Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Are you naughty or nice?

Thoughts from Courtney Bauer

Behind closed doors would you rather "squash" your partner or massage their feet? Squashing is a fetish well publicized by the Tyra Banks show. It involves one of the partners (typically one who is overweight) falling onto the other partner and in essence "squashing" them. The pain involved in the squashing can increase feelings of arousal, much the same way people are aroused by S&M.

Are you turned on yet? If not then read on. So maybe squashing is a little too nice for you? Well then can I interest you in some hand cuffs and whips? S&M is sadomasochism. The sadism is if you derive pleasure from inflicting pain while the masochism is deriving pleasure from receiving the pain. This fetish as opposed to squashing, requires a few more toys. Luckily, there are plenty of good adult stores in Buffalo.

So naughty fetishes aren’t for you? How about something like podophilia? No not PEDophilia, PODophilia, or more commonly known as a foot fetish. Partners who have a love of feet are turned on by gentle foot massages and perhaps a nice little kiss on the toe. A foot fetish can be very loving and sensual, especially if there is massaging involved. Luckily this fetish doesn’t require toys and the safety risk is lower than that of squashing, but it may require getting a pedicure.

If even a foot massage is too risqué for you then maybe you are better off sticking to your teddy bears and stuffed crocodiles. What could be better than the feel of soft synthetic fur on your skin? In that case you can consider yourself a plushophile. So take your partner, or just yourself, and head to the carnival to win yourself a brand new toy!!

Fetishes are fun and arousing but make sure you always talk to your partner before breaking out the whip or costumes. You may scare them off. Also with things that involve any kind of bondage or pain make sure you and your partner have a safe word or safe action. Make sure your safe word or action is not in any way related to sex or what you are doing.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Is it true about......

Guest Comment by SBI Health Education intern, Danielle O.

Does the birth control pill cause cancer? Can an IUD cause painful sex? Does the “withdrawal” or “pulling out” method really work? Are two condoms better than one?

Today, it is hard to tell the facts from myths as far as the everyday forms of birth control go. Many people of all ages share the same misconceptions, or simply just do not know the answers to some of the questions they may have regarding the appropriate form and proper use of contraceptives. Indeed, due to the large and varying options available to us today, it is easy to get confused or misinformed.
The common misconception that keeps many women from using the pill, which is a highly effective method, is the fear that cancer is linked to the use. According to Steven Goldstein, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU School of Medicine in New York, “ the pill is not a cancer-causing agent, but a cancer-reducing agent, with good science to show that with continued pill use there’s a dramatic and continued reduction in the incidence of ovarian cancer, and even uterine cancer.”

Among the concerns listed above, questions about the intrauterine device (IUD) are quite common. Along with the frequently asked questions regarding intercourse, clients also ask if there if is interference of tampon use, and if it's possible for the device to become dislodged or move out of place. Research has shown that the answer is 'no.' Erika Banks, MD, associate residency director of obstetrics and gynecology at Montifiore Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y states, “an IUD will not interfere with tampon use, and, when properly inserted, it should not get dislodged during sex or cause you any pain, and your partner should not feel it either."

Continuing on with the misconceptions, one of the most popular is the withdrawal, or pulling out method. According to a study from the Guttmacher Institute, the effectiveness of the withdrawal method is about 96 percent. This respectfully speaking is contingent on the person’s methods just the same in comparison to proper use of condoms.

As for the idea that two condoms may be better than one, the friction of wearing two at the same time will create enough friction to cause both of the condoms to break or tear. As long as the condom is being used properly (expiration date checked, there is an air pocket, it is worn properly, and there is enough room left in the reservoir tip) one condom is what is approved and deemed effective.

It’s easy to see why just a few of the mentioned myths and other misconceptions about contraceptives are so considerable and forthrightly believable if not informed otherwise. Birth control is one of the most talked about topics, and yet people are still not getting the proper facts and information, and sometimes it all too confusing between myth and fact when it comes to sexual health.

Sources:
Steven Goldstein, MD, professor, obstetrics and gynecology, NYU School of Medicine. Margaret Polaneczky, MD, associate clinical professor, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York. Erika Banks, MD, associate director of residency, Montifiore Medical Center, New York.

Monday, December 21, 2009

MAKING CONDOMS FUN AND SEXY!

Guest Comment by Chris S., SBI Health Education Intern

If you think that condoms can't be fun or sexy, then think again. People often say that they don’t like using condoms when having sex because it ruins the mood, reduces the sensitivity and pleasure, or they are just plain boring. These are poor excuses.

