Tuesday, March 6, 2007

HOWTO: Put A Condom On (A Pretty Wooden Dildo)


filed under: State of Sex Ed, We Are The Sex Media, Smart. Safe. Sex. by Melissa Gira | Leave a Comment

(Created by Sex Out Loud, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student group, found via The Isthmus Daily Page.)

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Sex in the Media: I Smell Sex and… Politics


filed under: We Are The Sex Media, Smart. Safe. Sex. by Lux Nightmare | 6 Comments

Last summer, the world’s first cancer vaccine was approved by the FDA. As part of its approval, the FDA recommended that the vaccine be given to children around the time they’re entering middle school: the same time when they receive a whole host of other mandatory vaccines. Parents across America, relieved that their children would be safe from one more life-threatening disease, lined their children up to receive the vaccine, and clamored for the federal government to make the vaccine mandatory.

Right?

Not exactly.

The thing about this “cancer vaccine,” is that the cancer it protects against is cervical cancer. And the thing about cervical cancer is that it tends to be caused by some strains of the human papilloma virus. And the thing about the human papilloma virus is that it’s sexually transmitted.

And once you introduce sex into any discussion of public policy, everyone loses their shit.

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Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Mapping Sexual Health Care in Our Communities


filed under: Smart. Safe. Sex. by Melissa Gira | 5 Comments

Here’s an experiment for all you social media sex nerds. I just now started this collaborative safer sex Google map using Wayfaring (seriously, it took me 10 minutes and a few sips of raspberry mocha to get it going).

My vision is that Sexerati readers will dive in and and create Waypoints for the places where they’ve recieved good sexual health care — where to get a rapid HIV test, a Hepatitis vaccine, a Pap smear, Plan B, free condoms and lube, peer counseling, or (and hopefully, and) support.

To make the most of the map, note in the comments for each location you contribute the website and phone number of the clinic or community center and a brief rundown of the services they provide. We can experiment with adding services to the tags, as well, though that can get pretty crazy pretty fast, with all the great, comprehensive sexual health care services out there.

My hope is that we’ll fill this thing up so well that we’ll outgrow it and have to make our own custom Google mashup (sex-positive API smartys? you’ve been warned).

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Rapid HIV Testing


filed under: Smart. Safe. Sex. by Lux Nightmare | Leave a Comment

I’ve been getting tested for HIV for almost ten years, since before I became sexually active, even. I’ve gotten tested at hospitals, at university health centers, at my doctor’s office, at my work. I’ve done the blood test, I’ve done the oral test, but until last week, I’d never done rapid HIV testing.

Traditionally, an HIV test is done in two parts. During the initial appointment, pre-test counseling is offered, and, depending on the type of test, either blood or saliva is collected. The sample is sent off to a lab, tested for HIV antibodies, and a week later, you return to the testing site to receive your results and post-test counseling.

I didn’t have time to schedule two separate appointments — even fitting one into my schedule was a bit of a stretch — so I figured I’d try out the rapid HIV testing this time. Rapid HIV testing is available at a variety of locations in NYC (including the Department of Health’s free STI clinics). I chose to make an appointment at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, over in Chelsea.

Like the standard one week tests, rapid HIV tests come in two different types: a blood test and an oral test. For the most part, the difference between the two is minimal. Both have high levels of accuracy. The choice will ultimately come down to whether you’re more partial to your spit or your blood (or which is available at the testing center nearest to you).

Callen-Lorde offers the blood test (GMHC, another local health center, offers the oral test). Unlike traditional HIV testing, where blood is drawn from the vein, the rapid HIV test is a finger prick test. A small puncture is made in the finger, and a plastic rod collects a drop of blood, which is then placed in a small vial.

I did my counseling, and then I did the test, and then I went to the waiting room to wait the twenty minutes for my results.

Here is the good thing about rapid HIV testing: you get your results in twenty minutes.

Here is the bad thing about rapid HIV testing: you get your results in twenty minutes.
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