I need a late pass. I was supposed to write this post on March 10, joining a number of bloggers and the Red Pump Project in observance of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I must admit that my procrastination along with a weeklong stay in Austin, TX for South by Southwest pushed back the publish date of this post. Nevertheless, here I am with my 2011 NWGHAAD post. Better late than never.
This is the third year I’m joining up with the Red Pump Project to write about …

I recently shared this Marie Claire (UK) article about women waiting longer to give birth and it sparked a few questions that got me to thinking even more.
‘The rising numbers of women conceiving for the first time in their 30s or 40s follows a trend we have seen over the past decade, although the number conceiving over 40 is still relatively small,’ says Elizabeth Duff, a senior policy adviser at the National Childbirth Trust.
ONS [Office of National Statistics] figures show that in 1990, 229,400 pregnancies occurred in women over 30, with …

I wear a lot of hats and one of those fancy toppers is as a social media strategist. Yep, not only do I spend an inordinate amount of my free time online, but I get paid to do so for my nine to five. That’s why I feel like I can speak on this with a slight air of authority – Johnson & Johnson missed out on a prime opportunity to speak to its customers via social media in regards to its O.B. Tampons. Oh yes, this is a post …

This post has two parts: (1) an update on ella™ and (2) barriers to access for men.
Last Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it was approving the sale and use of ulipristal acetate (UPA), a new form of emergency contraception (EC) to be sold under the name ella™.  Already available to and used by women in Europe, UPA has been determined to prevent pregnancy up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse. Emergency contraception has been available in the US, most popularly under the name Plan B. …

So what’s hot in birth control right now? I’ve got to say it’s the IUD, or intra-uterine device. While the pill is still uber popular in terms of hormonal birth control methods, I’m finding that more and more young women are opting for the IUD. For the medical haps on IUDs, I suggest you check here or watch this short video from Planned Parenthood.  For my personal experience and a little TMI, continue reading below.

Choosing the method:
I have personally tried out several types of BC over the years. The pill, the …

Right now, emergency contraception, or the “morning after pill”, (Plan B, Next Choice) is available to men and women from a local pharmacy like Duane Reade, Walgreens, CVS  and Rite Aid, as well as from their doctor. If you’re over 17 years of age, you can walk right up to the pharmacy counter and ask for EC. If you’re under 17, you can still get EC from a drugstore, but you need a prescription to do so. The medical community has concluded that there is no scientific reason why teens …

Right now, congressional negotiations over the final details of the health care reform bill are going on behind closed doors — and Congressman Bart Stupak is still insisting that the final bill include his total ban on private health insurance coverage for abortion.
Yes, one man is holding health care reform hostage. His goal: dictating the kind of health insurance coverage tens of millions of women will receive under reform.  - Planned Parenthood Action Fund
I don’t know about you, but this just is not right. I don’t believe this is what …

Hate me now.
Gabourey Sidibe. She’s the newest star to pop up on the Hollywood scene. Everyone loves her for her portrayal of Precious Jones in the Oscar-nominated film Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire. The movie was a critical darling and Sidibe has been praised not only for her acting, but for her out-of-nowhere jump into the scene. We’ve heard the story many times, as it’s a favorite for interviewers: Sidibe was a college student who cut class to audition for Precious on a Monday, got a call …

It seems like we’ve been talking about HIV/AIDS forever, right? I can’t remember NOT talking about it, being born in ’81 and all. It seems like someone is always beating us over the head with statistics like, “there are more than 1 million adults and adolescents in the United States living with HIV; Approximately one-fifth of them (21%) do not know that they are HIV-infected,” (DHHS). From healthcare workers to celebrities, everyone is imploring us to wrap it up, practice safe sex, and be discerning when choosing our sexual partners. …

One of the common excuses to not wear a condom is that they’re too tight and they hurt. While that’s not much of an excuse at all (don’t fall for it), the supposed reasoning is that the condom is too small or too snug for your guy’s junk. But what about those with the opposite problem of having a penis too small for most condoms?
To be sure, no one wants to cop to having a small penis. Apparently, this poses a problem for condom companies who know it would be …