Amplify Issues - Condoms

Weekly Round-Up: 1/15- 1/21

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:18:00 -0500

…the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that it would not expand religious exemptions to no-copay birth control requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Thank you to everyone who posted a blog this week! You are part of what makes this community great!

~ Samantha
Community Editor

My Part in the Condom Campaign

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:39:00 -0500

I am really excited to be a part of The Great American Condom Compaign. A friend of mine sent me a link to this website and told me to sign up. I've always been really passionate about sex education and sexual health among teens and young adults. It's mostly due to the fact that I am a "victim" of abstinence-only sex education. Luckily, I was one of the very few students in my school that decided it was better to learn things for myself. I really wish I had known then what I know now because I would have challenged the teacher and gotten the truth out to my classmates. I didn't have any help from home either; my mom's views about sex are pretty consistent with ab-only. In 10th grade, there were 5 pregnant girls in my school, 3 were in my graduating class. When I was a senior, 2 of those girls were pregnant again and another one of my close friends had an abortion. I don't know exactly, but if I had to guess, I would say that while I was in high school there were probably 20+ girls who become pregnant teens. Being a SafeSite is something that I think will help me a get a better understanding of how other people in my area view the importance of sexual health and how to address certain misconceptions, if any, that I may be confronted with.

The supply of condoms that I will be passing out at my university have finally sent out and I have already received the sticker to put on my dorm door to let everyone know that they can get free condoms from me. Since I have a pretty demanding class schedule, I won't be able to have very many actual events where I can get the word out about what I'm doing. I have, however, found a very fun way to put condoms in every dorm at my university. I'm going to make condom trees (small ones) and put them in the lobbies along with information about the condom campaign and my contact information on a poster (or maybe a pamphlet?). So I guess I'll be heading to Hobby Lobby while I wait for my supply to arrive.

Lone Star Update: Sex Ed in Texas

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:44:00 -0500

Garrett Mize is the Youth Advocacy Coordinator at the Texas Freedom Network and heads up the Texas Student Leadership Council, a part of Advocates for Youth's Cultural Advocacy and Mobilization Initiative.

In just the past few months, comprehensive sex ed has made huge strides in Texas. With the announcement of Texas Freedom Network’s latest report, our Houston Leadership Development Institute and World AIDS Day there is plenty of good news to go around.

Texas Freedom Network Education Fund Report

TFNEF’s latest report on sex ed in Texas is much different than our original 2009 report Just Say Don’t Know. In the first report, we asked each public school district in Texas to tell us what type of sex ed they taught. Of the 1,031 independent school districts in Texas, 990 responded. We found that 94 percent of school districts taught abstinence-only, 3.6 percent taught abstinence-plus and 2.3 percent taught nothing at all. The numbers were startling to say the least.

Our newest report, Sex Education in Texas Public Schools: Progress in the Lone Star State, found that abstinence-only is now taught in 74.6 percent of school districts, and abstinence-plus is taught in 25.4 percent of school districts. This major improvement in the quality of sex ed taught in Texas is thanks in large part to grassroots activists who have served on a local School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) and to organizations like the Texas Freedom Network and Advocates for Youth. While abstinence-only remains the clear majority, it is losing its grip in Texas. The latest report’s findings were featured in The Dallas Morning News.

University of Houston Leadership Development Institute

Recently, the Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter at UH hosted its first-ever Leadership Development Institute. This grassroots training focused on civic engagement and skills to organize students on campus to support comprehensive sex ed in a non-partisan manner during the election cycle. With 50 people in attendance, this training was a popular Saturday event.

James Lee, president of the TFN student chapter at UH, organized the event and introduced the presenters, which included Dr. Susan Tortolero, director of the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research at the University of Texas Health Science Center; Meryl Cohen, vice president of Education at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast; Resha Thomas, campaign coordinator for the Texas Organizing Project; and Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network.

I’m expecting a lot of great work to come out of this student chapter next semester!

