Picture this...

You and your boyfriend are having sex and the condom breaks.

That kind of thing never happens but somehow it did last night. You don’t want to get pregnant (that's the whole point of birth control, right?) but a pit of dread fills your stomach. What can you do? Luckily there’s an option for these type of situations! It’s called emergency contraception. Here’s what you need to know…

• Emergency contraception (EC) is contraception that you can take to prevent pregnancy. EC is effective 3-5 days after unprotected sex, though it is best to take EC as soon as you can.
• There are a few different brands of EC. Planned Parenthood of Delaware offers Plan-B One Step and Next Choice.
• In the United States, any man or woman age 17 and older can get EC without a prescription. Women under the age of 17 will need to visit a health center and get a prescription. In both cases, you can get EC at Planned Parenthood.
• Some people may think that the morning-after pill is the same as the abortion pill. It is important to know that the morning-after pill is not an abortion pill. EC will prevent a pregnancy, but it will not end a pregnancy. If you are already pregnant when you take EC, it will not stop the pregnancy.
• EC is available at all Planned Parenthood of Delaware health center locations in Wilmington, Newark and Dover.
• EC does not protect against STIs, including HIV.
  

So when unprotected sex happens, you still have options! For more information on emergency contraception, talk to your health care provider, call Planned Parenthood, or visit these sites:

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill-4363.asp

http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/index.html

PPDE's VP of ED at SF Pride!

This year, I had the amazing opportunity to walk in the San Francisco Pride Parade in northern California as well as represent Planned Parenthood of Delaware at the Delaware LGBT Pride Festival in Rehoboth. Both experiences were deeply moving. It’s amazing how much love and acceptance one can feel when you are truly in a safe space. It’s even more powerful when each and every one of us is encouraged to celebrate the unique qualities of our fellow human beings. From coast-to-coast, it’s evident that more than ever we need to continue to fight for rights of all LGBTs to experience a life free of discrimination and bullying.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual (LGBT) people need a place where they can feel included and SAFE. Safe spaces are especially important for LGBT youth because of the bullying and harassment that commonly occurs in schools and other youth-serving community organizations. In fact, a recent study found that 90% of LGBT youth have been the victims of harassment, including verbal and physical attacks. Sometimes, it can even lead to depression and suicide, which was the case for Tyler Clementi, an 18 year-old freshman at Rutgers University. Tyler took his own life after his roommate secretly taped and broadcasted him being intimate with another male student.

As important as it is to have safe spaces for LGBT youth, many schools and organizations have no regulated policies in place to protect these young men and women. On November 17, 2010, the Sexuality Education Training Institute of Planned Parenthood of Delaware addressed this issue in a workshop called “Safe Spaces for LBGT Youth: Creating an inclusive environment.” In addition to receiving training on combating discrimination and identifying risk factors for harassment and violence, participants in this professional development workshop learned strategies for becoming a visible ally to the LGBT community. Want to know more about what you can do to become an ally? Check out www.plannedparenthood.org as well as www.advocatesforyouth.org, www.hrc.org and www.pflag.org.

October is National Family Sexuality Education Month

October is National Family Sexuality Education Month, and what better way to honor it than to celebrate comprehensive sexuality education! This year, we’re celebrating the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), which allows schools and educators to do just that-- provide comprehensive, medically-accurate, age-appropriate sex education!

PREP provides $55 million for states to provide evidence-based sex education on:

• Pregnancy prevention
• Abstinence
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention
• Responsible decision-making
• Healthy relationships
  

With an estimated 750,000 unplanned teen pregnancies and 4 million new STI transmissions among teens per year, it is clear that these topics need to be addressed. Pregnancy and STIs are 100% preventable and providing youth with factual, age-appropriate information is the first step in prevention.

Numerous studies have shown that comprehensive sex education can help kids abstain from sex, increase contraceptive use, and reduce teen pregnancies. And, we know that abstinence-only messages don’t work. Planned Parenthood of Delaware, along with teens and parents everywhere, are using Sex Ed Month to applaud Congress and the Obama administration for taking the first step toward protecting the health of the nation’s youth and empowering them to make good decisions for their bodies.

Need an excuse to bring up this sometimes tough topic? Take a peek at the Planned Parenthood list of upcoming workshops for the fall!

Sexting: Knowing the Risks and Staying Safe

Cell phones have become an essential accessory for our generation. The explosion in technology has led to people incorporating it into their personal relationships—including “sexting” (shorthand for sexy-texting) which can be anything from a sexy text message to nude or semi-nude pictures. The allure of sexting is the belief that it’s discreet, convenient, and (supposedly) safe. And because you’re sending them to someone you know and trust, it’s easy to think that pushing SEND is harmless; if it doesn’t become physical, then you can’t get hurt, right?

