sexandsensibilities.com

Advocates for Youth is recruiting six youth bloggers from the Global South to report on sexual and reproductive health and rights issues from March 1, 2012-December 31, 2012.

If you would like to apply and are a young person between the ages of 18 and 24 and live in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, or Asia, please submit your application by Wednesday, February 15, 2012, to Lauren@advocatesforyouth.org.

To apply, you must:

• have an interest in youth global sexual and reproductive health and rights issues
• have an understanding of the intersection between sexual and reproductive health and rights, environmental sustainability and/or sustainable development
• be able to commit to reporting by posting blogs throughout the year
• have strong writing skills
• have experience studying or working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights, youth development, and/or journalism
• be available to travel to at least one international conference (costs will be covered by Advocates) during the year
• have reliable internet connection with the ability to respond to emails promptly and regularly
• be able to write 3 blog posts addressing global youth sexual and reproductive health and rights issues each month. One of the three monthly blog posts must relate to the connection between sexual and reproductive health and the environment.

Applicants will be notified about whether they have been selected by Friday, February 24, 2012. The six youth writers will participate in a webinar hosted by Advocates for Youth, focused on blogging skills, new media, and youth global sexual and reproductive health and rights issues. During the term of the contract, the youth bloggers will post at least three blogs per month. In addition, the youth bloggers may potentially travel to an international conference in order to report daily on youth sexual and reproductive health and rights issues. Advocates for Youth will cover travel to designated conferences and visa fees, in addition to lodging, and meals during the conferences. Advocates will also provide writers with a stipend of US$50.00 per month.

Download the Application!

Advocates for Youth is a non-profit organization that works in the United States and around the world to promote programs and policies that help young people make responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Advocates supports youth activists working to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights and hosts a youth activist website called www.amplifyyourvoice.org. Advocates also builds the capacity of youth-led and youth-serving organizations to implement sexual and reproductive health programming as well as advocacy initiatives; conducts media outreach; and educates policy-makers. Advocates for Youth is a pro-choice organization and supports the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth.

Advocates for Youth has a form to sign-up for the iYAN on our website. Send this link to your friends so they can sign-up too!

www.advocatesforyouth.orgiYAN

        

by Elizabeth Fox, Sex and Sensibilities.com Summer Intern

Here’s what first-timers should expect from their first visit

Stirrups. Paper-covered examination table. Sterilized metal instruments. Latex gloves. The little thing that looks like a duck’s head but actually does something else that you don’t really want to think about—

We’ve all seen it in the movies. A visit to the gynecologist can be awkward, painful, or upsetting—in short, anything but quick and easy. The average woman therefore tends to be a little apprehensive as she prepares for her first pelvic exam. Think you fall into this category? We’ve compiled a brief guide from the trustworthy information of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), WebMD, and our own SaSsy experiences. Read on to learn what to really expect when you’re due for your first pelvic exam.

Doctors recommend having your first pelvic exam either when you become sexually active or when you reach your late teens, whichever comes first. As you prepare for your first exam, you don’t need to do much. For your own comfort, it may be best to avoid scheduling your appointment when you have your period, and it may also be helpful to write down any questions you have before you go, but otherwise you should be all set.

The exact sequence of events in a pelvic exam varies from doctor to doctor, but your session will look something like this:

First, your doctor will ask you a few questions about your personal history—sexual activity, periods, any medications (such as birth control) relating to your reproductive health, and so on. She may also ask you for a urine sample which can be used to perform a quick pregnancy test and be taken to a lab later to test for STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases).

Next, your doctor may perform a breast exam, gently touching your breasts with her fingers looking for any abnormalities. She will also probably teach you how to do a self-exam of your breasts, an important monthly ritual for every woman.

