This excellent article discusses how peer-driven sex education is gaining momentum in Haiti. Due to the lack of institutionalized sex education, there are very high teenage pregnancy rates, which worries not only those trying to plan the country’s future, but also many teenage girls themselves. One high school student says of the club that promotes sexuality awareness: ”Thanks to the club, we avoid having babies before we are ready, and we also avoid getting infected with illnesses that potentially could cause us to die.” Clearly, everyone should have access to life-saving knowledge. If you’re lucky enough to have access to thorough and accurate sex education, maybe consider what you can do to help others? Continue Reading →
Sexual Health
Recent posts
Colleges Should Support Male Sexual Violence Survivors
This Chronicle report advises universities to include men in their sexual violence support and prevention services, reasoning that sexual violence against men is often underreported, and that universities are obligated to provide safe environments for all their students. Due to the prevalence of worldwide sexual violence against men, and situations showing that discussing gender roles with boys helps them think outside ingrained sexist behaviors (such as those that sustain rape culture), it seems like directing sexual assault prevention messages at college men as well as women is the next logical step in campus safety programs. Continue Reading →
Social Media Increases Teenage Condom Use
According to a recent report (pdf), spreading sex education messages on social media such as Facebook can be effective in raising not only awareness of STIs and pregnancy but also increasing condom use among teenagers. Lead investigator Dr. Bull suggests that “Facebook for sexual health interventions is at least equally effective as other technology-based mechanisms, and these effects match those observed for more traditional HIV prevention programs delivered in real-world settings.” Make sure to like us on Facebook so you can help spread sexual health information and perhaps make a difference. Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
Vaginal Tightening Gel Makes You Feel “Like A Virgin”?
It seems that almost every day, I come across a new product that somehow offends me on several levels. “18 Again,” a vaginal tightening gel produced by an Indian pharmaceutical company Ultratech, is no exception. According to the article from the NY Daily News, Ultratech’s goal is to “empower the new age woman.” Now, while I understand that it could be considered empowering to take the status of your vagina into your own hands (literally), the fact that the company is essentially telling millions of women that they are only worthwhile if they have so-called virginal vaginas is far from empowering. Continue Reading →
Ukelele Feminism
Among the many reactions to reproductive politics being misrepresented and misunderstood is this delightful ukelele song by my childhood friend Pam Shaffer. Enjoy! Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
Your Period: Interesting Facts and Word Origins
Random facts interest me (it’s part of why I adore the magazine Mental Floss), so a list of 68 facts about menstruation is totally up my alley. I especially appreciate that the list includes citation for all of the facts given. While not all women have periods (and not all women have vaginas), the eighth fact on the list is that women who live in modern industrialized places will have, on average, 450 menstrual cycles in her life time – which I would have never guessed. And, women in prehistoric times only had around 50 periods (this is courtesy of Vaginas: An Owner’s Manual). Those who know me well, know that I love hearing about the origins of words. Continue Reading →
Let’s Talk About Sex (Seriously)
SEX RESEARCH. The term itself is pretty self-explanatory. It’s literally the scientific study of sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. As for it’s purpose? That too should be obvious: We study sex in order to understand why we are the way we are. Continue Reading →
HIV Awareness Through Dessert
Public health campaigns take all kinds of forms, whether it be billboards, public service announcements, or kitschy jingles. But Alvin Leung, head chef at Bo Innovation restaurant in Hong Kong, China has taken a whole new approach. According to this article from Delish.com, Chef Leung has created a dessert called “Sex on the Beach,” which features an edible pink condom over edible sand. The condom, made of a “kappa and konjac” mixture and shaped around a cigar, also features a “white gooey substance” inside, made of mixture of honey and ham. Sounds appetizing! Continue Reading →
“Free” Birth Control For Women: Not So Fast
While there are many reasons to celebrate the expanded health coverage for American women under the Affordable Care Act, Tiger Beatdown reminds us that the ACA doesn’t promise women “free birth control” in the fullest sense of the phrase, nor does it extend to offer benefits to every American woman (as many are still uninsured, or their policies will not change until the following year). I believe the ACA is still a step in the right direction, but ideally we’ll see benefits such as better reproductive services extending to more and more of the population over time. Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
On Rape And Pregnancy
I did not watch, read, or listen to the news for over a week, as I was busy getting married on the beach, going on a mini-honeymoon in Santa Barbara, and then performing dance for 4 days straight at one of the largest gaming conventions in the country. Beyond the chores of unpacking and laundry and scraping glitter off everything, all I wanted to do was sleep and recover. And then I came home to this. “This” being Representative Todd Akin’s comments about how in regard to the possibility of pregnancy after rape, in his understanding, ”if it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Far more bloggers than I can count have protested the idiocy behind these remarks, and pointed out the irony that a member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology would be so ill informed. Continue Reading →