World AIDS Day 2011

Despite the fact that it was finals week, our youth activists managed to put on great events to highlight World AIDS Day on their campuses. In particular, Mackenzie Massey, president of the TFN student chapter at UT, organized the entire World AIDS Day fair at her school. She created a coalition of 13 student organizations, led by the TFN student chapter, to put on this day of action. The coalition had free HIV testing, a T-shirt awareness campaign with 250 t-shirts, an expert discussion panel, a student organization tabling fair, a banner signing campaign and a petition signing effort to support comprehensive sex ed in Texas. Mackenzie worked closely with Ana Laura Rivera, another fantastic Advocates for Youth activist, to put this event on.

Their efforts were featured in numerous media outlets, including Spanish-language Univision, The Daily Texan, Austin NPR affiliate KUT 90.5 FM and other student news sources. Other youth activists also took action by tabling on their campuses to mark World AIDS Day, including Spencer Allers at UT San Antonio and April Flores at UT Brownsville.

There has been a lot of progress in Texas this past semester, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have much to look forward to in 2012!

BCSSH Sex Files #16: The Busy Woman's Guide to Health Care Reform

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:44:00 -0500

Boston College Students for Sexual Health is an unofficial student organization that was formed in response to the lack of sexual health education and resources at Boston College. Among other activities, we blog regularly on Her Campus BC in an effort to reach out to the student body and promote thinking about sex-related issues. This particular entry provides a brief overview of the Affordable Care Act, addresses possible changes to the act, and applies these situations to the average woman, specifically at Boston College. Please note that this blog entry was originally posted on Her Campus BC.

Free birth control coverage? Not so fast...

Regardless of your political interest or stance, it’s becoming increasingly hard to ignore the splash caused by the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress this past March. The much debated act has finally gotten the ball rolling on health care reform in the US and has shone a crucial light on the current state of women’s health, which has been in desperate need of some TLC.

Overall, the Affordable Care Act seeks to reform health insurance companies in favor of patients. It would ban lifetime limits that affect people with long-term or chronic illnesses, cover young adults on their parent’s plan until the age of 26 (this provision has recently been put into place), and prohibit discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions – basically, get rid of all the jerky things that insurance companies have been able to get away with. Yeah, we’ve had enough of that, too. The more controversial aspects of the plan are included under the umbrella of women’s preventative care – like covering contraception without co-pays, which we’re pretty excited about. Since all of this legal jargon can be tricky even for the Pre-Law students among us, we’ve broken down the things we think every woman should know about the Affordable Care Act, and possible threats to it.

1. The Facts
The current plan regarding women's preventative care would:

Allow for annual “Well-Woman” visits, covering all age and developmentally appropriate
services
Provide testing for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Gestational Diabetes
Provide testing and counseling for HIV and other STIs
Provide screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence
Cover all FDA approved forms of contraception, sterilization procedures, and reproductive education and counseling without co-pay, deductible, or other charges

2. Supporting the Bill
Supporters of the new preventative care measures base their reinforcement of the bill on the following facts:

A 2001 study found that half of all pregnancies in the US were unintended. The largest roadblock to contraception for many women is cost (averaging $10 to $50 per month, which isn’t exactly pocket change). Free access to birth control would allow for family planning and place greater emphasis on healthy families.
The plan would support the status quo on abortion policy (no federal money will be used to fund abortions and health plans cannot be required to fund abortion). All contraceptive measures covered will prevent pregnancy, but will not terminate an existing pregnancy.
Allowing personal beliefs to determine what will or will not be covered by health plans undermines the purpose of health insurance. According to Adam Sconfield of the Guttmacher Institute, “You would have people questioning treating lung cancer for smokers or accident victims of a motorcycle wreck, or objecting to people having too many kids." Well said.

3. The Opposition
Of course, a change as momentous as this is likely to draw a few adversaries. This is especially pronounced in cases where religious institutions provide health insurance to their employees. Major arguments against contraceptive coverage include:

Contraception should not be included under preventative care because pregnancy is not a disease.
People against abortion shouldn’t be asked to subsidize methods they believe can cause abortions (which, they claim, happens through their insurance premiums).
More contraception doesn’t necessarily lead to fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortions.