Finally, your doctor will begin the pelvic exam. For this, you will be asked to lie on the exam table, your bottom at to the edge of the bed and your feet in stirrups. You’ll be wearing a hospital gown, but you will also have a sheet of paper over your legs for privacy. First, your gynecologist will do a quick examination of your vulva to make sure everything looks healthy. Next, she will insert the speculum (the instrument that does look a bit like a duck’s head—but don’t worry, it’s much smaller, often only the size of a super tampon) into your vagina and open it slightly. This holds the vaginal walls apart and allows your gyne to have a good look at the inside of your vagina and cervix and, once again, check to make sure all looks healthy and normal. Then, your doctor will perform your pap smear, the process in which a small sample of cells is taken from your cervix and then tested for abnormalities that could lead to cancer. Your doctor will insert a small brush—it looks a bit like a Q-tip—into your vagina and lightly swab your cervix to take the cell sample. The cells are then sent to a lab, the results of which you should get in a couple weeks.

Finally, your doctor will remove the speculum and perform the last part of the exam, called the bimanual (two hand) exam. In this, she will insert one or two lubricated fingers into your vagina while pressing on your abdomen from the outside with her other hand. This is called “palpating” and allows her to ensure that your uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes are all growth-free, correctly positioned, and normally sized. Once this is over, you should be free to go.

Though the process seems elaborate, rest assured—your gynecologist does this every day and the whole appointment is unbelievably quick. As your exam is performed, it is normal to feel some discomfort. After all, it’s not every day that a stranger palpates your ovaries. Never hesitate to alert your gynecologist when you feel uncomfortable as she may be able to do something to put you more at ease. It is also important to mention any time you feel pain, as that can be an indicator of a problem.

Always remember that no one—not even a doctor—has the right to make you feel uncomfortable, and if you say stop, your doctor must stop. If you think your doctor did something in the appointment that she should not have done, tell someone you trust immediately.

If you’re treated the way you ought to be, however, with time the discomfort should decrease, and someday the whole thing will seem routine. Meanwhile, try to relax, take deep breaths, and reflect on what just ten minutes can do to keep you safe, SaSsy, and healthy down there.

You can also contact Filipinay at 477-5555 or 0917-8231111 for more information.

–

Bibliography

Peri, Camille. “Your First Gynecologic Exam: What to Expect”. WebMD. 2005.
“Your First Gynecologic Visit”. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). May 2010.

Images from She Knows, Women’s Health Info Group and Irish Health; respectively.

        

Re-posted from UNFPA Philippines

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) gives special attention to adolescents and youth through their participation in a variety of activities, initiatives and programs designed to build on their skills, knowledge and enthusiasm. This includes provision of inputs policy decisions not only to boost their self-confidence but also to encourage them to exercise their rights and responsibilities of citizenship. UNFPA recognizes that young people’s health, education, skills- building and over- all development is of utmost global urgency for sustained socio- economic development.

Following the discussions and recommendations agreed upon during its initial meeting in April 2004, the Global YAP was established and meetings are held each year. In October 2007, YAP Philippines started its formal operation. The establishment of the Youth Advisory Panel is part of UNFPA’s commitment to young people’s empowerment. The contributions pf the Panel will assist the organization’s priority-setting in this core area of its mandate, and involve young people and youth-serving organizations in suggesting innovative approaches in the design of youth-friendly policies and programmes.

From the year of its creation, in 2007, the Panel was able to formulate and recommend to UNFPA relevant recommendations on UNFPA’s work for young people. Recommendations on how to strengthen the Adolescent Health & Youth Development Programme, a checklist on services of Adolescent Friendly Health Services, strategies on ensuring equal safety services of young people in migration and employment, and how to improve life skills based education programme of UNFPA thruDepEd were some of the panel’s contribution to UNFPA. The panel also complements YPEER Pilipinas’ efforts on strengthening peer education in the country by ensuring that a supportive policy and programme for education is in place.

This 2011, marks the end of the 6th Country Programme, the panel was invited to sit as one of the consultants in series of consultations for the framework of the 7th Country Programme. This will help ensure that all issues and needs of young people are included and considered in the development of the 7th CP framework.

