World Contraception Day Shows Us Options

Every September 26th we celebrate World Contraception Day, a day dedicated to spreading education about contraceptives (also known as birth control). World Contraception Day started in 2007 as a result of several organizations—including the United Nations and the International Alliance of Women—wanting to build awareness about accessible birth control options. This year’s theme is “A choice for all—agency, intention, access.”

“Pregnancy should happen by choice not by chance,” states the United Nations Population Fund. People use contraception for purposes ranging from helping to prevent unintended pregnancy to relieving painful periods to treating painful acne. Whatever reason someone has for choosing to use contraception, there are different kinds available!

It’s important that teens are knowledgeable about these options and have the opportunity to figure out which type will work best for them. World Contraception Day is a day where efforts to inform, educate and learn about birth control are celebrated.

What Suits You?

Having the knowledge to make an educated decision about what is best for your body can lead to more comfort with your method. Each category of contraception has options. There are long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) like the intrauterine device (IUD), short-acting hormonal methods like the Pill and barrier methods like condoms (internal and external), among others.

Different forms of birth control work better for different people. Considerations include how to access the birth control—do you need a healthcare professional to insert it, can you get it over the counter, etc.? How often do you need to take it or have it replaced—every day, once a month, after a few years? For instance, the Pill needs to be taken at around the same time each day, while an IUD may be left in for several years (it can be removed by a healthcare provider as needed at any time).

Reminder that there is only one type of contraceptive which will prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs): a condom (note that while a dental dam prevents STIs, it’s not effective at preventing pregnancy).

Some of the Options

While the Pill and IUD may be more well-known forms of contraception, there are others. For example, ever hear of the shot, the implant, the patch or the ring? Read on!

The shot is an injection you get every three months and uses the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy by halting ovulation (when an egg is released). It also works by thickening cervical mucus so sperm cannot get through to fertilize an egg.

The implant is a small, flexible rod (about the size of a matchstick) placed into the upper arm by a healthcare provider. It releases progestin to prevent ovulation. It can work for up to three years before needing to be replaced.

There is also the patch, a small, skin-toned (there are a variety of tones to choose from) sticker which releases estrogen. The patch typically gets placed on the upper back or arm. For it to work properly, you must swap it out weekly at the designated time.

The ring is made of soft, flexible ethylene-vinyl acetate and contains estrogen. It gets inserted into the vagina each month (much like a tampon) and sits just below the cervix.

There are non-hormonal options, too. For instance, while some IUDs contain hormones, the copper IUD does not (copper is a natural sperm-repellant).

Check out this list for more details and options!

Invaluable

Having different choices is invaluable. Everybody deserves the opportunity to learn what works best for them and their body. For instance, as a person with a phobia of needles, I would probably opt for something besides the shot! However, this option might be preferable for a person who wants a “set it and forget it” contraceptive, where they don’t need to remember to take something on a regular basis.

Most people will find a contraceptive that works for them. Having the opportunity to choose lets teens have more say! As for preventing unintended pregnancy—while many teens are not having sex, those who do are entitled to learn about and choose from these options. Many young people also rely on contraception for reasons unrelated to sex and they deserve to know about these health care options as well.

Join us in celebrating World Contraception Day!

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Product Review: Maia Novelties Vaporator

Product Review: Maia Novelties Vaporator A Vibe with a Buzz (Literally) I have been waiting a while to get my hands on this product to review.  It is the first of its kind that I have seen in this industry.  You get the best of both worlds, a fantastic orgasm and a smoke without leaving […]

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The Freedom to Read Act: New Jersey’s Ban on Book Bans

Books are way more than just words on a page. Stories can help us make sense of the world, figure out who we are and feel less alone. For teens, this can be especially important. Whether it’s about better understanding our identities, learning about friendships or exploring mental and sexual health, books can provide a safe space to learn without being judged.

Book bans have long been a tactic used to limit and censor information, but they’ve been on the rise in recent years. Factors for this include the influence and reach of social media and pressures from small but vocal minority conservative groups.

This is why New Jersey’s recent decision to take a stance against book bans is such a big deal.

Ensuring Access to Books

The Freedom to Read Act, passed by NJ lawmakers in late 2024, guarantees that NJ schools and libraries can’t ban books just because someone thinks they’re offensive. With this law, books cannot be removed based on the origin, background or views they represent. The act “prevents arbitrary book banning and protects the rights of students, parents and communities to have free access to age-appropriate books and learning materials at schools and public libraries,” according to an official statement. Importantly, it also provides protection for library staff members against lawsuits and harassment related to complying with this law.