As it turns out, sexting can be very dangerous because these messages can be saved forever, forwarded to strangers, and shown to other people without your consent. All it can take is one fight with your significant other who forwards your pictures to their entire contact list. At this point, you can do nothing to stop those messages from spreading or to stop them from being accompanied by your number, face, and an extra message to "Pass it on!"

Many things could happen to you at the center of a Sexting situation:

• If you are under 18, sending naked pictures of yourself can be considered producing and possessing child pornography (a felony that could land you in prison or permanently on the national sex offender list).
• You could become a victim of bullying and harassment from peers.
• You could also be blackmailed into giving out more compromising photos of yourself, an act referred to as Sextortion.

So the next time you get a risqué text or want to send one, think to yourself:

• Would I say these things to him/her in person? Am I ok with others knowing what I say or do?
• How would others react to what I’m doing? Could this text hurt me in the long run?

If you are being prompted to sext, the best thing to do is cut the conversation off, wait until you’re alone with that person and set some boundaries about what is appropriate for you.

Parents and providers can attend a FREE upcoming sexting workshop! Click here for more information.

…and for more information about sexting and sextortion, check out these links:

• A Thin Line
• MSNBC
• Connect Safely
  

What's the big deal about Twilight?

If you haven’t yet noticed that Twilight has become a worldwide phenomenon, you might be a little out of the loop. And if you haven’t yet been asked whether you’re for team Team Jacob or Team Edward, it’s probably only a matter of time.

So much controversy seems to surround this series, however, that blogs and opt-ed pieces like this, have popped up everywhere. While the films may seem fairly benign – just another show about teen angst wrapped in a modern day love triangle, filled with mythical creatures like vampires and werewolves - there may be more to its message. Is Bella the delicate damsel in distress, needing constant supervision and protection from the men in her life? Or is she the woman in charge, able to go after the man she wants, while deciding her own fate? There are so many theories floating around that it’s enough to boggle the mind. This is where Planned Parenthood of Delaware (PPDE) has stepped in to help parents and providers sort out these themes and find ways to help teens negotiate media messages.

As part of our Summer of Learning series, PPDE will be presenting our next workshop, Twilight, Teens and Vampires: The world of teen relationships through the pop culture lens on July 15th from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. This workshop will discuss some important themes of the movies, while examining messages teens are receiving about relationships from popular culture. Is there anything parents and other adults can do to combat unrealistic messages portrayed in media? How do these images and messages impact youth? In this workshop we will examine these questions and much more (while of course watching some favorite clips from the movies. For all of you fan-mothers out there, this might be quite enticing.)

To register, please email edudept@ppde.org

June is National HIV Testing Month

Have you been tested recently?

Well, now’s the time! Celebrate National Testing Month (and National Testing Day – June 27th ) by taking an HIV test! It may be passed the 27th but its not to late to get tested.

Did you know…

• Someone in the US is infected with HIV every 9 ½ minutes.
• By 2007, Delaware’s AIDS incidence rate was ranked 6th highest in the nation.
  

Don’t you think it’s worth it then, to take the time to have an HIV test? Early diagnosis is important in order to seek treatment and prevent the spread to others.

Planned Parenthood of Delaware offers rapid HIV testing which involves a small finger prick and a tiny drop of blood. You are able to get your test results within about 10 minutes. See, that doesn’t sound so bad…right? It’s quick, virtually painless, and can be such a relief knowing your results. At least you won’t still be questioning whether or not you could be infected. Your partners will thank you too.

To make an appointment for an HIV test please call 1.800.230.PLAN

And for more information about HIV Testing Day or to find events in your area, visit the CDC website.

Get Yourself Tested – for FREE!

April is Get Yourself Tested (GYT) month.

Did you know…?

• 50% of sexually active young people will contract an STI (sexually transmitted infection) by the time they reach age 25
• At least one out of four teen girls in the U.S. has an STI and many women who have an STI do not have any symptoms
• 19 million new STI cases are reported each year and 50% of these cases occur in young people between 15-24
• Less than half of adults 18-44 have ever been tested for an STI other than HIV/AIDS
• Human Papillomavirus is the most common STI in the US - over 5 million people are affected each year
  

During the month of April, come to any Planned Parenthood of Delaware medical center and receive a FREE test for HIV, Chlamydia & Gonorrhea. It is very important to be tested regularly if you or someone you know is sexually active.

Wilmington 655-7293
Newark 731-7801
Dover 678-5200
Rehoboth 645-2737

Offer only valid April 1 - 30, 2010.

Check out these fun STI videos:

Mission: Eliminate Chlamydia