The plan currently offers a narrow religious refusal clause (often called a conscience clause), which allows certain religious institutions to exclude contraception from the insurance plans that they offer to their employees. This clause would apply to an institution that “has inculcation of religious values as its purpose” and primarily serves and employs people that share its religious beliefs. Basically, it exempts institutions such as churches, but not religiously affiliated hospitals, schools, or universities (such as, ahem, Boston College). The Obama administration is currently under pressure to add a wider refusal clause that would exempt these institutions from having to provide this benefit to their employees and students.

4. So what would change at BC, exactly?
Well, not as much as we may hope, but it’s a start. Massachusetts state law already requires all MA medical insurance plans (including student plans) to offer prescription drug coverage, including contraceptive drug consultations and prescriptions. For the average BC woman, this means that contraception would at least be partially covered under BC’s health insurance either way and the student is charged a co-pay. But the exciting part would come in at the register, when we can put our already-scarce college student funds towards more worthwhile means than co-pays on birth control. These changes would be even more drastic to women in states without state laws that mandate these provisions – say, our friends over at Notre Dame. While BC can still refuse to prescribe or distribute birth control pills in Health Services (boo), their student insurance plans would have to completely cover the entire cost of contraception if a student seeks these services elsewhere (yay!).

But don’t put your wallet away just yet. If the opposition’s refusal clause succeeds, plans like Boston College insurance would no longer be obligated to cover the full cost of contraception. To fight the pending broader refusal clause, and to stand up for the rights the federal government is announcing that all women should have, sign Amplify Your Voice’s “Obama, Don’t Cave” Petition.

Regardless of your personal stance on the issue, we applaud the Obama administration for striving towards loophole-free protection of women’s health, and for finally taking a firm federal stance on women’s reproductive rights. Our health (...and our rights...and our wallets) is thankful.

Peace, love, and lube
BC Students for Sexual Health

Great American Condom Campaign Applications Are Open!

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:35:00 -0500

Hey Everyone!

Exciting news! Applications to become a Great American Condom Campaign Spring Semester SafeSite are now open!

The Great American Condom Campaign is a youth-led grassroots movement to reduce unintended pregnancies and the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections by normalizing condom use on college and university campuses. Students from across the country apply to become SafeSites, individual condom distribution points, and upon selection receive a box of 500 Trojan condoms to distribute to their peers. SafeSites are also tasked with educating their peers about safer sex and advocating on campus and within their community for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people.

During the fall of 2011, 1,000 SafeSites distributed more than 500,000 condoms to students on 782 campuses. SafeSites were established in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Condoms were distributed:

Sound like fun? Apply for the GACC NOW!

We receive more applications than we can accept, so make sure your application stands out! Be clear about how you will distribute condoms and why you want to be part of the GACC. To learn more about the GACC and the awesome work of previous SafeSites, visit the GACC Facebook Page.

Applications to be a Spring Semester SafeSite are open through January 6th, 2012. It only takes 10 minutes to fill out an application, so start now!

Do it for your country!

***If you were a SafeSite last semester (Fall 2011), don't forget to complete the Fall 2011 SafeSite survey that was emailed to you last week.

For HIV-positive patients, Church still pushing abstinence as ideal

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:09:00 -0500

While flipping through the Chicago Tribune yesterday morning (yes, the actual print version), I was pleased to see an article about World AIDS Day. There was a large color photo of a Reverend offering host to a parishioner and I was curious what angle of the HIV/AIDS epidemic the article would approach the issue from. Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed that the headline’s “search for an ideal” wasn’t for a cure, comprehensive education, or accessible resources- but abstinence.

The journalist chose to speak with ministers and caregivers who counsel HIV-positive patients in Catholic hospitals or at their churches. I appreciate attention being given to religious figures who offer care and compassion to those whose disease the Church has long stigmatized, but it made me angry that their good intentions were still laced with judgment, stereotypes, and a lack of understanding for the realities of these patients’ lives.

