Hook up sex during the Fringe?

Good advice from Shelby Knox. I know this article is written for US spring 
break but I reckon its applicable for Mad march in Adelaide.

A Smart Girl’s Guide to Spring Break Sex

By Shelby Knox 

Spring Break 2011 is happening right now! Feminist activist Shelby 
Knox has a quick but important round of “Smart Girl Tips” to keep you safe,
 healthy, and sexy this Spring Break!

Casual sex with more than one partner — is NOT in itself damaging to one’s
 psychological health.

Just like the “free love” generation before us, millennials figured this out long
 before the men in white coats arrived. For some, hooking up is a way to explore
 their sexuality without a relationship commitment. For others it’s a form of dating — a good relationship requires a good sexual relationship, so why not cut to the chase?

But — there’s a catch. The study only covers emotional health. It just so happens the
hook-up generation is also a primary victim of failed abstinence-only marriage programs and their sexual health knowledge is… terrifying. Another new study , this one by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, found that less than half of young adults use contraception when they have sex. In interviewing 18-29 year olds, they netted what is officially one of the scariest quotes of the year: “it doesn’t matter whether you use birth control or not; when it is your time to get pregnant it will happen.”

Yikes! These are the brainiacs you could be hooking up with over Spring Break?!? With that in mind, it’s time for another round of “Smart Girl Tips” to keep you safe, healthy, and sexy this Spring Break:

• If there’s even the remotest possibility you’ll be having sex on the beach —  anywhere else, for that matter — buy your condoms of choice before you leave and stash a few in your purse, the rest in your carry-on. Condoms are the only way to prevent sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, so use one every single time you have sex. (A condom can also be cut in half to be used as a dental dam for safer oral fun!) If you’re on birth control, make sure to pack enough pills for your trip and remember to take it at the same time you usually do — the beer pong can wait a few minutes, we promise!

• Safe sex is the goal — no one wants to get a diaper bag for graduation! — but it’s not always the reality. If the condom slips off (or never makes it on in the first place), there’s Plan B® One Step, the only one-pill emergency contraception that can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex to prevent unintended pregnancy. If you’re 17 or older, you can get it without a prescription at the pharmacy — pick it up before you leave (Plan B® One-Step is only available in the US) so a slip-up doesn’t ruin your vacation.

• If it’s mom you’d want the hospital to call when you’ve got heat exhaustion, program her numbers into your phone under ICE (“In Case of Emergency”) before you set off. When you’re on the ground, put the hotel’s phone number and address into your contacts and ask the front desk for the digits of a local cab company. If the hotel has a shuttle service, get a paper copy of the schedule and take a picture of it on your phone for later reference.

• Hop from place to place in a pack and designate a ‘sober sister’ to make sure no one is slinking out the door with that gelled up, spray-tanned creeper or undressing for an ill-advised turn on the bar. As a rule, no one should leave alone with a new-found “friend” — but if you absolutely must head out for a hook-up, have a friend program your prize’s phone number in her phone and take a picture of you together. Set a time to check-in by text — and make sure to follow through.

• The same ‘drink rules’ you follow at frat parties apply tenfold on Spring Break — never accept a drink from someone you don’t know and don’t leave it unattended while you dance or go to the bathroom. Same goes for those glowing vials of alcohol — take it directly from the server before it gets passed down the line.

• More than 60% of employers take social networking profiles into consideration when making hiring decisions. Don’t let a week of debauchery ruin your job prospects by remembering that everything is a camera, including phones, iPods, and computers. Don’t do anything at a club you’d be mortified to see on CNN tomorrow. Be selective when posting your own pics — booze bottles, red eyes, and lots of skin are probably best kept under the ‘private’ setting for you and your fellow revelers to enjoy.

Plenty of syph.com

Please have a look at this site and let me know what you think. Will it work? Would you show it to the people you work with?

Here is their blurb:

About Plenty of Syph
PlentyofSyph.com has become the fastest-growing online syphilis dating site, and best of all, it's completely FREE!
Since 2000, Alberta has been experiencing a sustained outbreak of syphilis. The number of cases has dramatically increased, and over the past few years, has spread to the general population through unsafe sexual activity. Some might see this as worrisome, but we saw this as an opportunity to tap into this growing syphilis market. And with that, PlentyofSyph.com was born.

Plenty of Syph - Girl from Plentyof Syph on Vimeo.

