Pope Benedict Portrait in Condoms Surprisingly Realistic

Here's a portrait of Pope Benedict, who recently stepped down as the Roman Catholic Church's Vicar of Christ on Earth.

It's made entirely out of condoms and reportedly took artist Niki Johnson a total of three years and 270 hours (split evenly between taking condoms out of their wrappers and then weaving them into a metal mesh).

Source: Here

Boston College Threatens Disciplinary Action Against Students Who Distributed Condoms

A group of students has been distributing contraceptives and information about safe sex in 18 Boston College dorm rooms for two years. But on March 15, the school decided it was time to put an end to the practice, and sent a letter threatening disciplinary action to the safe sex network, dubbed ‘Safe Sites.’ The letter said that the contraception distribution violated their “responsibility to protect the values and traditions of Boston College as a Jesuit, Catholic institution.”

Boston College itself offers contraception as part of its student health plan, as required by Massachusetts law. But students who run the Safe Sites program can’t follow their school’s precedent, and must discontinue distributing condoms, or face the school’s office of student conduct, the Boston Globe reports:

Source: Here

BC tells students to stop dispensing condoms

Boston College officials are threatening to take disciplinary measures against a group of students who are distributing condoms out of their dorm rooms, calling the act a violation of the university’s mission as a Catholic institution.

In a move that has the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union threatening ­legal action, BC officials sent a letter to students on March 15 demanding an end to student-run Safe Sites, a network of dorm rooms and other locations where free contraceptives and safe-sex information are available.

Source: Here

BC Attracts the ACLU’s Attention, Threatening to Punish Students for Distributing Condoms on Campus

In an effort “to protect the values and traditions of Boston College as a Jesuit, Catholic institution,” the administration has threatened to punish students handing out condoms on campus.

Boston College officials have demanded an end to Safe Sites, a network of 18 dorm rooms and other locations on or near campus that offer free contraceptives and safe sex pamphlets.

Source: Here

How to Increase Sexual Stamina in 5 ways

If you’re the type of guy who’s always looking for tips and exercises that can help you increase your sexual stamina, then there are a lot of things that you can do. Lasting just a few minutes may not be enough for you or your partner, and it can lead to a few frustrating and embarrassing situation.

Here are 5 tips to help you last and perform better in bed.

Eat the right food

Create a meal plan that will help increase your sexual endurance. We’ve all heard of aphrodisiacs and how they can help with our libido. There are a lot of foods that you can just pick up at your local grocery to help with sex. For example, blueberries, aside from being filled with anti-oxidants and vitamins, can help yoursexual endurance far better than potions or pills. Stick with natural and organic food like veggies and fruits. As much as possible, avoid fast food and processed foods since these don’t really contain enough vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

Breathe in and out 

Body tension kills enjoyable sex, so monitor how you breathe when you’re having sex. Tensions can cause you to have premature ejaculation, loss of erection and other sexual issues. You need to take deep, relaxing and slow breaths and focus on your breathing. Breathe in naturally and don’t make some kind of crazy rhythm.

Try out new condoms

Safe sex has always been a big issue, especially now that people are becoming more open about sex and being sexually active. The type of condom you use could make a big difference. Be creative and add flavors and even textures to your consideration the next time you buy a pack. Safe sex is also fun if you know what condom to use.

Exercise

Exercising does more that keeping you healthy and strong, it also lets you learn how to control your muscles and give you stamina for sex. Try the Kegel PC muscle workout. This helps you manage your ejaculation reflexes. Go online to research more about this exercise.

Toys

Some sex toys, like rings, can actually help you last longer in bed. Be open minded about using these toys. Most sex shops offer these but if you’re too shy to actually go into on, there are thousands on sex toys websites that you can visit.

DCHHS Says Schools Need Free Condoms, Explicit Sex Education

with teen birth rates Last year, we were fourth highest in the nation. And, in Dallas County, sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise among teenagers.

Teenagers are constantly being bombarded with sexually explicit messages, drowning out the message of abstinence says Dallas County Health Director Zachary Thompson.

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WMC Countdown: EC Twins Talk Condoms and House Music

In this special edition of our "WMC Countdown", VIBE announces A BRAND NEW smokin' hot affair flaming up in Miami, this one, at SL Miami on Wednesday (March 20).

VIBE has been dropping the complete 411 on your favorite artists that will be taking over downtown Miami for Winter Music Conference 2013. As the days dwindle before we head down to the dance music mecca, VIBE brings you exclusive coverage and interviews to tide you over until the beats-bumpin', sun-blazing madness ensues. Hookin' you up as always, this time we are joining forces with StadiumRed and APA to bring readers the Perfecto and APA Pool Party at the Clevelander on March 22nd and Electric Splash at the Viceroy on 23rd.

