Don't settle, strive for more. Never give up, never walk away - it's your life and your body. What are you going to do now? Member of the Ohio Youth Advocates Leadership Council.
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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, April is STD Awareness Month! What does that mean for you and your partner?
Well, are you sexually active? Have you ever been? Then it’s certainly time to get tested. Whether or not you think you’re clean, if you’ve had sex, you could have caught something nasty.
Some STDs/STIs require a blood sample to be tested for, but most need only a tiny jar of your urine or a “swab” test to determine whether or not you’re infected. This is because certain STDs are not viral in nature, and therefore cannot be detected in your blood. So, truly, it can be as easy as “1-2-pee!”
If the simplicity isn’t enough motivation for you, here are descriptions of a few common STDs:
Chlamydia: It’s the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease. It infects the urethra, rectum and eyes in both sexes, as well as a woman’s cervix. If Chlamydia is left untreated, it can cause significant fertility problems and pass from mother to child during pregnancy. Symptoms include painful and/or frequent urination, an increase in vaginal discharge, irregular menstrual bleeding, pain and bleeding during or after sex and lower abdominal pains.
Genital Warts: These warts are caused by a sub-type of the human papilloma virus, or HPV. They can appear anywhere in the genital area as small white or flesh colored bumps, or larger cauliflower-like bumps. These are unlikely to cause any pain but can itch and are generally difficult to spot. Often, there are no symptoms of genital warts.
Gonorrhea, or “The Clap”: This STI can infect the urethra, cervix, rectum, anus and throat. Symptoms include painful urination, a white/yellow discharge from the penis, a change in vaginal discharge and irritation or discharge from the anus (if it is infected).
Hepatitis: This refers to a viral infection than can cause inflammation of the liver. Several types exist, labeled from A to G, though A, B and C are the most common. Hepatitis can occur after excessive and prolonged alcoholism or the use of certain medicines/ drugs, but it is most commonly caused by a virus.
Herpes: This STD is caused by two strains of the herpes simplex virus, type one and type two. Type two is more common and usually forms in the genital and anal areas. Type one is more likely to manifest around the mouth and lips in the form of cold sores. Symptoms include itching/tingling in the genital or anal areas, bursting fluid-filled blisters, headaches, backaches and other flu-like reactions, such as swollen glands or a fever.
Saturday, April 9th 10pm/9c on TLC – “Let’s Talk About Sex” The Film!
www.letstalkaboutsexthefilm.com
* Teen pregnancies cost U.S. taxpayers over 9 million dollars a year.
* Everyday in America, 10,000 kids catch an STD.
* Everyday in America, 2,400 teen girls become pregnant.
* One in three American girls become pregnant in their teens.
* Everyday in America, people are fighting to prevent these tragedies of youth.
“LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX takes a revealing look at how American attitudes towards adolescent sexuality affect today’s teenagers. We live in a society that uses sex to sell everything from lipstick to laptops. Yet fear and silence around sex and sexuality also permeate our culture. Teens are paying a terrible price for this confusion in unintended pregnancy, STDs, and even HIV. And American taxpayers are paying billions to treat these entirely preventable problems.” – the website
We here at Advocates For Youth had a chance to see this wonderful film, “Let’s Talk About Sex,” in September while we trained for our advocacy work. It’s absolutely fabulous! However, it is very shocking to some. This movie shows conversations between parents and their kids, and what the parents say just might bother you a little. Abstinence pledges and rings? Saving sex for marriage? It’s all here. But while the parents try to imagine their little girls and boys being “good,” what are these kids really doing? How do we, as youth, view sex and how does that affect us?
I highly recommend you tune in to this on Saturday. You definitely won’t regret watching this mind-blowing conversation starter. Five out of five stars!
Watch the trailer:
Please help victims of the tsunami that has hit Japan. YOU can make a difference by donating to the disaster relief charity of your choice – may I recommend the Red Cross? Minimum donation allowed is $10, and when you think about it, that’s really not much out of your pocket. That small amount of money can buy you two large Frappuccinos from Starbucks, OR you can use it to save lives! Feels good, doesn’t it?