There are a variety of ways to make condom use fun and entertaining. One common problem many people have is that they rush putting a condom on during foreplay or just before sex. They feel that they need to hurry or the mood will be lost. There is no need to rush!
(1) Guys - Take your time when placing a condom on – take in the moment and make it sexy and appealing. Your partner will enjoy the wait and anticipation as you take your time placing the condom on in front of them.
(2) Try having your partner place the condom on – this way, you both are engaged in the process. They are able to place the condom on while you get to enjoy the experience.
(3) Although fun, there are varying opinions on placing the condom on your partners penis with your mouth. Here is a link how: http://www.ehow.com/how_2245684_put-condom-using-mouth.html (The danger is possibly tearing or cutting the condom in the process.)

If you think that condoms don’t provide enough pleasure or that they’re boring in general, check out this site: 10 top and sexy ways to use condoms. One of those ways includes using textured condoms, such as ribbed or vibrating condoms. Even the site Go Ask Alice (Columbia University) gives informational advice to the effectiveness and possible choices of textured condoms.

Condoms don’t have to be boring! There are numerous ways to make condoms and sex fun, sexy, and entertaining. What are you waiting for?

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The “Rape Vans” - Stop Calling Them That!!!

Guest comment by Bryan R., SBI Health Education intern

You take a stroll down a frigid Main Street and hear the murmur of the students as they discuss their different modes of transportation home. Many of them slightly inebriated; ready for some pizza and their beds. If you listen in on their conversations, nine times out of ten, somewhere along the way the “rape van” will come up in conversation.

As a senior here at the University at Buffalo, I have far too often heard the Anti-Rape Task Force Safety Shuttles falsely referred to as the “rape vans.” The Anti-Rape Task Force (ARTF) was started in the late 70’s for women by women as a walk station located specifically on South campus. Over the years, it expanded to walk stations on both North and South Campus, and Safety Shuttles that run within a mile and a half radius of South Campus.

When I was a freshman living on South Campus, I vividly remember all my friends waiting inside the lobby of Goodyear Hall on frigid Buffalo nights waiting for what all the referred to as the “rape vans.” But why did they call it that? The main focus of ARTF is to help protect and provide safety services to students of the University at Buffalo, and help protect against rape. The vans are designed as deterrents of violence.

The misnomer has been passed down from student generations to generations. When I went out and polled friends who used to call it the “rape van” why they did so, they replied, “That’s what everyone else called it!” When receiving this response over and over again, each time I chuckled and thought to myself: if only these students were actually educated about rape, and how many people around them have been or will be raped or sexual assaulted at some point within their lifetimes. I had one friend suggest that perhaps as every student exits the van, or if a joke about rape or sexual assault is overheard on the van, that they receive a pamphlet with real statistics like the ones below, and maybe that will be a start:

The Facts (courtesy of RAINN.org):
• Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 college women experience a completed or attempted rape during their college years (National Institute of Justice, December 2000).
• 1 in 6 women in the U.S. has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. (National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998)
• “Almost two-thirds of all rapes are committed by someone who is known to the victim. 73% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by a non-stranger (38% of perpetrators were a friend or acquaintance of the victim, 28% were an intimate and 7% were another relative.) (National Crime Victimization Survey, 2005)”
• 2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape (National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 1998)

So, would this work? Would passing out facts like these help students to
realize that rape and sexual assault is NOT a joke, that ARTF services are benefiting them and helping to keep them safe, and that the term is offensive and wrong? Until someone finds an answer, the legacy of the “rape vans” will move onto the next incoming freshman class and the ones following on behind them.

Monday, December 7, 2009

The OTHER condom......

The Female Condom

Guest comment by Olympia J., SBI Health Education intern

There are three types of male condoms: latex, polyurethane, and natural skin sheath. The male condom is everywhere from local pharmacies, to doctor offices, schools and health fairs. There is also the female condom which is made primarily from polyurethane and sometimes from latex. When used properly, the female condom is effective at preventing pregnancy, transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). What makes the female condom appealing is that it gives women more control over their sexual health instead of depending solely on a male. However, none of these potential benefits can be realized because of the scarcity of the female condom. Some of us may have heard of the female condom but have never seen, read about, or bought one. How many of us have gone into a pharmacy and seen the countless boxes of male condoms varying in color, flavor and size? Now, how many of us have gone into a pharmacy and have seen countless boxes of the female condom? Exactly! You don’t. Now is time to globalize and advertise the female condom!