They acknowledge that condoms aren’t the only solution and abstinence is ideal. But all human beings are works in progress, they say, and not encouraging condoms for a promiscuous person carrying a chronic disease that can be fatal creates an almost unbearable moral dilemma.

1) I acknowledge that there are people who have been led to believe that condoms are not an option for them. But when you have an HIV-positive person who is sexually active or who wants to be sexually active, and you say that the don’t have to rely on condoms, you are leaving them with no options to realistically avoid infecting their partners.

2) Abstinence is ideal for those who choose to be abstinent. For those who are HIV-positive and wish to be sexually active, abstinence is only an option. The ideal in any sexual situation is being able to safely choose with your partner to do or not do what you want based on your interest and comfort level. Abstinence is not the ideal for most people, regardless of their HIV status.

3) It is inaccurate and stereotypical to associate condom use and an HIV-positive status with promiscuity. Some who use condoms do so with a monogamous partner and some who are HIV-positive have never had sex. The association and assumption are old, and it is partly the fault of the Church for discouraging condom use and stigmatizing sexuality that the assumptions persist.

4) In this context, saying that “human being are works in progress” implies that those who are not abstinent are imperfect. It prescribes that those who are HIV-positive should ignore or repress their natural sexual desires to be intimate with a partner and that if they don’t there’s something wrong with them. This adds shame and stigma to an already difficult diagnosis.
[More]

Comprehensive Sex Ed Lecture

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:06:00 -0500

I am member of Youth First Texas, a GLBT youth center in Dallas and Thursday we had a presentation by a manager from Aids Arms. It's one of the few times I've had a comprehensive sex education lecture.

Darriane started with statistics and in Dallas county the largest age group with newly reported infections was 15 -24. Without fail and for every infection, this age group, my age group had the largest number of documented infections. This isn't just my age group but almost everyone I know is in this age group, most of my best friends, one of my sisters, both of my gaybies.

www.dallascounty.org/department/hhs/documents/DCHHSSTD2010Final.pdf

She then asked us why are condoms not always used. One answer was they don't feel the same. Another was putting on a condom kills the mood and another was condoms weren't always available.

She answered these responses by bringing out a huge box of condoms, lubes, and a prop penis and vagina. She told us that condoms had changed and there were actually fun condoms. She had ribbed condoms and condoms that glowed in the dark, flavored lube and numbing lube, female condoms and dental dams. She challenged us to try them and see if they weren't fun. She showed up condoms with looser plastic around the head that were called "the pleasure dome." She said see if a game of "hide and come get it" kills the mood.

She told us about waiting and how it too is an important aspect of sex. She talked about cases were the age difference was a huge factor and a legal issue. There was a lot of information and a lot of laughs and at the end of the presentation she let us have our picks of the condoms and lube. It was funny seeing parents and volunteers taking some of the equipment too.

Weekly Round-Up: 11/6- 11/12

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:29:00 -0500

Each week, I’ll be posting a list of the most news-worthy and/or inspirational, informative, well-written, thought-provoking, and/or unique posts of the week. While every post and every contributor is valuable to our community, these are the blogs that I feel are must-reads.

November 6- November 12

Stats this week: 13 posts by 11 writers

Proud to be Polish- by Jordan

Inside this post:

Jordan writes about the election of Anna Grodzka, Poland’s first transgender member of parliament.

Election Roundp: GREAT Night for Progressives- by AFY_Will

Inside this post:

Will summarizes some progressive victories from the recent election, including the election to town council of one of Advocates for Youth’s former youth activists, Lee Storrow.

What if Justin Bieber Has A Baby- by Media_Justice

Inside this post:

Bianca uses the scandal around Justin Bieber allegedly getting a young woman pregnant to discuss condom use, consent, and how society treats young mothers.

Thank you to everyone who posted a blog this week! You are part of what makes this community great!