To donate, you can either text REDCROSS to 90999 (this will donate exactly $10; it will be put on your phone bill), go online here and donate as much as you like, through mail by clicking here, or even by phone by calling one of these numbers:
English-speaking: 1-800 RED CROSS
Spanish-speaking: 1-800-257-7575
Deaf/TDD Operator: 1-800-220-4095
Remember, you can save lives just by using money that you would spend on coffee. Nothing tastes quite so sweet!
Firstly, the point must be made that a nation’s youth are, logically, the future of that nation. Anything that affects youth will directly affect the future of their country. This much is obvious.
Secondly, adults have the power to influence the opinions of children around them, and often do so unintentionally. For example, studies have proven that children who are beaten or see their siblings beaten by their parents have a higher chance of becoming abusive later in life than children who are raised in a loving home. One might think that these children would become kind, gentle adults because they do not want to put others through the same pain they endured, but it is shocking just how far children can be influenced in their early years – to be compassion or hurtful, to nurture relationships or abuse others, to wipe away tears or cause them – and this behavior is difficult to change later in life.
Beyond abusive households and other dramatic situations are far more delicate atrocities. Let us consider those older men and women who smoke cigarettes. Let’s say, for the purpose of this blog, that these people we’re considering are parents. We don’t know that they’ve always been smokers or how much they smoke every day, but it is irrelevant anyway. What really matters is that their child, that young boy or girl, is watching them put that nicotine to their mouth. Watching, just watching – and breathing in a little, too. Mommy and daddy can tell their son or daughter how bad it is, and to “do what I say, not what I do” as much as they like, but would they really be doing it if it was that awful? Smoking must be okay, because parents do it! Maybe it’s not healthy, but it’s alright! After all, every time those parents tuck in their little sweetie, he smells the ash on their clothes. It’s almost comforting, attached with such a nice memory.
Again, we notice something interesting from a study conducted. Apparently, young children who have smokers as parents are far more likely to smoke themselves than a child with guardians that are sober. It’s hardly surprising.
Now, let’s apply all of this to a federal situation. Where should we start? Should we focus on drugs and elections, maybe? No, absolutely not. Let’s talk about regular, entirely human issues. Things that affect people every single day, like violence, greed and intolerance, are far more important topics to discuss with children. Some may argue that there is no need to expose them to such traumatic issues, but it’s inevitable so you might as well do it right.
How will you tell your future children about war? Is it justified in certain cases, like terrorism, or entirely wrong? Should Americans trust everything our president says is okay, or question words that we deem suspicious? Think hard about this.
Just how will you explain racism and sexism? Is America a melting pot of diversity, or a land of one prioritized race? Is it okay to judge someone because they look different? Are women inferior to men? Should men pay for dates and open doors for ladies? It’s not hard to rationalize.
What does immigration mean to your family? Are people unwelcome in this country because they weren’t born here? Should we kick people out because they mess up or don’t follow our rules? Why don’t we kick out Americans who break the rules? Hmm, hmm.
America is known for helping other countries. Should our government always step in, or let foreigners take care of themselves? Should we help our allies defend themselves, or is it too risky for us? Should we give food and clean water to starving, ill African folk, or is it just too expensive? You decide.
It’s not to say that American youth are completely defenseless (I think Amplify has proven otherwise), but very small children are extremely trusting… too trusting in this harsh world, really, though that isn’t their fault.
It’s the adults, the youth of the past, who poison them with hatred. It is their parents, and their parent’s parents, who poisoned them with bigotry. Not all are guilty, but the control should never be denied.
Where does that leave us? It’s simple – we have a choice to make. Will we, the young people of the present, continue to pass on outdated beliefs and propaganda? Or will we bring about a new generation of bright young people who thrive when given knowledge and excitedly rejoice in diversity?
YOU decide the future for children who will make decisions about yours, no matter what you choose to do in life. Even if you have no children at all, consider your feelings and what you say around them. Think about how it will affect them later in life, because one day, you will be the one sitting in your recliner and just hoping they get it right.