Local school boards and public libraries are now required by law to create policies for managing library materials, which includes a review process to handle any concerns about those materials, ensuring a consistent way to review any complaints, as opposed to an automatic expectation to remove something based on someone’s reaction.

Organizations like the Department of Education, the State Librarian, the New Jersey Association of School Librarians and the New Jersey School Boards Association will help in setting up these policies.

Impact on Teen Health

Book bans can affect young people in significant ways. A lot of titles that people have banned or attempted to ban deal with topics like race, sexual identity, gender identity and mental health. In fact, of the most common banned books of the 2023-2024 U.S. school year, 36 percent feature characters of color and 25 percent feature LGBTQ+ characters, according to PEN America, an organization that protects the free expression to read and write. In addition, 10 percent feature characters who are neurodivergent or disabled.

Lack of access to books with diverse characters can lead to feelings of isolation, stemming from not having role models or anyone with a similar culture or experience to read about. Book bans shut down important discussions and can make teens feel like their experiences are invalid or not worth understanding.

Topics like the ones mentioned above affect many people, but teens may not always feel comfortable discussing or exploring them with others. They may feel confusion or shame asking questions. Being able to read honest and trustworthy information can make a huge difference.

Plus, books that talk about sexual health can give accurate details about things like consent, relationships and safer sex. If teens don’t have access to these kinds of resources, they might look for information in places that aren’t trustworthy. Or, they might feel embarrassed about their questions and not know where to turn.

Standing Up to Censorship

New Jersey’s decision to protect the right to read is part of a larger trend. It follows other states which have created or initiated similar laws in response to the rise in book bans. These bans often focus on books written by or about marginalized groups, sending a harmful message that these voices don’t belong.

With the Freedom to Read Act, NJ is empowering readers and standing up against censorship. The law highlights the importance of access to different ideas and perspectives.

The Freedom to Read Act shows NJ teens that their state cares about their ability to discover, learn and develop without facing unnecessary obstacles or feeling ashamed of their desire to know and understand more about themselves and others.

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LGBTQ+ Trailblazer Kathy Kozachenko’s Historic Win

Have you ever heard of Kathy Kozachenko? On April 2, 1974, she made history by becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be elected to public office.

At the time, she was a 21-year-old college student, studying at the University of Michigan. She won an Ann Arbor City Council seat as a member of the Human Rights Party. But despite this massive achievement, she isn’t widely known.

Why does her story matter? Because she showed that activism doesn’t have to wait. Her political career was the result of her desire to challenge injustice from a young age.

Your voice, as a young person, matters, and you too can bring about political change!

Early Influences

Kozachenko did not come from a politically-involved family. But like many teens, she started paying attention to the world around her, and didn’t like a lot of what she saw. It was the 1960s, and she was inspired by leaders like Robert F. Kennedy, an advocate for civil rights and the 64th attorney general of the U.S., and movements like that of the United Farm Workers (UFW), which fought for better treatment of farm laborers.

When her father didn’t let her join UFW picket lines, she helped organize a meeting in her hometown and invited a farm worker to come speak.

After arriving as a student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Kozachenko wanted to join an organization that aligned with her beliefs. She discovered the Human Rights Party, a statewide party focused on civil rights, anti-war efforts and economic justice, including fighting for tenant’s rights and labor unions. They also supported progressive movements like those for gay liberation, feminism and Black Power.

It was here that she decided to run for office.

Campaigning for Change

Kozachenko’s campaign focused on the need for funding social service programs and supporting other social issues. She wanted city funds to benefit all people, not just the powerful.

Kozachenko also advocated for more policies to protect women’s and gay rights. She was a staunch supporter of students’ rights, and she proposed a bill that protected student protestors’ First Amendment rights by limiting police power to arrest them without cause.

Still, many people don’t know her name. Kozachenko being the first openly gay person to run for and successfully win office was groundbreaking. Yet more often, people credit Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist who held a seat on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, with being the first openly gay person in office. But he wouldn’t be elected until 1977, three years after Kozachenko.

Her Legacy Today

Kozachenko’s story is incredibly powerful now, when young people continue to be on the front lines of change. Whether it’s the fight for racial equity, reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ protections or against authoritarianism and climate change, many of the issues Kozachenko cared about are still the issues we’re talking about today.

Rent is still unaffordable for many Americans. LGBTQ+ rights have come under increasing attacks from the current administration. Protestors are still being arrested for peacefully standing up for what they believe in.

Despite all this, young people are stepping up and calling for change, just as Kozachenko did. “I feel it is more important than ever to be active,” Kozachenko told the National League of Cities on nlc.org in 2024. “In today’s political climate, many hard-won rights that protect women, LGBTQ+ people and other minority groups are being overturned.”