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MTV leaps a generation, lures GenerationX with condoms

MUMBAI: It took a long while coming. Almost 18 months of debates and deliberations after it initially came up with the idea, music channel MTV has forayed into the condom market in tie-up with JK Ansell, the maker of KamaSutra condoms.

Branded 'MTV Hardwear by KamaSutra' and available in 'bi-coloured' and 'big-head' variants, the condoms hit retail shelves in 25 cities across the country this week, marking MTV's latest and boldest brand extension.

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Turning Vegan – 3 Simple Reasons Why you Should

To most, shifting to veganism is just a phase. The hype of how amazing this lifestyle is got pumped up because of media and celebrities who turned vegan.  But it’s definitely more than just a fad. Millions of people have successfully changed their mindset, diet and lifestyle after they turned vegan. Today, vegans make up a big percentage of the total population in the United States.

But why should you even consider turning vegan? Here are 3 simple reasons why you should think about it.

Do you care about your health?

Many people turn to veganism because of their health. Sure it’s not just all about the diet, but it does play a vital role. Vegans do not eat anything that’s made from animal byproducts and just stick with natural, and if possible, organic plant based food. They also stay away from processed foods that contain a lot of preservatives and chemicals that could harm the body. These days, you can find vegan substitutes for everything, from vegan “meat” replacements to vegan condoms.

Do you care about the environment?

Turning vegan also helps you become socially aware about pollution, recycling and using only what you need. The lifestyle helps you lessen your carbon footprint and take better care of the environment. Some vegans even make it a point to become self-sustainable, planting their own vegetables and fruits the organic way and recycling what they can to minimize trash and pollution. More vegans are learning how to become self-sustainable, and vegan communities are promoting this by offering classes on gardening, DIY recycling and more.  Most vegan items, such as vegan condoms, are easy to recycle and are biodegradable.

Do you care are about animals?

Farm animals that are raised for human consumption go through a lot of pain and suffering. Form the moment they are born, most of these animals are forced feed food that contains chemicals that are used to genetically modify them to make them bigger or meatier. Some animals that are used to harvest by-products like milk and eggs are over worked and are also given chemicals so that they can produce more. These animals do not deserve how they are being treated and many vegan communities and releasing press statements, articles, documentaries and movies about how they are being abused to educate people.

These 3 simple reasons should be enough for you to turn vegan. Although it is going to take a lot of sacrifices, it definitely is a better lifestyle.

FIRST-PERSON: 'Safe' sex? Hardly

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- Most words have clear and distinct definitions and for those that don't, context helps to delineate meaning. An example of a word with a definite denotation is "safe."

"Safe," according to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, means "protected from or not exposed to danger or risk."

When the word safe is used to describe a product or activity, the message conveyed is that it will not cause harm to consumers or participants. Our government even goes to great lengths to ensure companies provide labels concerning a product's relative safety.

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How Come the Characters On Girls Never Use Condoms?

This week’s Girls presented us with two sex scenes, the fairly sexy recoupling of Marnie and Charlie, and the supremely uncomfortable union of Natalia and Adam. Both were depicted as impromptu moments of unrestrained passion, but it struck me as odd that neither couple even brought up the idea of protected sex beforehand. Now, I would consider myself sympathetic in general to dramatic films and television desiring to gloss over this moment, in order to depict a more elegant, romantic intercourse.

But for a show that often goes so far out of its way to portray the full range of sexual discomfort and awkwardness, Girls has been surprisingly hesitant to bring condoms into the mix.

Source: Here

Gates Foundation wants to make safe sex more fun

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation thinks safe sex isn’t as much fun as it should be.

At least, that seems to be the gist of one request for a grant application from the world’s largest philanthropy as part of its Grand Challenges Explorations program. One of the goals for this round is to develop a better condom.

“It is a bit unusual,” said Stephen Ward, the program officer with the Gates Foundation administering the project.

Source: Here

When Should you Talk to a Sex Therapist?

Having to talk to a therapist sound scary to most people, there’s still that link between having problems with your mind and therapy sessions. But people are becoming more open about it and having to talk to a shrink is a common fix to most problems. When it comes to issues within the bedroom, a sex therapist is the person you want to talk to. Many therapists specialize in sex therapy and you can find them in most cities and towns these days.

But when it is time to talk to one? Here are a few cues.

Not so normal daily life

If your issue is starting to affect how you perform at school or work, your relationships with other people and your decision making skills, then it might be time to talk to a sex therapist. For example, becoming a sex addict could be affecting your decisions on safe sex. Many people set up appointments for therapist only when they start to realize that their lives are already falling apart and that they need a lot of help copping with it and building it back up.

