Forget what will.i.am and other neanderthals like him have to say about a woman who comes equipped with her own condoms– it’s 2012 and the smart, sassy, sexy women out there know that having our own protection on deck is one of the many ways we control of our health and lives. The conversation is no longer whether you should have condoms, but rather which kind and where do you keep them? I was pondering the latter question as moved into a new apartment and unpacked the old zippered pouch I …

I rarely get wrapped up in the world of entertainment “news” and gossip but something about this rash of recent, high-profile celebrity divorces has me upset. In 2011, we saw racks on racks of celeb divorces – Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson; Ashton and Demi; J.Lo and Marc Anthony; Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore; Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver; Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries; and Katy Perry and Russell Brand. While those couples certainly have problems of their own, they’ve gone largely overlooked by black folks. However, black gossip blogs, urban radio and …

How old were you when you started thinking about sex? A recent survey of African American youth conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy andEssence magazine is illuminating the attitudes young people have about sex and relationships. While much of the survey’s results will sound familiar — I can remember having some of the same thoughts and feelings as a young woman – one finding might just be the key to helping our young people make wiser decisions for their health and futures.

June is Men’s Health Month and in 1994, the U.S. Congress designated the week leading up to Father’s Day as Men’s Health Week – a time to raise awareness of preventable health problems and encourage men and boys to seek out early detection and treatment of disease. As a feminist and women’s health advocate, I am well aware of the continued threats to women’s sexual and reproductive health as well as the need to increase access and awareness around those issues.

Chris Rock once said, “There are only three things women need in life: food, water, and compliments.” I can think of a few other things in life that might come in handy but yes, a good, well-timed compliment can elevate your whole day. But ask any woman from NYC to LA if the man imploring her to smile because “it can’t be that bad,” or she’s “too pretty not to,” is giving her a compliment and she’ll tell you that he is really just working her nerves.

I wasn’t compelled to write anything about the No Wedding, No Womb shenanigans but I’ve seen two posts today about marriage, children and Black folks that made me want to share my own point of view. One piece from Clutch Mag focuses on the “single mother syndrome” in the Black community. You can read the piece for yourself but a few assertions therein stuck out for me: (1) More black children are born to unwed mothers because of poverty and lack of access to competitive job market; (2) If women …

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 …

This is just what I’ve been waiting for. Forget about getting Congress to pass the International Violence Against Women Act or waiting for comprehensive health care reform. I’ve been waiting for another book/article about how Black women need “something new.” The wait is over. Joy!
The Washington Post recently wrote about author Karyn Langhorne Folan whose book “Don’t Bring Home a White Boy: And Other Notions That Keep Black Women From Dating Out,” encourages Black women to date outside of our race instead of playing a game we’re destined to lose… …

Do you know how there are some people, no matter what they generally do, you just won’t get upset with them? I feel that way about Sean PDiddy Combs. I feel that way about Beyonce. I feel that way about Tiger Woods. For now. There’s no telling how this story is going to develop, and it seems to be developing every 12 hours, but right now I really don’t see what the big honking deal is about Tiger Friggin Woods.
Yes. That man cheated on his wife. Can’t say that …

Today is “Taking it to the Streets” day for Strong Start, an organization dedicated to educating young people about healthy relationships and ending teen dating violence. Eleven organizations in Atlanta,, Austin, Boston, Bridgeport, the Bronx, Idaho, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Oakland, Providence, and Wichita will be helping spread the message about healthy relationships. According to the website, Start Strong is also encouraging people to join the conversation online – “We are asking for your best thinking, your best advice, your best observations to get this country learning about healthy relationships, how …