This year, eleven members of the panel will end their term, while the remaining four will remain. As such; this is a Call for Application to the UNFPA Philippines YAP to ensure the continuity of the panel’s thrust in the development of the 7th Country Programme framework. Interested parties must read the attached Terms of Reference and complete the form. Along with a letter of recommendation from the head of the organization represented, send the completed form to Ms. Albano of the UNFPA Philippines Country Office on or before 30 June 2011 with the address shown below.

Attention: Ms. Emee Lei E. Albano
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
30/ F Yuchengco Tower 1, RCBC Plaza
6819 Ayala cor. Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
1229 Makati City
Form and terms of reference may also be downloaded from the website (http://www.unfpayap.org/ and http://www.unfpa.org.ph/yap_downloads/) . For further inquiries, please call (02) 901 0331/ +639178593531 or email albano@unfpa.org

        

Our fab and SASsy friends in Belle de Jour are launching the 2011 edition of Campus BDJ and we’re only too happy to spread the word. Get your copy now for only P488!

Campus Belle de Jour is created especially for BDJ Girls still in school, to help them balance academics, extra curriculars and their personal lives. School is the time wherein we discover who we really are – young, idealistic, passionate, fearless – and who we want to be. And as you make the most of your time in and out of the classroom, Campus BDJ is sure to have everything covered!

Get it only for P488!

We have a special BACK-TO-SCHOOL treat for you too! For this whole month of May, there will be a 10% discount on all orders made directly at our BDJ website. You can also buy any FMN notebooks for only P60 along with your Campus BDJ order. : )

Is that a great deal or what? : )

So what are you waiting for? Make this coming school year YOUR year, Bella!

——————————————————–

If you still don’t see the Campus BDJ A.Y. 2011-2012 at our BDJ Website Order page, please send in your orders to sales@belledejourpowerplanner.com for the meantime, stating your COMPLETE NAME, COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS, CONTACT NUMBER and ORDER. Thank you so much! : )

        

by Sex and Sensibilities reader, Moe

“Safe sex,” I said.

That’s what I decided to talk about for my 4^th speech in our public speaking club. “You can’t talk about safe sex, you haven’t even experienced it,” said my friend. Now I mull over her remark. Why am I not capable of talking about safe sex? I may be a virgin, but that does not mean I don’t know a thing or two about sex and all its complexities.

I was 13 years old when I first saw and held a condom. It was during our Science class in high school when my classmate showed off his new “toy,” a packed condom, to his curious friends. He was caught by our Science professor. To teach the little rascal a lesson, our professor showed the whole class the packed condom and gave a brief discussion on contraceptives. Much to our amazement, our professor pompously opened the pack of condom in front of the whole class. Now by this time, everyone was wooing and getting giddy and excited. He then instructed the class to pass around the condom, examine it, touch it, feel it. After that incident, sex talk became a buzz throughout the whole class for quite some time.

I was 15 years old when I first saw and held a pregnancy test kit. Apparently, my more “experienced” friend thought she was pregnant because she had not been practicing safe sex with her boyfriend. She started doing the deed when she was 13 years old. It was the first time for me to ask for a pregnancy test kit from the lady in a local drugstore. I remember the lady darting a snoopy, questioning look at us, while handing over the kit. It was pretty awkward, if I may say. Fortunately, it turned out negative. “False alarm” as my other friend called it. Close call, as I called it. An additional line and my friend would been part of the estimated 54 percent of all pregnancies in the Philippines that are unplanned.

I was 18 years old when I first saw and held person living with HIV. It wasn’t my first time to meet the guy. He was actually a dear friend of mine. But it was the first time he admitted that he was had HIV. There were times when he would call me and just cry over the phone. The agony of knowing you can’t do anything about it because it’s already there is just so unbearable. He dropped out from school and has been on medication since.

Whether we agree or not, sex is all around us. The youth nowadays are more exposed to the different elements of sex and its ramifications. There is no point in denying that sex is just natural. With the vast information available at our fingertips, it is impossible for anyone not to be acquainted with the birds and the bees. That is why the earlier, the better for us to understand it; so we will know how to avoid the potential negative consequences of irresponsible sex.