So let’s get started with Female Condom 101: The general structure of the female condom is a pouch that contains an inner ring and an outer-ring. Female condoms are clear colored and are generally the same shape and size. There are two approved types of female condoms in the United States, the FC and the FC 2. Here is how to use a female condom:

For instructions with images, check out Female Health Company's instructional video

1) Squeeze the inner ring with your thumb and index fingers

2) Get into a comfortable position either by squatting, laying down, or lifting up your leg (similar to inserting a tampon)

3) Push female condom as far back as it can go (it will be stopped by your cervix), make sure it is securely positioned between the pelvic bone and the cervix.

4) The outer ring will hang outside the vagina. Make sure it covers the labia and that your partner enters through the outer-ring.

5) When you are done, grab the outer ring, twist the pouch, pull out the female condom and discard of it (although the female condom looks sturdy, IT IS NOT APPROVED FOR REUSE!)



Information from:
http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/femalecondom.htm
http://www.avert.org/female-condom

Friday, December 4, 2009

New Recommendations - What's the Price?

Guest comment by Sam L., SBI Health Education intern

As you may know from local newspapers and national news reporters, there have been recommendations on biannual Pap smear testing and the limiting of mammogram testing. The biannual Pap smear testing has been advised through the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). They recommended that women have a Pap smear test every two years instead of annually. Women have been advised that they should have annual check-ups with their gynecologists by their primary gynecologists and physicians. MSNBC suggests that the government is trying to cut health costs by making this adjustment. The New York Times said, “Dr. Iglesia (ACOG) said that the argument for changing Pap screening is more compelling than that for cutting back on mammography…because there is more potential for harm from the overuse of Pap test.” She also suggests that young women are more prone to abnormalities that clear up on their own.

Women should have the right to have annual testing, not just to know whether or not they may have cervical cancer, but also to know their “status.” Pap smears have become a part of an annual check-up when visiting the gynecologist’s office. It also provides as a screening tool for women who may contract HPV. Certain strands of HPV may cause cervical cancer.

The new recommendations regarding mammogram screenings issued through the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggested that women ages 40-49 do not need mammograms. Their reasoning for the cut-back is that they believe that out of 1,900 women between the ages of 40 to 49, only statistically one would have breast cancer. It would only save one life. However, many oncologists believe that their primary reason for their job is to save that one life. Mammograms may provide them the information they need to save that life. They disagree with the USPSTF recommendations, and this reaction is apparent. According to CNN, Dr. Therese Bevers discussed her feelings and reactions on the new recommendations for mammograms. She said, “You have to screen more women. It’s the value we put on zero women dying.” Their ultimate purpose for their jobs is to save that “one” life.

Women should have the right to have annual testing, whether it is a Pap smear or a mammogram, at any age. Women should be able to prevent the spread of cancer throughout their body at any point of time, and they should be able to know their status at any point in time in their life. There should not be an age limit on the amount of services that are given.

Issue on new guidelines for Pap smears:
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr11-20-09.cfm

Issue on new mammogram recommendations:
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsbrca.htm

Monday, November 30, 2009

Rihanna and Chris - what can we learn?

"He Hits Me because He Loves Me"
guest comment by SBI Health Education intern, Marquia W.


By now, you've probably heard about Rihanna and Chris Brown and the continuing story; if not, here are the latest links:
Watch Chris: www.eurweb.com/story/eur55822.cfm
Watch Rihanna: www.rnbmusicblog.com/rihanna-2020-full-interview-watch-video/8793/

Listen ladies and gentlemen!

Domestic violence should not happen to anyone. It is absolutely wrong and when it does happen, remember that abuse is NEVER okay and that you are NOT alone. If your partner hits you, puts you down or forces you to engage in sexual activity-THAT IS ABUSE!

Love shouldn’t hurt at all. Remember, love should make us feel healthy and happy about the future. Having a healthy relationship makes us feel good about ourselves and the person we are with. In order to love someone, you have to love yourself as well. You should be able to communicate openly with your partner; be honest with your partner; respect your partner and treat each other as equals. Always keep in mind what the relationship means to you.

If you know of someone who has been abused contact your local 911 emergency service, or one of the agencies listed below.

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
www.ndvh.org

New York State Coalition against Domestic Violence:
24 Hour Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Hotline
English 1-800-942-6906
Spanish 1-800-942-6908
www.apdv.state.ny.us