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.

Source: Here

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.