Examining the Ta-Tas!

National Breast Health Awareness is winding to a close this month and there is no better time like the present to examine the ta-tas. That’s right - it’s time to stop neglecting the lovely female anatomy up top!

Breast health is important for anyone sporting a pair, so remember to get to know your breasts more closely by completing a breast self-exam every month. The best time of the month is at the end of your period when the breasts are less tender. There are two parts of the Breast Self Exam: Looking and Feeling.

Looking: Stand in front of a mirror and rotate slowly, looking at the breasts from different angles. Look at size, shape, color and texture of the skin, first with your arms down, then with your arms above your head. Next, place your hands on your hips and bend slightly, tensing the muscles of the chest. Look for any noticeable changes in the breasts or surrounding tissue.

Feeling: Lie down with a pillow under your right shoulder. Use the pads of the first three fingers on your left hand to check your right breast by pressing in small circles, using light, medium and firm pressure. Follow an up-and-down pattern from armpit to breast bone, and collarbone to bra line. Repeat for your left breast.

Remember to remind your friends and family about breast self exams, clinical breast exams and mammograms. Early detection of breast cancer is key!

For more information about breast cancer and screening please visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure or call 1-800-462-9273

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Get involved in a great cause! October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and October 16 is National Mammography Day. There are many ways to get involved and support education and prevention efforts. Check these out:

• Checked your boobies lately? The monthly Breast Self Exam (BSE) is a great way to get to know your breasts! Start now, even if you think you’re too young (calling all 20-somethings). Knowing what is normal for your breasts can help you detect if there’s a problem later on.
• Clinical Breast Exams (those done by a healthcare provider) are recommended every 3 years for women ages 20-39 and annually for women 40 or older, unless other risk factors like family history of breast cancer are present. Check with your health care provider to see if you are at an increased risk for breast cancer and what screening options are best for you.
• Mammograms (x-rays of the breasts) are recommended annually for women 40 or older, unless other risk factors are present. Make sure to check with your health care provider about your risk.
• Remind your friends and family! Hand out BSE shower cards or send email reminders to people you know (remember, men can get breast cancer too). Advocate for early detection and screening.
  

To make an appointment with your local Planned Parenthood of Delaware for a clinical breast exam call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) or for more information about breast cancer, visit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website.

FREE HIV Testing!

In commemoration of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, on October 15, 2009 Planned Parenthood of Delaware (PPDE) and the Latin American Community Center have joined together to increase awareness of the importance of HIV prevention and education efforts in and among the Latino community.

PPDE will be offering FREE HIV testing on October 15, 2009 at our Wilmington location (625 N Shipley St). Join us in our efforts to support prevention, testing and education about HIV!

Fore more information or to make an appointment please call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526)

Sex Education is Important!

Interested in getting involved in a great cause? National Week of Action – Sex Education starts September 28th and Planned Parenthood of Delaware has some great opportunities to support comprehensive sex education in this country! Check out our Fall Workshop Series for professionals and parents in the community. Click here for more information.

Be sure to keep up-to-date with us on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter as we launch new media outreach! Also, join us at the 23rd Annual AIDS Walk on September 27th at Rockford Park! For more information or to register, check out AIDS Walk Delaware or call 302-652-6776.

Intersex…Inter-What?

If you’ve been paying attention to the sports section of the newspaper these days you may have come across an article on a female champion track start who was recently reported to have no ovaries or uterus and instead have internal testes which produce large amounts of testosterone. Although reports have not been confirmed, this article brings to light the condition known as “intersex”.

It’s important to know that being a girl or boy is about more than a penis or vagina. It includes sex, gender and gender identity. Here are some definitions to help sort it all out:

Sex = biological – a combination of chromosomes (XX for girls, XY for boys), physical parts (genitals) and hormones

Gender = society’s expectations of how boys and girls look, think and act

Gender Identity = how you feel about your gender and how you convey those feelings (through clothing, behavior, speech etc.)

According to the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), intersex is a "general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male." Approximately one in 2,000 infants is born with intersex conditions (also known as "disorders of sex development") every year.

As can be expected, the condition of intersex can create a variety of feelings and responses. For people trying to negotiate their own feelings about it, try to seek support. For more information about intersex, click here.

What's Goin’ on Down There?!

Labiaplasty, Vaginoplasty, Hymenoplasty, Clitoropexy…what does it all mean?!

These are terms for various female genital cosmetic surgeries (FGCS) that some women are choosing to undergo. In other words, surgeries which tighten, tuck and trim areas of the vulva (including the labia, clitoris, pubic mound, etc.) and the vagina.

So why would women choose elective surgery on their most private parts? Women cite various reasons for undergoing FGCS…everything from possible enhanced sexual gratification to a Valentine’s Day present for a partner.

My initial thought is, maybe some women need to reevaluate their priorities…

Why do some women choose this particular endeavor? Is it really for themselves - to make them feel beautiful or sexy? Is it because they’ve sized up their own body in comparison to someone else and determined they aren’t good enough? Or is it at the request of another person (lover, partner etc.)?

So many questions unanswered…

My momma always said, when considering anything that is potentially life changing (and/or appearance changing), make a pro-con list! I suppose though, if it was me and there was ever a con which included “potential loss of feeling,” it would be no-brainer…but to each her own…

No matter what your feelings on this particular topic, let’s remember that the vulva is beautiful and unique to each woman. No two look exactly alike, nor should they.

If we’re basing our perception of beauty by what we see in pornography, we probably have a distorted idea of what a vulva actually looks like. Since there are a myriad of vulvas out there in the world, maybe instead of trying to achieve the “perfect” look, we should focus more on enjoying our own unique beauty. It’s time for women to enjoy every part of their bodies!

Interested in more information? Check out this article…

…and if you’d like to see all the beautiful diversity the world has to offer in the vulva (and penis) departments, click here.

Lifelong Learning

With the economic downturn, many people are choosing to go back to school in hopes of making themselves more marketable in a tough job market. But of course not everyone can afford to go back to school, nor does everyone want to go back to writing papers and listening to lectures. Regardless of whether one is in school or not, what is important is to keep learning.

Lifelong learning is the idea that if people continue to learn new things throughout their lives, they will be able to keep their minds sharp and deal with change better. It is based on the belief that learning and education are related to life as a whole and not just experiences inside of educational institutions (schools, colleges).

While financial markets can go up and down, the one thing that is constant is change. Things are always changing around us—remember the cordless phone and the VCR? Playing a new game or volunteering and meeting new people are both examples of ways to continue learning after you’ve left the classroom.

Other ways to continue the process of lifelong learning:

• Go to the library and check out books on a subject you’ve always been interested in but never had the chance to learn about.
• Get together with some friends and learn to cook a new dish.
• Spend some time outside learning about nature; plant a garden.
• Teach something to someone else; you may have friends or family members who can benefit from your knowledge of sewing or doing home repairs.
  

And while on the subject of change, it’s important to remember that even our knowledge of the human body is changing. That’s why it is important to keep updated through websites, such as this one, as well as to get regular check ups. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment at one of our medical centers, click here.