Kathy Kozachenko is living proof that you don’t have to be older, rich or extremely powerful to make a difference. You just have to try!

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10 Facts About Sex Educators

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Effects of Time on Sex

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HPV, Cervical Cancer and YOU

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Condoms: Be Prepared!

National Condom Week runs from February 14th to the 21st, so it’s time to celebrate a great, effective contraceptive—the condom!

Barrier Method

Condoms are a barrier method of contraception, meaning they block semen from entering the vagina. They can be used during sex (vaginal, but also oral and anal) to reduce the chance of both unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They are the only contraceptive that protects against both! But here’s a question—when having sex, whose responsibility is it to bring condoms?

Whose Responsibility?

Ideally, everyone’s! A common misconception is that only the partner with a penis needs to worry about providing a condom, but this is not a good practice. Your partner’s condom could break or be expired. They could forget to bring one. You may have a latex allergy and need a condom made of a material you can tolerate. Or, what if your partner only brought one and you end up needing an additional condom?

Safer Sex

By having condoms, even if you don’t plan to wear one yourself, you can help provide for safer sex. Plus, while most people think of external condoms, which are worn on the penis, there are also internal condoms, which can be used in the vagina or anus.

Best to Be Prepared

If being prepared with a condom is so important for safer sex, why the thinking that only one partner should be responsible for having a condom? It can often stem from stigma and judgment; some people think having condoms means you’re “looking for sex” in a derogatory, slut-shaming way. This is often aimed at those who are female-identified. Yet those who identify as male are often praised for having condoms. This is an outdated double standard.

No matter your gender, if you plan to have sex, it’s best to be prepared so you can have safer sex.

Availability

Condoms are available at supermarkets, pharmacies, online and sometimes for free or at a low cost at health clinics or your doctor’s office. There is no age requirement to purchase them.

By having a condom when you plan to have sex, you can help create safer sex for both you and your partner. You can help prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs, so why not have a condom on hand?

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Exploring the Diverse Adult Scene in Canada’s Largest City

Exploring the Diverse Adult Scene in Canada’s Largest City Toronto, Canada’s vibrant metropolis, is known for its cultural diversity and lively nightlife. Among the city’s many opportunities, the adult entertainment scene stands out for its variety and quality of experiences. Toronto is a must-see destination for those seeking moments of pleasure and relaxation. Exclusive Adult […]

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The HPV Vaccine: Protecting Yourself and Others

Happy New Year! Did you know that January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month? What do you know about cervical cancer and how the HPV vaccine can help prevent it?

What Is HPV and Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer is the growth of cancer cells in the cervix, which connects the uterus to the vagina. It’s the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). However, cervical cancer can be prevented by getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV).

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. Condoms can provide some protection but HPV can still spread via skin-to-skin contact, even with condoms.

There are more than 200 strains of HPV, most of which are not harmful. The vast majority of sexually active people will contract HPV at some point, and, in most cases, the body’s immune system clears the virus without causing any problems. Most people will not even be aware that they have it.

However, in addition to the low-risk strains, there are twelve high-risk strains of HPV, some of which are responsible for most cases of cervical cancer.

All About the HPV Vaccine

The HPV vaccine is designed to protect you from the strains of HPV that are most likely to cause cancer. In the U.S., Gardasil-9 is the HPV vaccine administered.

HPV vaccination could prevent more than 90 percent of cancers caused by HPV from ever developing. This is an estimated 33,700 cases in the U.S. every year, according to the CDC!

The vaccine currently protects against nine types of HPV, including the two (HPV 16 and 18) that cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers. It also prevents types that: lead to genital warts, cause another 20 percent of cervical cancers, cause anal cancers and cause mouth and throat cancers.

When Should I Get It?

The vaccine is most effective when given before a person is exposed to HPV, which is why it’s recommended before someone chooses to become sexually active. The recommendation is typically age 11 or 12. Though this is the case, getting vaccinated even after you become sexually active can reduce the risk of developing HPV-related cancers or genital warts. People can currently get the vaccine until age 26, and even up to 45 in some cases (a health care provider can help determine if it’s right for you).

Clearing Up Misinformation

The HPV vaccine is a safe and highly effective tool in cancer prevention, but not everyone is getting it. Only around 61 percent of teens are vaccinated against HPV in the U.S. and while rates of vaccination had been rising, in recent years they have stalled, according to the CDC. Unfortunately, barriers prevent young people from receiving the vaccine.