Men? Women? Who is most likely to go in for an STI test

I was just looking through the clinic 275 statistics for 2010 in one of the  quarterly surveillance reports in 2010. what really struck me was that males only accounted for 30% of the people that go in for testing. This means that women account for 70% of those being tested. Of course we are going to continue to have spiraling numbers of young people with an STI if this trend does not reverse. We ( workers/parents/friends) need to support young men to go in and get tested. Stay tuned for a short mp4 of a young Adelaide man telling his stiry of getting tested.

STI Myths ( they say STD)

Great little youtube video that dispels some myths around STIs. Well worth a watch. Thanks to SEXETC for this..

wonderful posting from a young woman

I had to post this on this blog. It is an email I recieved from a wonderful young woman who is concerned about all young men and women out there. This is being published with her permission. Feel free to copy and pass it on. Young people rock!!

Let me tell you a little about myself.... my name is Asha and I am 21 years old. I am the first child of Jo & Lud. My parents seperated when I was so young I don't have any memories of them being together. I was brought up between two houses, with my father and his girlfriend in the hills, and my mother by the beach. I have a younger brother and together we spent time with both sides of our family. I was showered with love and support throughout my growing years from both parents and I cannot imagine I could have come from a happier and more loving environment. Both of my parents have always been open and honest with myself and my brother. It is a relationship that is built on trust and friendship.

I don't know if it is because my father works in the youth sector or for any other reason - but to me, having a healthy and SAFE sexual relationship with anyone, just seems common sense. Not so. I am still shocked by how many of my friends, colleagues and peers can be so ignorant. I have had many chats with many different people in the last few months. These people come from all walks of life - different countries, towns, backgrounds and sexual prefences. Most of them are between 18 and 30 years of age. When I brought up the topic of contraception, the most common responses I got from males were "girls are all on the pill these days, I don't need to think about it" and "I'd know if I had something....!" A couple accused me of saying they were "dirty and diseased". I am not accusing you of that, BUT STI's DO NOT ALWAYS PRESENT SYMPTOMS!!!!!!! You may have had a check up 3 months ago, but how many times have you had unprotected sex since then, and are you absolutely sure the people you have had sex with are free of STIs? Not because you assume, but because you know and trust them when they tell you they have been tested.... recently and since having unprotected sex.

And no, not all girls are on the pill. I'm not. That doesn't mean I am going to have sex unprotected. If I am going to have sex with anyone, I will use a condom. I'm not meaning to cause offence by asking a man to wear a condom, but I actually value my health, and that means I don't want an STI! I don't know who you have had sex with, I don't want to know. And really - you don't know who I have had sex with either, so I'm not just asking you to wear one for the hell of it. They are made for a reason..!

Most girls I spoke with, were a bit more aware of the importance of using protection, but still not all practiced it. The reasons for not practicing it, generally were "being too drunk" so not caring at the time (probably more of a reason TO practice it!) and because the guy didn't want to wear one.... well, if you'd prefer to feel the pain and embarassment of Herpes, no worries, but I don't want to share that experience thank you very much.

Almost half of people I spoke with said they have had Chlamydia atleast once. They were all surprised that it is treated with just a tablet - I guess in that sense they are LUCKY that's all they had.. not everything will go away with just a tablet.

I remember afew months ago I was at the pub, I saw a man with his hand down his pants. I asked what he was doing. His reply was "I have Chlamydia, my balls sting, would you like to help by rubbing them better?" Worst pick up line in history, and No, I think I will stay away from your Chlamydia. Strange as it may be, that did not turn me on. At all!

Is this how society is? We see sexual health as a joke and nothing to worry about? I don't know what it will take to get through to these people! Even after talking with them about the importance of practicing safe sex and explaining that STIs don't always show symptoms, and just because you have a check up every three months doesn't mean your safe..... I know that some of them have still had unprotected sex...! Unprotected sex with friends, partners, "fuck buddys" and one night stands.

I'm not going to lie. I have had unprotected sex. You may call me a hypocrite, but we all make mistakes. For the record, it was with someone that I know and trust, and I know he had been tested and cleared. Still, I am wiser now! I wouldn't let it happen again. You just never know.

Whatever happened to prevention? You may have your regular check up, but by then you may already have an STI without knowing it!!! ...They do not all go away. They can be treated yes, but once you have Herpes, Warts or even worse AIDS, you are stuck with them! As well as that, some STIs can cause infertility if left untreated.
What more do we need to do? Seriously guys (and girls), buy some condoms... AND USE THEM!!!! If you can't afford to buy them, duck into your local youth centre or hospital and you can get them for free!!!!!

