Posts Tagged ‘condoms’

Birth Control Recall

Friday, February 3rd, 2012 by Tara Ford, R.P.A.

Pfizer announced the recent recall of Lo/Ovral-28 (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) birth control pills.  28 lots of the brand name and generic tablets were recalled in total.  Apparently, there was a mix up at the processing plant and some of the packs have tablets that are out of sequence and contain an inexact count of inert or active ingredient tablets therefore increasing the risk for unintended pregnancy.

To avoid an unintended pregnancy it’s imperative to use a back up form of birth control anytime you miss a dose of your birth control pill.  Condoms (male and female), spermicides and the sponge (yes, it’s back on the market) are readily available at drugstores or online at drugstore.com.  Although it’s unfortunate for a mistake like this to happen, it’s important to pass along this information to all the women in your life to help avoid unintended pregnancies.

If you use this brand of birth control pill please check the link below for the list of lot numbers affected.  If you find your lot number listed, Pfizer recommends returning your prescription to the pharmacy as well as contacting your prescribing health care provider.

Click here for the FDA press release and Lo/Ovral-28 lot numbers:  http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm289770.htm

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Posted in Health, sex and pregnancy, sexual health | No Comments »

Safer Sex

Friday, January 7th, 2011 by Tara Ford, R.P.A.

I recently met a woman who is entering the dating scene after 25 years of marriage.  She is excited about the prospect of dating a new man but scared by statistics she’s heard about STDs and adults.  It is true that the STD rate in older adults is increasing.  She confided in me that STDs were something she never had to worry about and wanted to know how she could keep sex safe.

My answer:  There is no such thing as safe sex.  Sexual activity that involves the exchange of bodily fluids with mucus membranes puts you at risk for HIV and other STDs.  But there is such a thing as “Safer Sex” and here are a few ways to make sex safer:

1-      Condoms: There are male condoms and female condoms.  There are condoms made out of latex, polyurethane and animal skin.  It’s important to note that only latex and polyurethane protect you from HIV.  Animal skin condoms (lamb skin, sheep skin) are porous and HIV is small enough to pass through.  It’s also important to know that oil based lubricants can break down latex, so make sure to use water-based or silicone-based lubricants with latex condoms.

2- Dental Dams: These are sheets of latex that help protect fluid exchange during oral sex on a female.  Dental dams are hard to find in pharmacies but you can make your own homemade dental dam by cutting up a non-lubricated condom.  Simply cut off the tip of the condom and cut up the side and you have a rectangular shaped, homemade dental dam!

3- Know Your Status: It is your responsibility to know your HIV/STD status.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends HIV testing as part of your routine clinical care.  If you don’t know your status, ask your primary care provider or GYN provider to be tested.

4- Have The Talk: Once again, you are responsible for your health.  It’s up to you to initiate a discussion about safer sex with your partner.  This type of communication will make the issue clear for the both of you and help build trust and openness.

My intention is not to scare you, it is to EMPOWER you!  This is only the tip of the iceberg.  If you need more information, please feel free to contact us.  The Planned Parenthood website listed here is also a good resource, especially for young adults:   http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/stds-hiv-safer-sex/safer-sex-4263.htm

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Posted in sex life | 2 Comments »

On Condoms….

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 by Shannon Bertha, ACS, PhD

There was an interesting conversation the other day on a local radio station, Z100, where they were discussing condoms and the double standard that people apparently still seem to subscribe to. The double standard I am referring to is when men carry condoms, it is acceptable. In fact, it is usually expected that they will have condoms. Men are often considered ‘responsible’ for carrying them, and in turn women may note how responsible they are for doing so. However, given the same situation, women may be perceived as “slutty” or giving the impression to men that they are promiscuous for carrying condoms; you almost never hear people calling these women responsible for carrying condoms (well, other than by sexologists). The segment even went as far as to tell women how to approach the idea of admitting you have condoms. It suggested women ask the men first and if they say no they don’t have one, then she can say, “I’m not sure, I might have some, let me go look”. By saying it this way it seems like the condoms are left over from a previous relationship and that she doesn’t really know if she has them, because if she knew she had them, she must be using them often.

I am amazed by this entire conversation for numerous reasons. 1) Is it really that taboo in 2009 for women to also own and carry condoms? 2) Do women really have to approach this topic so passively? 3) Why are women sluts for owning condoms, but men are considered responsible? 4) Is a woman who has her own condoms not being responsible?

From a sexual health standpoint, women are more likely than men to contract an STI, or the obvious, a pregnancy. There are also women who need to use specific condoms, such as polyurethane condoms or condoms with lubricants. Some lubricants and spermicides can cause irritation to the vaginal area. Therefore, some women have a specific type or brand of condom they know works well for them. So in order to move towards a more progressive and enlightened society, we as a whole have to stop with double standards of men and women in general, but especially when dealing with sex. Women should not have to tip toe around this issue in order to make their partners comfortable that they aren’t a slut. Or maybe women just need to find new partners who do not look down at this practice 

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