One obstacle is lack of access to health care, either via distance, lack of transportation or otherwise. As far as cost, most private insurance plans cover it. For those without insurance, there are resources to help.

Another barrier is stigma and misinformation surrounding sex and sexual health. Some parents worry that getting their child the HPV vaccine would encourage sexual behavior, but many studies have disproved this. The choice to engage in sexual activity is much more complex than a vaccine, and the vaccine does not promote sexual behavior. It does, however, prevent many cancers and cases of genital warts.

Finally, people assigned male at birth (AMAB) have low rates of HPV vaccination. Many believe that the vaccine is only for people with cervixes. This is false. It’s for everyone and prevents not just cervical cancer, but also vaginal, penile, anal, throat and mouth cancers, among others. In addition, if you are AMAB, getting vaccinated protects your sexual partners, along with yourself.

What Can Be Done?

We can take small actions to create big change! The main way is to educate ourselves and others. It’s always a good idea to ask a health care provider any questions you have about the vaccine and HPV in general.

Another important duty we teens have is to decrease stigma surrounding sex and sexual health. HPV is really common. Talking openly about HPV and other STIs encourages people to ask questions, learn more and feel less ashamed. Have conversations with friends and family members about HPV.

Overall, the HPV vaccine is life-saving and has decreased HPV infection by 88 percent in teen girls, according to the CDC. Pretty impressive.

 

This factsheet has more information about the HPV vaccine.

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Understanding Barriers to Intimacy and Desired Outcomes

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Discover a New Frontier in Sexual Wellness and Education

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Chappell Roan and LGBTQ+ Visibility

By now, you’ve likely heard of Chappell. Chappell Roan, that is. An American singer and songwriter whose popularity has skyrocketed as a result of her song “Good Luck, Babe!” going viral, she’s become a superstar.

I first heard “Good Luck, Babe!” in the background of an Instagram post, but people had been praising Roan’s music to me even prior to that. I finally listened to her most recent album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” and to say the least, the hype was well-founded. Not only are the melodies catchy, but her lyrics tell a story—of oppression, difficult romantic endeavors, finding yourself, living out your dreams and much more. This is why Roan’s music has resonated with me and why I think it’s resonated with teens across the world.

Plus, Roan is overt about her identity as lesbian, which helps inspire LGBTQ+ teens who may find comfort in and relate to her music. Her honesty and storytelling is what makes her such an impactful representative for LGBTQ+ people.

Seen, Heard and Understood

In light of the recent U.S. presidential election, visibility and advocacy for LGBTQ+ young people are essential to our social progress as a country. Music like Roan’s provides an outlet for us to feel seen, heard and understood. When LGBTQ+ teens have public figures to look up to, we can feel inspired to speak out about our experiences and advocate for ourselves. It also establishes a way for cishet (cisgender and heterosexual) people to grasp some of what it’s like to be LGBTQ+ and maybe even relate to the emotions shown in the music and lyrics.

Good Luck, Babe!

For example, “Good Luck, Babe!” is about being romantically involved with someone who is afraid to be true to themselves about their sexual orientation. It’s also about compulsory heterosexuality, which refers to the idea that heterosexuality is assumed and enforced upon people as the norm, whether or not people fit that identity. These ideas are prevalent and can affect teens deeply, as we figure out who we are and what we want.

To me, “Good Luck, Babe!” is not hateful. The song feels sad and wistful over a lost romance, and maybe even angry, but not at the person who’s afraid to come out. Roan is instead expressing her anger at societal pressures to be heterosexual, while, at the same time, saying that you need to know your worth in any relationship.

The Importance of LGBTQ+ Representation

“Good Luck, Babe!” is not the only song of Roan’s that discusses such relatable and important topics (for LGBTQ+ folks and beyond). Her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” explores concepts from learning to be proud of who you are despite what others think of you (“Pink Pony Club”) to the experience of falling in love with a person when they just want a casual relationship (“Casual”).

LGBTQ+ representation in media like pop music is crucial to informing and helping people be more accepting. Chappell Roan’s contributions have been immeasurable. Authentic lesbian and WLW (“Women who Love Women,” an umbrella phrase that describes people who identify as women who experience romantic and/or sexual attraction to other women) representation is particularly important due to ongoing sexism and misogyny. Lesbians are often portrayed in stereotypical, objectifying ways in music and film, among other media; having music like Roan’s helps counteract that.

Check out Chappell Roan’s music on all streaming platforms, and continue to support LGBTQ+ artists!

 

*Photo by Justin Higuchi, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

 

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The Psychology Behind Your Halloween Costume

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Halle Berry’s Respin and Menopause Pioneer Joylux Announce Strategic Partnership

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