I AM PASSING ON THIS EMAIL TO YOU THAT I RECEIVED

Dear colleagues, National STI Prevention Program

The Australian Government is launching a second phase of activity for the National STI Prevention Program: Sexual Health Campaign early in January 2010. As you know, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the risks of infection and encourage safe sexual behaviour including using condoms and seeing a doctor about testing after unprotected sex.

Phase 2 will build on the achievements of Phase 1 with further promotion of campaign messages to target audiences. The first stage of tracking research indicates good awareness, particularly for a campaign without television advertising. The creative executions developed for Phase 1 will be used again for Phase 2 to provide cumulative benefits in awareness and recall.

The campaign will include advertising primarily in magazines, online and in washrooms of pubs and clubs, as well as public relations activity to directly engage with young people and encourage more active involvement with the campaign.

We will update you with more details as the campaign progresses over the next six months. We appreciate your ongoing support of the campaign.

If you would like to view the advertising materials or order campaign resources please go to https://statemail.sa.gov.au/OWA/redir.aspx?C=b6b0dba36fca445097786241b848b1f8&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.australia.gov.au%2fsti

If you have any queries about the campaign you can contact a member of the campaign team at https://statemail.sa.gov.au/OWA/redir.aspx?C=b6b0dba36fca445097786241b848b1f8&URL=mailto%3asti.campaign%40health.gov.au

Yours faithfully
Horizon Communication Group (on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing)

THIS is why we should talk about this stuff

Have a look at this article from Medical News Today: Need I say more??

Teen Girls Diagnosed With STI More Likely To Tell And Seek Treatment For Partners After Watching Video

So... SHineSA has lots of videos and resources iof you want to get started doing some basic EDUCATION: Give us a call or email on :

General enquiriesTel: (08) 8300 5300Email: info@shinesa.org.au

Syphilis Making Comeback, Gonorrhea More Treatment Resistant, LSUHSC's Martin Says

Here is some new information regarding STIs. It doesnt paint a pretty picture.

"the number of cases of the asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis, the most common reportable infectious disease in the US, is growing; gonorrhea, the second most common reportable infectious disease in the US, is growing more resistant to treatment; syphilis is making a comeback which could wipe out the gains made in syphilis control following the epidemic of the late 1980s; and M. Genitalium has the potential to become a public health target as recent work has now linked it to pelvic inflammatory disease in women along with being a known cause of nongonococcal urethritis in men. Dr. Martin's complete presentation follows here"

Innovative measures slash STIs Bangladeshi camps

Very intertesting ideas and innovations are occuring in many mnaqy places. Here is one. ( taken from UNHCR) I received this link through the Lancet journal )

NAYAPARA REFUGEE CAMP, Bangladesh, January 14 (UNHCR) – Zafor Ullah has been a community health worker for his fellow Rohingya refugees for eight years. When his duties expanded nearly two years ago to include condom distribution, he became an immensely popular man.
"The people in my community like to come to my house to get condoms as they can catch me [there] all the time," the 22-year-old refugee from Myanmar explains. "They might have to wait at the clinic and explain the purpose of their visit. So, to avoid all the hassle, they prefer to visit my house."
Using community health workers to distribute condoms out of their houses to both male and female refugees in the two camps in Bangladesh was the breakthrough move in a series of measures taken by UNHCR that have dramatically reduced the incidence of sexually-transmitted infections (STI) among the refugees, says Zahid Jamal Khattak, UNHCR's medical coordinator in Cox's Bazar.
Since the end of 2005, the average STI incidence per month has dropped 67 percent in the Nayapara and Kutupalong Camps, near Cox's Bazar, together home to 28,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar's northern Rakhine state. The actual drop among registered refugees has been greater, Dr. Jamal explains, but the numbers are kept higher by unregistered Rohingya living on the outskirts of Kutupalong who are treated in the camp on a humanitarian basis.
The success comes from a three-year UNHCR programme that started by training staff in the camps' out-patient clinics to recognize and properly diagnose STIs, coupled with increased availability of the correct drugs. However, problems arose in tracing partners to treat all affected patients.
Many male refugees who work outside the camp are having extramarital sex and bringing infections back to their wives, but "culturally, giving condoms to women [in the clinic to prevent future infections] was not very well appreciated," Dr. Jamal explains.
The breakthrough came with the distribution of condoms through the 39 community health workers (14 of them women) in the two camps out of their own homes, rather than the clinics. Religious leaders were included in the health workers' training to avoid any problems.
Condom distribution has skyrocketed from a paltry 780 in 2005 to 62,580 last year, and Mahamuda Khatun, a 32-year-old community health worker, says she gets requests from women refugees as well as men. "Unmarried male and female refugees visit my house in order to get condoms," she says. "They say it will help them to prevent disease."
She says one refugee woman told her she gets her husband to use a condom because "he goes out to work frequently and I don't want to catch any disease from him."
Condom use was also spurred by training on HIV prevention and education on family planning for a population that traditionally has many children. It's the kind of knowledge that Mahamuda wishes she had had earlier. "I have four children. If I had had a chance to know the consequences of having more children, I certainly would have limited my family," she says.
Both Zafor and Mahamuda feel they are helping their community. "The remuneration that I get is very little," says Zafor, "but the contribution that I provide to my fellow refugees is very big."
He's even had some pleasant surprises. One refugee man Zafor thought he had failed to persuade, later came back asking for condoms for birth control. "He said if his family becomes bigger, he will not be able to give them proper education and food," Zafor reports. "This gives me a lot of confidence and satisfaction."
And if UNHCR is able to supply more condoms, Zafor wants to be even more active. "Currently I do not go to refugees' houses to motivate them to take condoms," he explains. "When I have more supply, then I will visit refugees' houses and I'll try to motivate them and make more people aware."
By Ikterrudin Mohammed Bayzid in Nayapara Refugee Campand Kitty McKinsey in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

