes, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are 100% avoidable, and having no sexual contact would be ideal. Since that might not work, before becoming sexually active with anyone - make sure you and your partner get tested for all STIs before having unprotected sex.

Using latex or polyurethane condoms when having sex is also a great idea, but since a condom can't cover all the infected areas, it's no guarantee that you are 100% protected. Being in a mutually monogamous relationship with someone you know is uninfected is also a great way to keep yourself safe.

Want to hear all about Genital Herpes? Then