I learned the consequences of being careless from my closest friends. Should HIV or unwanted pregnancy happen first, before we come to our senses and start taking the necessary precautions to protect ourselves? Should we be in a relationship first before we learn and understand these things? I say hell no!

Even before we plan to get intimate with others, it is best to not just be knowledgeable but have a deep understanding of the consequences of irresponsible sex can bring and how to prevent that from happening.

We need to be one step ahead of the game. For our own sake.

At 21, Moe is a proud virgin and a member of the NBSB (NoBoyfriendSinceBirth) society.

While being the only virgin in her crowd is slowly putting her under a lot of pressure, she doesn’t mind carefully choosing the first and last person (hopefully) to be at her bed side. She believes that every woman deserves the utmost care and protection she needs. For her, SAFE SEX OR NO SEX AT ALL!

        

By Ana Santos

Last Saturday, I, along with a couple of hundred other people trooped to the cinema to watch another chapter of the Bella, Edward and Jacob love triangle unfold in The Eclipse. There was one part of the movie that particularly caught my attention — the scene where Charlie tries to discuss “taking necessary precautions” with Bella. (Of course, it was THAT scene)

Sensing where the conversation was headed, Bella  retorted, “Mom beat you to this conversation about 10 years ago.”

Undeterred, Charlie ploughed on, insisting that Bella’s conversation with her mother took place during a time when she didn’t have a boyfriend yet. Charlie succeeded mostly in making himself and Bella horribly uncomfortable. Finally, Bella, decided to put both of them out of their misery and, with much reluctance, disclosed the status of her hymen to her father.

The scene reminded me of a recent Reproductive Health (RH) Practitioners Conference I went to sponsored by the Likhaan Center for Women’s Health.

During the conference,  Attorney Beth Pangalangan of the UP College of Law asked the room full of midwives, doctors, RH activists and lobbyists how many were parents. A sea of hands shot up in the air. She quickly followed up with a second question, “How many of you talk to your kids about sex?”. The sea of hands was quickly reduced to a small pond.

“You see. And to think, we are RH practitioners; what more other people who are not RH practitioners?”, she said. Pangalangan made a simple but valid point about sex education in the home.

Here was a room full of people who discussed risky sexual behavior like unprotected anal sex, unintended pregnancy, and dished out the scientific names of body parts – both in English AND in the vernacular – over lunch and sometimes, during. Discussing sexual behavior in it various permutations is par for the course for RH practitioners and yet, a weird awkward feeling still accompanies the thought of discussing sex with our own children.

Perhaps because in front of them, we are not RH practitioners, women’s rights activists or vagina warriors fighting for women’s rights to sexuality and an orgasm. We are simply Mom / Dad. And in that context, it must be equally awkward, if not all out traumatizing, for kids to hear their parents talk about sex.

I once had a conversation about this with columnist and women’s rights champion Rina Jimenez David who wrote the chapter on masturbation in the book, “Body Talk”. Released in the early 90s, “Body Talk” brought issues like petting, sexuality, orgasm out in the open. But Rina’s writing assignment caused her much distress. “I kept on thinking: how am I going to write this? What will my daughter think?”, she shared.

When the book came out, Rina handed her daughter a copy and explained as quickly as possible, “If you have questions, just ask me.”

Parents — whether they are regular Charlies’, RH practitioners like Beth, or women’s rights advocates like Rina — are all somewhat uneasy about opening up the topic of sex with their children.

The last couple of weeks, there have been heated debates about how the subject of sex education should strictly be treated as a family affair and how incorporating it in schools would be a usurpation of one’s parental rights.

The real (and reel) life examples of Charlie, Beth and Rina seem to point to the contrary. In reality, the subject of sex needs to be taught by an institution that can provide neutral and accurate information on the topic. Most parents would prefer that this  institution be the school rather than the internet or some porn movie.

It is not to say that parents are absolved from any responsibility. Far from it.