InSpot

Have a look at this website.
If you think you need to inform someone that you may have passed on an STI to them. This site lets you send an ecard. Its for people who dont have the courage or ability to do this face to face.

Because sometimes you just can’t find the words or space to tell someone something important, (like you might have an STD) ISIS Inc has taken care of some of the hard stuff. All you need to do is use responsibly and click send. InSpot.org lets you send a free, anonymous e-card to lovers past and present to let them know they need to get tested for potential STD’s. How great is that? A service that takes the stress out of dropping that uber embarrassing bomb.

What do you think? Is this a good idea? Does anyone know how many people are NOT informing others because they are too embarrased?

Numbers of STIs on rapid rise in UK

These figures are quite alarmimg: After all the work that is being done to prevent STIs they are STILL on the rise. I wonder why this is? Could it be that we keep trying the same things over and over again? Even when they don't work! I wonder what MIGHT work?

'People ages 18 to 24 account for only one-eighth of the total population, but the group accounts for about 50% of all newly diagnosed STI cases in the U.K. In 2007, people ages 18 to 24 accounted for 65% of new chlamydia cases, 55% of new genital warts cases and 50% of new gonorrhea cases (Castle, Reuters, 7/15). Borriello said, "It's increasingly the case that among young people, a casual shag is part of the territory, it's part of life." He added, "Increasingly a shag now stands for syphilis, herpes, anal warts and gonorrhea." '(Peter Borriello, director of HPA's Centre for Infections.) from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115442.php

Sexual infections rise among Gen Y

Hi all,

I came across this article about the statistics and rise in STI's in generation Y, late teens and 20's.

It discusses the reduction in age at first intercourse and the rise in the amount of partners that young people are having. It also talks about the sexual behaviours of young people and their attitudes towards safer sex. It reinforces what many sexual health workers know about the statistics of STI's and the need for comprehensive sexual health education, worth a read.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/health/sexual-infections-rise-among-gen-y/2008/07/02/1214950851362.html

Yet again!!!

The debate still goes on !!!!!

A recent CDC study that found that about 25% of U.S. girls and young women ages 14 to 19 have at least one of four common sexually transmitted infections is "enough to make you wonder why schools don't do a better job of sex education," Washington Post columnist Courtland Milloy writes in an opinion piece.

Milloy questions the ability of many parents to educate their children about STIs and why there was no "public outcry" about human papillomavirus infections until a pharmaceutical company developed a vaccine. He adds that even though boys are "rarely involved" in STI studies, they are "definitely involved in the problem."

According to Milloy, former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders "all but predicted" the current STI epidemic among teens. Elders' "controversial remedies" of giving condoms to students at school -- as well as "making sex education fun while keeping it real" and suggesting masturbation was the "safest sex this side of abstinence" -- brought "much-needed attention to an impending crisis, Milloy writes. However, the "frank talk" about sex and STI prevention that "left" the national dialogue after Elders resigned in 1994, and the "instinctual quest for sex" among today's teens, now "carries the risk of unspeakable pain," Milloy says (Milloy, Washington Post, 4/2).

Go here for more links re this article which is from 'Medical News Today'