You just don’t understand it

Some people have a problem understanding their sexual problems and frustrations. A sex therapist can help you understand where these frustrations are coming from and what you can do to cope with them. They can help dig down to the core of the issues and guide you to finding an answer to your problems. Sex therapist can also help teach you more about sexuality, safe sex and a healthy sex life.

S.O.S

Many couples would take sex therapy sessions to help save their relationship. Many couples consider sex as a major component to their relationship, and having problems with it could shake the foundations. Sex therapy is also closely knit to family therapy. Some couples can’t start a family because of their sexual frustrations and problems.

You need to face it

It’s difficult to face it, but you have to deal with it at some point. Opening up about sexual problems is a difficult thing to do, especially for men, but once you start to acknowledge the issue, it’s going to be easier to handle and cope with it. The longer you keep it inside, the more difficult it’s going to be at the end. This way, you and the therapist can talk about what you can do to resolve the issue and live your life normally again.

It’s Not Safe Sex If You’ve Just Had the Smallpox Vaccine

One of my more memorable teachers used to love warning us about the hazards of sex.

No, this wasn’t in my 8th grade health class — this was during my first year of Infectious Diseases fellowship, and the teacher was one of our highly experienced attending physicians, now retired.

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Carrying condoms can get you arrested in NYC

New York police have apparently been stopping, searching and occasionally arresting minority or transgender women. Why? For, by their standards, looking like possible prostitutes ... and daring to carry condoms. 

And these unlucky women don't just get targeted, they also get their condoms confiscated. Why? The rationale is to discourage prostitution, but obviously it's just making prostitution more dangerous: A study released by the Sex Workers Project shows that about half the women whose condoms were taken away still engaged in sex work that night, now minus their condoms. 46 percent said they'd stopped carrying condoms altogether, fearing harassment.

Source: Here 

Women In New York Are Getting Arrested For Carrying Condoms

If a New York police officer thinks your skirt is too short and you happen to be carrying condoms, that's reportedly enough evidence to arrest you.

Molly Crabapple at Vice reports on a study released last year by the Sex Workers Project and the PROS Network. It reveals shocking stories of police stopping, searching, and hauling away women who are minorities or transgender and happen to have condoms in their purses

Source: Here

Never Forget: The NYPD Arrests People Caught Carrying Condoms

The Village Voice and Vice both have feature stories this week all about how you can be arrested for carrying condoms, because they can be used by the police as evidence of prostitution. Which is, unfortunately, nothing new: it's a much criticized tactic that the NYPD have been using for years. The Voice does bring up an interesting question though: if a person is in possession of a condom distributed by NYC and they are then arrested with that condom used as major evidence, does it count as "entrapment"?

While it seems unlikely that this argument could fly (the Voice really just tiptoes around the idea), the Department of Health could try to put increased pressure on the city, considering it's making their program look bad. There is one major potential solution to this issue: the “No Condoms As Evidence Bill” was reintroduced in mid-January by Queens Democratic assemblywoman Barbara M. Clark and Brooklyn Democratic state senator Velmanette Montgomery, who first introduced the legislation in 1999.

Source: Here

Tips on testing for latex allergies

Allergies are really annoying especially if you’re not aware of them. Some people are not so sure if they’re allergic to something because the symptoms are too unnoticeable and they don’t feel any different. However, allergies should still be taken seriously and one needs to be aware of the limitations that it can cause.

Some allergies, like latex allergies, might end up in a very embarrassing situation if you’re not careful. You could be using a latex condom that could trigger your allergies. Commonly, it only shows a couple of small rashes on the skin, but some cases might call for immediate medical assistance.

If you think you have latex allergies but are not sure, here are a few things that you can do.

Test other parts of your skin

The safest way to know if you’re allergic to latex is to test yourself. You can do a skin test which basically means you deliberately expose yourself to latex and check if it shows a reaction or not. Keep the test safe by doing it on the back of your hand or other area that you can easily reach and check. You might also want to ask assistance from a medical professional when preforming the skin test. Use regular latex condoms and skip special ones like natural rubber and vegan condoms.

Check your family and medical history

Other people who have the allergies tend to forget about it, so it’s a good idea to scan through your medical history and check if there were any case of allergies. You can also check any record of family members who have the allergy. Most allergies are genetic, and if one of your parents is allergic to latex, you might also be. Ask your mom or dad if they can remember.

Don’t use latex

If you’re still not sure if your allergic or not, then it’s just best to keep away from latex. There are other types of condoms in the market such as vegan condoms that don’t contain the protein found in common latex but does offer the same functions as one. Avoidance is key, so watch what you buy.

Whether you’re allergic or not, it’s also a good idea to have medication around. Common anti-histamine can help you ease down any allergic reaction so have one just in case. Take note of how severe the allergy as and how it affects you.