Manners, and the basics of etiquette and social conduct all start at home. It’s called breeding. Being responsible about relationships and knowing how to make sensible decisions that could potentially affect the rest of your life also start at home.  It’s called values formation.

But, just as homework shifts from simple addition and subtraction to the more complex algebra and trigonometry, parents need outside assistance.

A few days ago, Judge Rosanna Fe Maglaya of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court junked a motion for the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to stop the Department of Education (DepEd) from implementing its sex education program in elementary and secondary schools. Judge Maglaya dismissed the motion for a TRO on the basis that it lacked merit.  May be she knows all too well, that when it comes to the delicate subject of sex education, parents need all the help they can get.

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. So while the values when it comes to “sex” start at home, the biology behind the “education” should start at school.

        

By Nicai de Guzman

Scandal + fitting in + pregnancy + lots of sex.

That seems to be the formula of most teen drama shows like The O.C., Gossip Girls and the new vamped up version of 90210.

They say that art imitates life. The issues discussed in teen shows are indeed sought from real life, but what kind of messages are these shows sending to their viewers?

Irresponsible behavior

In a TIME magazine article “The Truth About Teenage Girls”, Julia Taylor, a middle school counselor from North Carolina, talks about how such shows derailed focus on the consequences of irresponsible actions.

“I just remember the show’s multiple sexual partners, the cocaine use, and then at the end, they drink, they drive, they set fires, but all is well! There are never any consequences,” she said about The O.C.

The article also quotes Jane Brown, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, saying “Twelve-to-14-year-old girls who start puberty earlier are more interested in sexual content in the media.”

Brown’s research also found that adolescents whose media diet is rich in sexual content are more than twice as likely as others to be sexually active at a young age.

Guil Ocampo, Bureau Manager of youth broadcasting group, Kabataan News Network (KNN) Baguio, says that such effects are also evident in the Filipino youth. In his work with young people, he noticed that a lot of them are sexually active, at the age of 16.

While some of these shows may highlight problems faced by the youth today and hint at the causes and effects of certain behavior, the consequences are portrayed as something to be taken lightly.

“They show that it’s so fun to fool around and be filthy rich,” he said. “Themes of teenage sex are usually involved, like it’s okay to pregnant at a young age.”

The changing landscape of media also affects the accessibility of such shows, added Ocampo.

“These shows used to air on cable television and the airing is delayed,” he said. “Now, there’s the internet and lots of DVDs.”

According to Ocampo, there needs to be some sort of regulation, but it would be very hard to monitor or have a regulating body for free streaming sites such as YouTube.

Culture clash

Christian, 22, an avid viewer of the series Gossip Girl, thinks that such shows do not really affect the Filipino audience that much.

“It’s not in our culture to be that liberated,” he said. “Our generation still depends a lot on our parents.”

He also said that in the show, the same thing is portrayed – the reliance of the teenagers on parents, who would usually reprimand the wrongdoings of their children.

“So the parents still serve as some sort of control,”, said Christian.

Francis, 17, who also watches foreign syndicated series, insists his peers and the Filipino youth are already being influenced by the values and behavior venerated in such shows.

“Since they’re from the States, we start thinking in the same liberal western mind frame and let that lord over our more conservative Filipino views,” he said.

On the other hand, Erika, 16, who also counts herself as a fan of teen soap operas, thinks that the effect depends on the maturity level of the teen and that there are some positive things to be learned from the show.

“If they can relate to the show, then it’s going to affect their being conservative,” she said.

Erika said that the youth can also get tips on how to solve problems, if the characters dealt with them the right way.

Francis agrees that values are actually “subjective” and that such shows are “good for learning western values, which aren’t always bad.”

“For example, the value of following your dreams despite what your parents say. Local mindset is to be a good offspring and follow your parents ala fourth commandment,” he explained. “The older generation might not exactly consider it a value, but it can certainly have a positive outcome.”

        

 Is tertiary education compensating for the lack of a formal, government-mandated sex education in the country? Apparently not. Sex and Sensibilities Youth Correspondent Nicai de Guzman tells us why. Continue Reading →