Thanks for reading.
Hi, everyone! This is Isobel from Ohio Advocates.
Whether it's tabling, group planning, public speaking or teaching, we're always on the move. Unfortunately, that can leave us with less time to advertise our group. Why is that important, you ask? Well, without any exposure to like-minded people, how can we truly expect to achieve our goals? Do you support comprehensive sex education and LGBT rights? So do we — it's what we fight for. The more the merrier, and we would LOVE to have you on our team!
Click either one of these to be taken to our page, and be sure to "like" us. Without other activists, we simply wouldn't be who we are today. You are needed!
Remember, you don't have to be in Ohio to lend a helping hand (or thumb, rather... thumbs up)! Please and thank you, my blogging friends!
Yes, I am a woman, and yes, I do consider myself a feminist. I support women's rights and equality completely. This post is in no way trying to discourage anyone, male or female, from fighting for such important things.
First of all, we need to aknowledge that the feminist movement is not over. Even though we have made so much progress over the years, women still do not recieve equal pay in America and, in many places, have little to no reproductive rights. Giving up would be the worst thing we could do.
However, some feminists fight so aggresively for the cause that they do more harm than good.
Hating the gender that we wish to be equal to is counter-productive and only drives more people away from giving us the rights that we strive for. It intimidates those who might have helped us otherwise. That intimidation is why even some women refuse to be known as feminists.
"I'm not a feminist; I hail men, I love men," states Lady Gaga in an interview. Lady Gaga, of all people? She supports ending DADT and marriage equality, but not women?
Remember my recent post called, "Northern Ohio High School Allows Homophobic Football Chant"? If not, you can view it here - otherwise, none of this is going to make sense.
Last month, when school rivals Willoughby South and Eastlake North faced each other for a high school football game, students chanted homophobic remarks back and forth to discourage the other's team. Such phrases were, "Powder Blue Faggots" and "Halloween Homos" (one team wears light blue while the other sports orange and black colors).
In response to the media attention this has brought to the school, district staff are playing over the same old excuse - "kids will be kids." To top it all off, the blame is now being shifted to the press rather than the students who participated. School officials believe they are receiving an undeserved, negative reputation. Is it really so undeserved?
Two people with ties to the district, Eastlake alum and lawyer Jim Helmink and Eastlake biology teacher Rhonda Kesling, have decided that enough is enough. Recently, Helmink and Kesling asked the school board to amend the district's anti-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation.
They were given the cold shoulder. Ignored.
"If they don't want to vote on it based on legitimate concerns, that's one thing," states Helmink. "But right now they're just ignoring it."
Kesling, a 26 year-old veteran of the district, says, "It's two words. What can it hurt? Two words that will protect our students." ("Lesbian" and "Gay")
Once again, here is the information for Eastlake North High School and Willoughby South High School. Use the same contacts for both. If you have an update on these contacts, please comment them below to let me know.
The petition - http://www.change.org/petitions/view/end_the_anti-gay_fight_song_at_eastlake_north_high_school
Suggestion entries: http://www.weschools.org/contact.cfm
Principal Chauby’s email: jen.chauby@weschools.org
School Address: 34041 Stevens Boulevard Eastlake, Ohio 44095
Phone: 440-975-3669
Fax: 440--975-3671
Spread the word. Share on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace.
YoungStar_OneLove, also known as Isobel Hutchinson, is a member of Ohio Advocates. You can view the group's Facebook page here.
OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — In the Hispanic community, a clean home is a happy home, but during the holidays, it is critical for the home to be reluciente – or sparkling clean! According to a new study conducted by Garcia Research, 40 percent of Latinas report the holidays as their peak season for cleaning.Clorox recently released a press release with information from a new "study" conducted by Garcia Research, and many are saying it was a bad move for the company. Among the various websites investigating this story is the Jezebel blog for women. Anna North, the author of the post on Jezebel, asks:
[...] who at the cleaning conglomerate thought this was a good idea? Was nobody worried about playing into stereotypes about Latina women as maids and cleaning ladies? Did nobody think that trying to position Clorox products as part of some kind of Latina matrilineal tradition was kind of cynical and insulting?One commenter, Angry Angel, said, "Clorox sounds like somebody told them that the point of a Quinceañera is so your foremothers can teach you how clean. Pretty soon they'll be branding them as 'Cloroxañeras.'" Another frequenter of the site, Morning Glory, states sarcastically, "Clorox: Brown people, make things whiter!"
Not only is the press release generalizing an entire race, but the women within that race as well. Therefore, it is both sexist and racist. Hispanics are given a hard enough time in this country as it is, with immigration and racial profiling, and now this issue is being thrown onto the pile.
Whether or not Clorox intended to be racist or to simply market their product to a certain group of people, the company is expected to be professional and respectful at all times. Clearly, that is not what's going on.
So, what can you do?
- Boycott Clorox cleaning products.
- Contact them.
- Spread the word.
Not to make light of the issue, but the comedy show Family Guy perfectly illustrates the message they are sending out:
This football game took place at North High School in Eastlake. A brave student captured this chant on camera. Both teams have homophobic chants for each other, but only one chant has been filmed. One YouTube user, loginname7, has informed other YouTube users that the rivalry is between the so-called “Powder Blue Faggots” (because the players wear blue) and the “Halloween Homos” (because they wear orange and black). Apparently, this name-calling is quite common in the district. No wonder Mentor High School, which is within the same county, has had four suicides within the year due to bullying against gay and handicapped men and women! How and why is this type of behavior tolerated by school staff, especially with the recent spike in LGBTQ suicides?
You may be wondering, “What can I do to help?” Well, at the moment, there isn’t much to do. You can keep spreading awareness with purple clothing, but there’s no telling that this will have any effect on the school. You can post flyers around the district about tolerance and kindness, but people may take them down. You could protest, but you wouldn’t be allowed inside the school unless you’re a student there.
The best thing we can do right now is spread the video around to as many people as possible – let’s make it viral. The more progressive people we can bunch together, the better. You can also write in to your local newspaper, blog about it, or email school staff. Let them know this is an unacceptable, negative environment for students and that they should do something about it NOW, not later. Here is the information:
The petition - http://www.change.org/petitions/view/end_the_anti-gay_fight_song_at_eastlake_north_high_school
Suggestion entries: http://www.weschools.org/contact.cfm
Principal Chauby’s email: jen.chauby@weschools.org
School Address: 34041 Stevens Boulevard Eastlake, Ohio 44095
Phone: 440-975-3669
Fax: 440--975-3671
Of course, be sure to let me know if you have any ideas. Start brainstorming, advocates! We need you!
In a nutshell, this show is racist and promotes negative views of Italian-Americans to young adults and teenagers nationwide. It is a disgrace and should be boycotted until it is removed from the MTV network or until the racist terms spoken by the cast are completely censored.
For the purpose of this blog, let us forget about the sexual promiscuity and drug use seen on this “reality” show – that is not what truly needs to be discussed. Sex scenes and drug use are not an unusual thing to see on your television these days. The issue that must be addressed is far more serious, and perhaps even more damaging, than the irresponsible antics of these young adults.
Jersey Shore not only exposes, but encourages racism towards Italian-Americans through the slang words, “guido” and “guidette.”
The word “guido” and it’s new, feminine counterpart are not words to be used with pride, nor to be said without shame. This uneducated vernacular is actually quite old (dating as far back as the early 1920’s) and was used frequently as a demeaning term to describe lower-class Italians in America. It was a racial slur that hurt feelings and segregated people from another, and should still be viewed as such.
To see such Anti-Italianism, from young Italians no less, is simply disheartening. One must begin to wonder why parents do not explain these things to their children or if they even know what their young ones are watching.
Please join me in educating the masses with this informative video on Anti-Italianism and kindly correct your friends when they say the G-word!
