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• Caseworker Helps 13-Year-Old Obtain Contraception

  An Australian mother is outraged that the Department of Community Services helped her 13-year-old daughter obtain a prescription for the birth control pill. Judith Meredith, who suffers from a mental illness, volunteered to turn her 13-year-old daughter Lauren over to state care. But she is horrified by what that care entailed. Read More... Posted Jul 09 2008, 01:30 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with no comments Filed under: teenagers, australia, contraception, abortion, birth control pills, STDs, The Pill, prescription, judith meredith, docs, lauren ryall, sexually active, south wales, department of community services, unwanted pregnancies, underage sex, teens having sex

• Down with “The Herp”: 1 in 4 New Yorkers Has Herpes

  Hey New Yorkers, I got a fun and quick game for ya. Gather up three of your friends. Now take a good look at the circle of you. One of you has herpes. See, wasn’t that fun? According to  the New York Health Department, over a quarter of the Big Apple’s denizens has got the magic touch. Now you might be saying, “Oh they must be including cold sores as herpes.” Nope, that 26% number is all gential herpes.  This is compared to a national average of…      Read More... Posted Jun 13 2008, 11:00 AM by Cole Gamble with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: condoms, teen pregnancy, New York, abstinence, STDs, safe sex, herpes

• Estrogen Cream: A “Natural Condom”

  Is there anything that penis cream can’t do? Many times I have asked myself that question, and I'm beginning to think the answer is no. University of Melbourne researchers have examined the possibilities of using estrogen to reduce the risk of contracting HIV, with some promising, though still inconclusive, findings. Read More... Posted Jun 05 2008, 09:41 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: condoms, HIV, STDs, penis, sexually transmitted infections, estrogen cream, AIDS prevention, keratin, risk of contracting HIV, natural condom, penis cream

• Birds, Bees, and STDs

  I realize that this statement makes me a huge wimp, but I'm not looking forward to having "the sex talk" with either of my sons. And if Brian Hennessey and Radia Daoussi have their way, that talk is going to include AIDS.  Read More... Posted Feb 26 2008, 03:33 PM by Brett Singer with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: education, film, AIDS, health and kids, STDs

• Pre-eclampsia Linked With Herpes

  In today's continuing coverage of STDs, this next report should raise plenty of eyebrows from now on whenever a new mom discusses preterm birth or high blood pressure during her pregnancy. Researchers in Australia have linked exposure to viral infection -- especially the herpes type -- to both.   Read More... Posted Feb 24 2008, 04:09 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: research study, preterm labor, premature babies, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, STDs, herpes, preterm birth

• States Turn Down Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Funds In Favor of Teaching, You Know, Actual Sex Ed

  Federal money for Cold Showers 101 may someday be a thing of the past. More and more states are declaring they will not apply for federal funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, and a couple others have applied but stated they will not stick with the abstinence-only curriculum, therefore rendering themselves ineligible. If you don't think this is a big deal, remember, these states are turning down MONEY--your tax dollars, in fact. That says something. Now why would states say they won't try and get the funds? "The jump in states opting out follows a series of reports questioning the effectiveness of the approach, including one commissioned by Congress that was released earlier this year. In addition, federal health officials reported last week that a 14-year drop in teenage pregnancy rates appeared to have reversed." Great. Oh, but I absolutely loooove the response of supporters of "just say no" sex ed...  Read More... Posted Dec 16 2007, 04:33 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: teens, birth control, sex ed, contraception, teen pregnancy, government, states, abstinence only sex education, STDs, federal funding, tax dollars

• Horn-dog Teens and 40-Year-Old Virgins Have Big Problems

  Another possible nail in the abstinence-only sex education coffin: Researchers have found possible troubles for both folks who lose their virginity early and people who hold out in cold-shower land for a long time. Early "bloomers" were found to have a more risk factors for STDs, like many partners and a history of drunken sex. However, both early and late starters had increased risk of sexual dysfunction. We don't know exactly why this is so, but researchers said that those who started sex later may "create health risks by impeding development of the emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal skills that are crucial to satisfactory sexual functioning and general well-being." See? I was just developing my interpersonal skills in my high school boyfriend's VW Bug, as well as learning that a stick shift in the lower back can really impede your enjoyment of heavy petting.  What is considered "early" and "late" to lose the old virginity? Read More... Posted Dec 06 2007, 05:36 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: research study, delinquency, abstinence only sex education, STDs, skills, virginity, teen sex