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Stereotypical gender roles linked to bad sex
Date: 2012-10-04 00:00:00

According to newly surfaced research, individuals who believe that men should dominate women in the bedroom could be more uneasy about sex and less likely to feel comfortable taking free female condoms that could reduce the odds of receiving unfortunate results from STD testing.

Researchers from Yale University asked 500 undergraduates from Northeastern University to fill out a survey on a computer near a bowl of free female condoms. After the results were compiled, it was determined that the more the study participants felt patriarchal gender roles should be adhered to, the more they agreed with the notion that men should be dominant during heterosexual sex. These two notions also correlated to subjects reporting feeling uncomfortable in sexual situations, and being less likely to consider using female condoms that could prevent diseases detectable by STD testing.

"'Female condom? That sounds a little, you know…'" said a bunch of dudes taking this survey," commented humorist Luke O'Neil for Bullett Media.

Meanwhile, The Huffington Post put together a list of things people can do to improve their sex lives. The news source recommended experimenting with unfamiliar locations, erotica literature and common household items that could be used as accessories.

... Full Story

Women on hormonal contraceptives may forgo condoms
Date: 2012-10-15 00:00:00

A recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health reports that women who use hormonal birth control tend not to use condoms during intercourse, even though sexual activity may put them at an increased risk of contracting an STI, which can be detected with blood testing. The study, which lasted one year, looked at 1,194 sexually active females from 15 to 24 years old who received various hormonal contraceptives, such as, pills, patches, and injections from Planned Parenthood.

The results showed that of the 36 percent of the women who did use condoms before the study started, within three months of receiving birth control, only 27 percent of them opted to continue using condoms during sex. One of the authors of the research, Rachel Goldstein, M.D., noted that throughout the year, some women discontinued their hormonal contraception, and more than half of those women still did not use condoms after they stopped taking their hormonal contraception.

The main factor that determined whether a woman used condoms was her partner's preference. Goldstein reported that the women who had partners who thought condoms were "very important" were more likely to use them than women whose partners deemed them "not at all important."

"It appears that her partner's feelings may be more important than her perceived risk of a sexually transmitted infection or her own beliefs about dual method use," said Goldstein. "Although a woman feels like she is at risk for an STI, she may not be able to advocate for herself and successfully negotiate condom use with her partner."

Other forms of birth control, such as hormonal implants and IUDs, were not looked at in the study.

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No link shown between HPV vaccination and promiscuity
Date: 2012-10-11 00:00:00

Contradicting the assumptions that getting vaccinated for the human papillomavirus (HPV) would make teenage girls more likely to need STD testing after mistaking their HPV immunity as protection from other sexually transmitted diseases, and engaging in dangerous sexual behavior, a British study indicates that such is not the case.

This research, published in the journal Vaccine, compiled records of more than 1,000 young women in the U.K. whose average age was 17. Comparing those who had been vaccinated for HPV - the most common of all sexually transmitted diseases - with those who hadn't, the researchers did not find any significant difference in rates of sexual activity, condom use or number of sexual partners.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV infections don't cause any discernible health problems 90 percent of the time. However, the virus will sometimes bring about unfortunate outcomes from STD testing for genital warts, and could foster the development of cervical cancer and other, rarer forms of cancer. The group of unusual cancers connected to HPV include cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus and a particular form of throat cancer.

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Study indicates HPV vaccine is not linked to increased sexual activity among girls
Date: 2012-10-15 00:00:00

A new study conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research showed that receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is not linked to sexual promiscuity among girls.... Full Story

Study: Communication can help reduce the risk of STDs among black teenagers
Date: 2012-10-16 00:00:00

New research has shown that by getting the right information from medical, social and educational outlets, black teenagers are less likely to contract STDs. According to Oregon State University (OSU), the rate of STDS is ten times greater among black adolescents in urban areas who come from low-income families than it is for white teenagers.

The study, which was published in Research in Human Development, was based on interviews with 15- to 17-year-old black adolescents. The research revealed that teens do a good job of separating good information from bad, so concerns about students getting mixed messages from various media and educational outlets may be overstated.

"We found that young black kids who got information from varied sources tended to do pretty well in making smart choices," said research author Margaret Dolcini, Ph.D.

She also reported that although there has been significant progress when it comes to prevention, there needs to be continued exploration and an increased understanding of the causes of unsafe sex.

The study also revealed that teaching abstinence may be a good method for kids at a young age, but it should also stress other means of emotional interaction that do not include sex. The study showed that sexual education will be more effective with teens if intercourse is depicted as a natural and healthy activity that should happen at the right age and under the right circumstances.

The results of the study indicated that young women especially benefited from communicating about sex in a family atmosphere.

According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) another effective method for decreasing the rates of HIV contraction and transmission is STD testing.

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Planned Parenthood's appeal for funding from Texas is refused
Date: 2012-10-29 00:00:00

According to Reuters, on Oct. 25, the federal courts dismissed an appeal from Planned Parenthood, which opposed a ruling to cut off its funding from the state of Texas. The appeal was struck down by a three-judge panel that upheld a law that allows the state to exclude abortion-affiliated groups from participating in the state-run Women's Health Program.

Planned Parenthood claimed that it has two separate organizations in Texas, reported the Washington Post, and the one for which it would receive state funding does not perform abortions but it does service nearly half of the women involved in the program. George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services has also reported doubts about whether other treatment centers would be able to absorb all of Planned Parenthood's patients.

"Today's ruling affirms yet again that in Texas the Women's Health Program has no obligation to fund Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform or promote abortion," Governor Rick Perry said in reference to the case. "In Texas we choose life, and we will immediately begin defunding all abortion affiliates to honor and uphold that choice."

The state-run program was initiated after the federal government threatened to cut $39 million dollars in funding for the Women's Health Program, which serviced low-income women. The threat was issued when the Texas government announced that it wanted to exclude Planned Parenthood from the nationally funded program.

Planned Parenthood Statistics... Full Story