What is Disordered Eating?

Do you ever find yourself constantly preoccupied with eating? Keeping obsessive track of your daily calorie intake? Weighing yourself every day? Hating yourself for "slipping up" or eating the occasional treat? Are these habits becoming more and more of an obsession?

These seemingly harmless health-conscious acts are often warning signs for the onset of eating disorders, which affect one in five American women. The two most common types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, characterized by self starvation and excessive weight loss, and bulimia nervosa, characterized by a cycle of binge eating and subsequent behaviors such as induced vomiting. These disorders are often about much more than food- they arise from physical, social, and emotional issues.

In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are struggling to cope or survive with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, both of which pose life threatening consequences. Millions more are affected by binge eating disorders.

Media messages and social obsession have a strong influence on the development of eating disorders in young girls. It is important to remember that there are a variety of healthy body types that are not often shown on TV and in the movies. Click here to see a range of healthy body sizes and shapes.

Having a positive body image is the first step to being able to maintain a happy and healthy life, free from disordered eating. While it is important to eat healthy and exercise, doing anything compulsively or in excess could lead to negative health consequences.

Check out these tips to develop and strengthen your body image:

1. Eat healthy and exercise regularly, but don’t punish yourself for eating the occasional treat or taking a day off to rest!

2. Don’t compare yourself to others- confidence is everything!

3. Surround yourself with positive people who make you feel good about yourself and who can provide you with support.

4. Write down a list of the things you like and admire about yourself- look at it frequently!

5. Involve yourself in activities that you enjoy- being happy personally and professionally will make you happier with yourself!

For more information on eating disorders check out Sex Etc.org, The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, and the National Eating Disorders Association.

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!

Protect Yourself From HPV

Did you know that HPV currently infects 6 million people in the US each year?

Wouldn’t it be great if there was an easy way to not only protect yourself from getting the most common strands of HPV but also significantly decrease your risk of getting cervical cancer? Well now there is!

There are currently two vaccines on the market, Gardasil and Cervarix, which protect against the two strands of HPV causing about 70% of cervical cancers in women. Gardasil also protects against two common types of HPV that cause 90% of genital warts. The 3-dose vaccine is recommended for all girls ages 11 to 12, and can be given to girls 9 to 26 years old.

Worried about cost? Many insurance companies will cover the cost of the 3-dose vaccine if you’re within the recommended ages. Check with your insurance company to see if you qualify. Remember that getting the HPV vaccine is an investment in your future health!

While the vaccines are highly effective, they do not protect against all strands of HPV or other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). HPV vaccines are highly recommended, however there are still many other things you can do to decrease your risk of exposure to HPV.

Reduce your risk by…
1) Abstaining from sexual activity, or if you are sexually active, being sure to use condoms every time you have sex.
2) Limiting your number of sexual partners
3) Getting Regular Pap tests
4) Getting checked by a health care provider

To make an appointment to get your HPV vaccine, call 1-800-230-PLAN

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know that HPV, the Human Papilloma Virus, has been linked to cervical cancer? HPV is a very common virus which may produce warts or certain kinds of cancer, including cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is preventable and curable if detected early. One way to detect it is through a regular Pap test. A Pap test is a sample of cervical cells collected during a pelvic (GYN) exam.

The current recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for women are:

• Pap testing beginning at age 21 or 3 years after the onset of sexual activity.
• Pap testing repeated at least every 3 years.

Another important prevention method is the HPV vaccine. This protects women against two of the HPV types that cause 70% of all cases of cervical cancer.

Planned Parenthood of Delaware offers GYN exams, Pap tests, and the HPV vaccine. Click here for a list of our Medical Centers to make an appointment, or call for walk-in hours.

And for more information, visit Planned Parenthood Federation of America or the National Cervical Cancer Coalition.

Don't Forget About Breast Health

This year, nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. This is why it is so important to complete a monthly Breast Self-Exam (BSE) and have a yearly clinical breast exam performed by a healthcare provider. Yearly mammograms (X-rays of the breasts) are recommended for women over the age of 40 or for women with a family history of breast cancer.

How Can I Reduce My Risk?

While there is no absolute method of preventing breast cancer, like many different types of cancers there may be ways to reduce the risks of acquiring it. Check out these tips for living a healthy lifestyle:

* Eat a low-fat, high fiber diet
* Eliminate as much of the saturated and trans fats from your diet as possible
* Maintain a healthy weight
* Exercise frequently
* Drink less alcohol
* Take a multivitamin with folic acid


Visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure to learn more about breast cancer risk factors.