Sexual Health

You know, as a culture we’ve somehow developed an awfully funny idea of what is “sex” and what isn’t “sex” that seems pretty darn arbitrary. Think about it, manual sex, oral sex, anal sex…all those things have the word sex in them. So quite honestly, from a sexual health and public health…

You will need to tell new partners about a sexually transmitted infection you have or have had, particularly one like human papillomavirus (HPV) where condoms reduce the risks of transmission, but not as well as they do for other kinds of infections. Putting someone knowingly at risk of an infection…

1. The hormones in birth control pills prevent the uterus from building up its lining (endometrium) as thick as it would be under a normal fertile cycle. This effect is mainly from the progesterone in the pills. Progesterone’s function in the body is to maintain the endometrium in stasis, so that it…

Hey there, Gabi. Have a deep breath, and let it out good and slow: it is going to be okay. I want to make something clear from the get-go. YOU are the one who gets the final say here. Not your boyfriend, but also not your Mom, either. Making a choice about a pregnancy is a big deal, it’s something…

Absolutely! Oral sex poses the potential for STI transmission for both the giver and the receiver. So it’s wise to make sure you’re using a condom (or a dental dam for oral sex on a woman) each time. One of my favorite examples of the risks associated with this is that of herpes. Many many many…

Here are the possibilities, in order of most likely to least: He WAS with someone else over this last year. I know that’s certainly the least easy possibility to look at, but if he really tested all clear before the last round of tests within the amount of time you two have been together, and you…

Nanelline: it is often tricky in some areas still to access or find emergency contraception in some areas, and unfortunately, yours is certainly one of the tricky ones. Here is what the Princeton EC site (which has a wonderful tool on that page for finding what EC options are available in every…

The most common reasons for what you are experiencing would be: • Beginning vaginal entry before you are really, truly, fully aroused. As in, aroused to the point where you are very nearly begging your partner to begin intercourse because you just can’t wait another minute for it. THAT is the point…

Yes, coldsores are the oral herpes virus, or HSV-I. Your friend has it right. Understand that most people do not contract oral herpes sexually, but through casual contact, and the majority of people with oral herpes contract it in childhood, just by doing things like sharing glasses with family…

Hey there, freakout. I’m so glad you’ve found so much help here, and kudos to you for thinking about all of this in advance of sexual activity! Really, that’s an ideal we’re always all hoping for. If everyone had all of this information in advance, we’d all be a lot healthier, and probably have much…