Celebrate National Condom Week!

National Condom Week is February 14-21! To celebrate this year test your condom skills by playing The Condom Game brought to you by Sex, Etc.

…and pick up your FREE safer sex packet at your local Planned Parenthood of Delaware!

What is safer sex?

Safer sex involves protecting yourself from getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) during sex play. Any sex play which involves skin-to-skin contact is not completely risk free, but there are ways to reduce those risks.
How can we practice safer sex?
• Understand and be honest about the risks we take.
• Keep our bodily fluids (blood, pre-cum, semen, vaginal fluid) out of each other's bodies.
• Always use male or female condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse.
• Always use condoms or other latex barriers for oral sex.
• Don't have sex play when we have a sore or outbreak caused by a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
• Find ways to make safer sex as pleasurable as possible.
Why have safer sex?
• Because it reduces our risk of getting an STD
• Because it reduces anxiety and fear about getting or transmitting an STD
• Because it reduces our risk of unplanned pregnancy
• Because there are many other sexual activities to engage in besides intercourse that can be fun and intimate
• Because it can be very pleasurable and exciting
For more information check out Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Rise in Teen Pregnancy Rate…Again?!

Yes you heard it right. Not only has the teen pregnancy rate in the United States risen for the first time in over a decade, but it has now risen for the second consecutive year.

2005 saw the first increase in teen pregnancy rates after a 14 year decline and 2006 quickly followed suit.

Could it be that abstinence-only education has played a role in this rise?

With this current trend, it’s a wonder why some people still take an abstinence-only-until-marriage approach to sex education. How much more research must show how ineffective these programs actually are before people pay attention? Luckily, the President supports comprehensive sex education which means more money going toward programs which are evidence-based.

Planned Parenthood of Delaware believes strongly in the importance of comprehensive sex ed and offers a variety of educational programs to the community. To view our list of services or to schedule a workshop, click here.

And to read more about teen pregnancy in the U.S., check out this Washington Post article.

Love Smart this Valentine’s Day

National Condom Week Feb. 14 - 21, 2010



Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and have you thought about how you want to express your love this year? Pick up a free “Love Smart” safer sex condom packs with two Proper Attire® condoms, lubricant, and candy. The free packs are available during regular business hours at PPDE medical centers in Wilmington, Newark, Dover and Rehoboth. For medical center hours and locations, check out www.ppdel.org.

Or express your love a different way. For many people “making love” doesn’t mean having sex at all. So what else do people do then? There are many fun and romantic ideas to show your love to someone special on Valentine’s Day or any other day. Check these out:

• Share your future goals and dreams
• Hold hands
• Make-out on the couch
• Cook dinner together
• Talk a long walk
• Give each other a massage
• Exercise together
• Have a picnic in your living room
• Write one reason you love that person everyday for the whole month
• Make your partner’s favorite meal
• Surprise your partner at work or school
• Watch a movie and cuddle
• Leave a handwritten note
• Choose a favorite song together
• Send romantic text messages throughout the day
• Give each other nicknames
• Dance
• Go for a hike
• Sing your favorite song to each other (or one you wrote)
• Write a poem for your partner
• Watch the sunrise or set together
• Go star gazing
• Make a list of things you like about one another
• Go on a day trip to a new place
• Play your favorite board game together
• Program a special ringtone on each other’s phones
• Call a radio station and dedicate a song to your partner

Now for those of you interested in getting’ it on in the bedroom this V-Day, stay tuned for our next blog on how to stay safe with condoms. More on National Condom Week next blog!