~ Samantha
Community Editor

-----------------------------------------------
My post this week:
Myths about Virginity in Glee's "First Time"

Surprise condoms

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 06:22:00 -0500

Since I'VE gotten the condoms my friends and I have been excited about passing them out using a variety of different methods. First we had this big pllan about teaming up with a fraternity and reating goodie bags to pass out on the quad. We added up the total of goodie bags and candy, and quickly threw that idea out of the window.
Then one day we were bored and decided to pass out the condoms. So we went to different wings inside our dorms and slid condoms and the instruction papers under the dorm doors. I was pretty fun. We also set up little sets of four with the instruction papers in the social lounges.

Trojan's Sexual Health Report Card

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:16:00 -0500

In the spirit of being a safesite for the Great American Condom Campaign, I thought it would be interesting to see the comparison of sexual health among college campuses through out the United States. Trojan has recently released their annual Sexual Health Report Card for 2011 where you can see how your college stacks up against others. The universities are ranked by availability of sexual health resources and information to students on campus. Such factors include:

1. Student opinion of Health Center

2. Hours of operation

3. Allow drop-ins or require appointments for student scheduling

4. Separate sexual health awareness programs for students (e.g. Sex week, etc)

5. Contraceptive availability -- free or at cost

6. Condom availability -- free or at cost

7. HIV testing on-site (On/off campus, cost)

8. STI testing on-site (On/off campus, cost)

9. Anonymous advice for students available through center (via email, phone, text)

10. Lecture/outreach programs for sexual health issues

11. Student peer groups

12. Availability of sexual assault programs, resources or service

13. Website usability, functionality

Keep in mind that the Sexual Health Report Card only ranked 141 colleges and universities while GACC has about 2,000 safesites. The importance of sexual health is a necessity.

To see the whole list, visit: Trojan's Sexual Health Report Card.

Can I buy it or not?

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:05:00 -0500

I just recently had a experience with kids between the ages of 12 to 15 at a CVS pharmacy. I let my 13 year old cousin and my 15 year old sister go into the pharmacy and ask where the condom aisle was at and they were actually asked how old where they and why did they need to buy them and where was their parents at. So they came to the car to get me which i already figured that they would have to come and get me. I came in and asked what was the problem and their first response was "did you know they came in here to buy some condoms "and I replied yes I did. They told me that if I wasn't their parent that they actually couldn't purchase them. My reaction to them was that I am related to them and that I am an adult and that their parents gave me permission to let me purchase some. Their answer was that we will let you purchase some for them but you can't give them to them while you are in the store. So how many of you can relate to this?

Teens Using Condoms More Often

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:36:00 -0500

Hey check out this article from USA Today, talking about teen sex practices.

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/teen-ya/story/2011-10-12/Teens-using-condoms-more-often-but-not-consistently/50742932/1

The responses show high rates of contraceptive use among both sexes the first time they have intercourse (78% of girls, 85% of boys) and the most recent time (86% of girls and 93% of boys). The condom was the most popular contraceptive method, cited by 96% of girls.

Congratulations fellow youth population!!!! You’re using condoms!!!!!!!
*Confetti*

If you checked out the article, you also know that the condom use is not consistent. So check out my past blog "How do you get people to use condoms?" for a few tips on how to make it a little easier to make that condom use consistent.

Also don’t forget, there is no age requirement for buying condoms!!!

"I dont use condoms because&"

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 09:21:00 -0500

…They are expensive
1. Compared to the cost of caring for an infant (financially, mentally, and physically), condoms are extremely cost effective. A box of 12 condoms costs approximately $10. You pay the same amount for the same amount of disposable diapers…which only lasts a newborn about 2 days. Don’t forget about a crib, carseat, clothes, etc. The bill adds up quick.

2. Use your creativity and get them for free! Become a fan of ONE Condoms on Facebook, enter their creative competitions, and you can win condom prize packs. If you don’t have the creative vibes, visit your local health department or campus health center and pick them up for free. No questions asked.

