The never ending question of the best form of protection

The first time I went on the pill, it was the high estrogen type that came in a thick pink packet. It made me feel like I had PMS all the time, I got moody, and it killed my sex drive. Since then I've tried low-estrogen, progesterone-only, a diaphragm, condoms, and lots of things in between. A few friends of mine started using an IUD and love it. Another friend of mine got hormonal shots and they made her clinically depressed. My younger sister once tried the sponge. The truth is when it comes to contraception, everyone has a story to tell, and there's no one simple option.

Which is why I was excited to see Planned Parenthood's new My Method – a quiz that helps you figure out what form of birth control & protection might be best for you based on cost, frequency, whether you want to take hormones and whether you even need birth control or just prevention against STIs. And who knew -- for me, it recommended I look into an IUD, cervical cap or diaphragm!

But I'm still curious. What do you all use? And does it differ when you're in a committed relationship versus non? For partners who don't have to worry about pregnancy, what do you use? And how often? Do you use more than one method? Which method has worked best for you, and which have you been dying to try?

Mobile Health!

Ever wondered how Planned Parenthood reaches so many people? Well this month, it's been by taking to the streets!

Above is a picture of our mobile medical unit, which all throughout the month of April has been administering walk-in STD testing all throughout the city. You may have seen the inside already but if you haven't, they're basically a big clinic inside of an oversize RV. Check them out the next time you see them on the street!

So how many of you have been tested so far? Do you know how at risk you are for STDs? If you haven't been tested, go do it already!

Get Yourself Tested!

Go to folder - FileFactory.com

Checkout PPNYC's latest radio ad -- running all this week! And don't forget, get yourself tested!

Breaking: MTV VJ Gets Tested for STDs on Camera!

As some of you may have already heard, this month is Get Yourself Tested Month (or GYT09). Which means that Planned Parenthood has partnered with the Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV to remind all of you how important it is to get tested for STDs on a regular basis!

It's been pretty exciting so far, especially because we get to do cool things like have an MTV VJ come in and get tested for STDs on camera.

Watch the video! Doesn't he make it look easy? I even got to meet Carlos, and he was very sweet. And yes, he really did go through the whole exam and get tested for everything.

What about you? When was the last time you were tested for STDs? Do you think you'd be brave enough to do it on camera?

When was the last time you were tested for STDs?

Whether you lost your health insurance or are just plain lazy, you may have been putting off getting STD tested lately. But do you know how much of a risk you're facing?




Now you can! As a part of Get Yourself Tested month, Planned Parenthood has made it simple to do a quick assessment of what STDs you might be at risk for via an online quiz. Of course you should all be getting tested on a regular basis anyway - it's just common sense.

What about you guys? When was the last time you were tested? Do you get nervous before you go?

Not afraid to be helpful: Fun ways to break the ice when asking someone their HIV status

As you already know, today is World AIDS Day. One of the hardest, yet most essential, things about dating in this day and age is getting up the guts to ask potential partners about their HIV status. So we’ve included some helpful ways to break the ice below:

• Say “Look, I put clean sheets on the bed! And speaking of clean….”

• Arrange to meet someone at a certain time. Arrive ten minutes early. While waiting, text them asking for a status update. When they write back, reply “No, not THAT status silly…”

• Find the free HIV testing places closest to cupcake bakeries. Propose a “recession date” where you take advantage of the free activities around NYC. Show up at the testing facility and bribe date with promise of cupcakes.

• As an early Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza/New Years present, give your date a coupon for one hot and steamy makeout session, redeemable upon presentation of their HIV test results.

• Find out your potential partner’s favorite celebrity superstar. Photoshop up a fake copy of US Weekly with that celebrity in it espousing on how cool it is to get your HIV test results. Casually read this out loud in front of them (note this works extra well if their favorite celebrity has already spoken out about the importance of HIV testing. Not so well if their favorite celebrity is someone like Heidi Montag).

• “Knock knock”
“Who’s there?”
“Orange”
“Orange who?”
“Orange you glad I know my HIV status? When are you finding out yours??”

Syphilis = Preventable

Well, after leveling off for the past couple of year, seems our good friend syphilis is back with a vengeance, skyrocketing infection rates throughout NYC in particular. So it's time for a crash course in STD prevention: if you're gonna have sex, condoms are the only method of birth control (actually, the only method of anything) that will protect you against STDs including syphilis and HIV.

A brief service plug: you can get condoms and STD testing/counseling at Planned Parenthood health centers. And, oh right, Planned Parenthood also advocates for sex ed, which would actually help teens prevent the one and learn about the other.