Most oral contraceptives also referred to as "the pill," which contains a combination of female hormones, estrogen and progestin (a progesterone-like medication). The combination pill reduces the risk of pregnancy by:
Preventing ovulation
Keeping the mucus in the cervix thick and impenetrable to sperm
Keeping the lining of the uterus thin
Other non-contraceptive benefits of the pill include a reduction in:
Menstrual cramps or pain
Ovarian cancer
Cancer of the endometrium (uterine lining)
Acne
Iron-deficiency anemia (a low blood count due to low iron levels)
When taken properly, birth control pills are a very effective form of contraception. The failure rate is 0.1 percent when pills are taken perfectly on the same time every day with no missed pills; however, over the first year of taking the birth control pill, the actual failure rate is 8, due primarily to missed pills or forgetting to restart the pill after the seven-day pill-free interval.
Missed pills are a common cause of pregnancy. In general, an active pill should be taken as soon as possible after a pill has been missed. Backup birth control should be used for seven days if more than two pills are missed.
For information on “BCPs”, text “SEXT”, and when you text the word “SEXT” to the number 74574, you can obtain information via your cell phones on various topics such as pregnancy, and HIV and STI prevention. Anyone who uses the “Sext” text can be directed to nearby clinics for family planning services through a zip code locator function!

All couples participating in sexual intercourse need to recognize the possibility of facing an unintended pregnancy and/or the transmission of STD/HIV. With the exception of abstinence, no single birth control method is 100 percent effective even when used consistently and correctly. Your choice of a contraceptive method depends on several factors such as efficacy, safety, personal preference, cost and noncontraceptive benefits. The contraceptive methods are divided into two categories: hormonal contraceptives and nonhormonal contraceptives.
A couple should always share the responsibility of using birth control because both partners are responsible if an unintended pregnancy occurs. This fact alone is an important reason to discuss birth control. Although it is important to discuss birth control before having sex, many individuals are embarrassed or feel awkward doing so. Partners who are sexual intermittently or first time partners may not discuss birth control before sex because they fear spoiling a romantic mood. Talking about contraception implies that sex is going to take place, which may force an individual to face internal conflicts about engaging in sex. Many individuals subscribe to the myth that good sex can only be spontaneous if unplanned and so do not discuss sex and birth control. However, taking care of the details first can enhance spontaneity.

The best time to discuss birth control is before sexual intercourse begins. A partner can say something like, "I would really like to make love (have sex) with you, and I want to be sure we're protected." That kind of introduction can be followed by a statement of preference and personal responsibility, such as, "I prefer to use condoms" or "I'm on the pill" or, using a question, such as, "What birth control method do you prefer?" or "What are we going to do about birth control?"

Because many contraceptives are designed for use by the woman, many couples believe that birth control is not the male partner's responsibility. Even if the man is concerned about preventing an unintended pregnancy, he may not ask about birth control, fearing embarrassment or appearing ignorant. Many women, however, welcome a man initiating a discussion of birth control.

Contraception is most effective when the responsibility for birth control is shared. Couples can read and discuss information about the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods, and they can try various methods to find out which are best suited for them. They can share financial costs of their chosen method(s). They can share the responsibility for their chosen method. A man can learn how a diaphragm is used, a woman can learn about the condom, and they can incorporate this into their lovemaking.

BCPs: What do you know about this Pregnancy Prevention option?

Most oral contraceptives also referred to as "the pill," which contains a combination of female hormones, estrogen and progestin (a progesterone-like medication). The combination pill reduces the risk of pregnancy by:

• Preventing ovulation
• Keeping the mucus in the cervix thick and impenetrable to sperm
• Keeping the lining of the uterus thin
Other non-contraceptive benefits of the pill include a reduction in:
• Menstrual cramps or pain
• Ovarian cancer
• Cancer of the endometrium (uterine lining)
• Acne
• Iron-deficiency anemia (a low blood count due to low iron levels)

When taken properly, birth control pills are a very effective form of contraception. The failure rate is 0.1 percent when pills are taken perfectly on the same time every day with no missed pills; however, over the first year of taking the birth control pill, the actual failure rate is 8, due primarily to missed pills or forgetting to restart the pill after the seven-day pill-free interval.

Missed pills are a common cause of pregnancy. In general, an active pill should be taken as soon as possible after a pill has been missed. Backup birth control should be used for seven days if more than two pills are missed.

For information on “BCPs”, text “SEXT”, and when you text the word “SEXT” to the number 74574, you can obtain information via your cell phones on various topics such as pregnancy, and HIV and STI prevention. Anyone who uses the “Sext” text can be directed to nearby clinics for family planning services through a zip code locator function!

Heroes matter. Especially to black children (and other minorities) who are not reflected and often disrespected in media portrayals. There is a critical need to ignite success in our black boys, but this requires particularly aggressive care and planning to support and nurture young black boys into becoming healthy black men. But are these healthy black men really represented in the media? Not really. But if they do exist, there are too few who can pass media scrutiny today. I wonder if we, the public, spend too much of our time being consumed about the finances, marriages, and inner workings of famous people. It can be titillating, but is it creating a vulture-like mentality in society? Is it a wonder that in the age of “reality TV” more and more “average people” are famous for nothing but poor behavior—arguing, fighting, promiscuity, sex tapes, etc. These are the new celebrities? Really?

For the sake of young people, I challenge parents, guardians, and community members alike to counter images attacking young impressionable children at home. Instead, we should be increasing access to “real role models” whom young boys (and girls) can spend time with, learn from, and yes become inspired by. Don’t let black men like Eric Williams, the ex-husband of Jennifer Williams, from “Basket Ball” Wives get that job!

 We go to the internet for everything from news, job searches, for purchasing gifts, even to choose sexual partners. The pervasiveness of social media has created new skills among people using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the like to enhance their professional and personal lives. Social media and internet “chat rooms” offer individuals an opportunity to network with scores of people who have similar interests to develop friendships and relationships. There seems to be a website or social media outlet for everyone and this has impacted the way individuals express intimacy to one another. For example, I recently had a client who felt comfortable with sharing naked pictures by phone text messaging but was “afraid” to have a discussion with his potential partner about safe sex. I had another client who felt comfortable talking about her likes/dislikes sexually by chatting on the internet, but thought it to be “unromantic” to talk about sex history and sexually transmitted infections with her partner in person.

It’s true, the internet has created various forums for people to have personal exchanges, yet it hasn’t perfected a space for meaningful and healthy dialogue about sexuality and relational expectations. That is why it’s important to ask questions and not make assumptions based on profile pages that may or may not be totally accurate, especially when it comes to health status. Too many people are quick to get relative information (e.g., email or phone number), and become intimate with someone they may not really know. If hooking up and having sex with you only takes a few tweets, text messages, emails, or picture exchanges, what does that say about the value that you place on yourself and your sexuality? SLOW DOWN!!!

Truly, if you want to, text ,SEXT to 74574, and it will help you with tihngs like finding a local clinic to get tested, or topics about STD's and HIV. So get the word out and text, SEXT.