…Sex doesn’t feel as good
Do you think you’ll be having any sex with a crying baby in the house? Condom technology is constantly improving, so use ultra-sensitive condoms such as ONE’s ZERO and enjoy.

http://www.onecondoms.com/choose/index.htm

…I don’t want to kill the mood
Crying infants or pesky STIs can kill any mood. If you think a storm’s a-brewin’, carry a rain coat! Keep condoms handy and be prepared. Use your imagination and get creative with how you put them on – it doesn’t have to be a mood-killer ;)

Locked Up Condoms

Thu, 26 May 2011 18:22:00 -0500

I was in CVS this past weekend, to purchase contact solution, and on the very same isle, I noticed a glass case with condoms being stored in it. I stated out loud "why would you have condoms locked up in a glass case, if there is no age limit on buying condoms?" By all means it was a rhetorical question, but my mom joked and was like, "I guess CVS got tired of fools stealing condoms." WOW, okay so if store owners are tired of people stealing, shouldn't eveything in the store be locked in a glass case? Why condoms? We realize that people do steal when they go into stores, but are condoms the main product that thieves are looking for? So many questions, so little answers.

If I were to purchase condoms, I would be embarrassed to have to find a store employee with a key to open the case, stand there with the employee to decide on what condom, brand, and even flavor I want to purchase, all while other customers walking pass, watching me deliberate. What happened to privacy? Have we as a society, gotten so bad, that we no longer can afford privacy, or trust?

A Turning Tide in Texas

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:45:00 -0500

There is a turning tide in Texas and it’s in the direction of comprehensive sex ed according to The Texas Tribune, a leading news source covering state politics.
Of course, this significant improvement in sex ed policies across the state didn’t happen by accident. These changes are the product of a concerted effort by the Texas Freedom Network, Advocates for Youth and many other dedicated groups and individuals.

Folks like Susan Tortolero, the director of the University of Texas' Prevention Research Center in Houston, have even created comprehensive sex ed curriculum that is being adopted and implemented in some of the most unlikely of places. Better sex ed is beginning to be found in the suburbs of Houston and as far west as Midland, a typically conservative area. According to Tortolero:

“It’s like we’re beyond this argument of abstinence, abstinence plus. Districts want something that works.”

While many people still believe that talking about contraception gives children permission to have sex, or even encourages them to do so, Tortolero says research shows that teaching them about condoms and birth control actually delays sexual initiation.

“The more you know about your body, how to make better decisions and choices, the better decisions that adolescents make,” she said, adding, “The more we demystify it, the more we talk about it, the better.”

The Texas Freedom Network’s School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) initiative has been a significant part of this growing success. TFN is working with local activists across the state who serve on SHACs to advocate for comprehensive sex ed at the district level. As a result, sex education has been dramatically improved for 250,000 public school students in Texas. A number of our Texas CAMI youth participants are also serving on their SHACs and making a difference in places like Brownsville, Houston, Austin and El Paso.

Even the editorial board of The Houston Chronicle has caught on to this recent success to reform sex ed policy in Texas and recommends that the state continue to move in this direction.

There remain obstacles at the statewide level, despite this grassroots success. The Dallas Observer reports that Texas has declined to apply for Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) funding for the second year in a row. With the 3rd highest rate of teen births, and the 2nd highest percentage of repeat teen births, Texas sorely needs this federal funding for evidence-based programs.

Our expanded network of Texas Freedom Network Student Chapters, led by our CAMI youth members, has been an integral part of this movement for comprehensive sex ed. Some of the things they have accomplished so far include:

•Getting hundreds of Education Works petition signatures at petitions drives
•Hosting "Let’s Talk About Sex" film screenings on their campuses
•Tabling at various health fairs to grow membership and raise awareness
• Successfully lobbying Student Government Association at the University of Houston to pass a resolution in support of equal domestic partner benefits for faculty and staff
• Presenting as the only youth presenter on engaging young people in sex ed advocacy at the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2nd Annual Conference

And they have much more planned for the rest of the semester! I’ll update you again on the progress happening in Texas near the end of the year.