In this week’s Time Out Chicago, I answer questions from readers about a partner grappling with gender identity issues, and to what extent marathon vaginal and oral sex sessions may contribute to yeast infections. Read the full column here.
One challenge that sexual health researchers face in conducting research is an issue of self-reporting - depending on how a study a designed and how stigmatized certain behaviors are, it can be difficult to know if you are getting true and reliable answers to the questions that you ask. And I’m sure you know this in your own lives! For example, let’s say that you get upset every time your spouse or partner talks to or hears from an old boyfriend or girlfriend. Because you get upset when he or she tells you that they’ve talked to the ex, in some sense there is some "stigma" (or at least difficulty) around this conversation. As a result, your partner may be less likely to tell you honestly when he or she has heard from their ex. Or think about diet, sex, smoking or drinking. How many of you give accurate information to your healthcare provider about what you really eat, your true sexual behavior, or how often you smoke or drink alcohol? Sure, many people tell their healthcare provider that they are sexually active, but not everyone tells their healthcare provider that they have had oral sex, even though oral sex can transmit infections to one’s throat (like gonorrhea) that otherwise wouldn’t be detected in a genital-based or urine-based test for gonorrhea.
So you can imagine how difficult it can be to try to get reliable and valid responses about high risk sexual behavior and condom use among a highly stigmatized population (sex workers). Which is why researchers are always trying to design and test new methods of researching such behavior - and in this article, you can read about the "polling box" technique.
…then is it really a walk of shame? Or no shame?
Your significant other/relationship partner should make you feel good too… (at least I think so).
Enjoy.
Earlier today I emceed the annual spring fundraising event for the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH), an organization that advocates for comprehensive sexuality education for youth. There was a wonderful film shown about ICAH’s work (the film was by documentary filmmaker Ruth Leitman, of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago), and Rep. Jan Schakowsky gave a spot-on talk related to adolescent health issues (she was accompanied by her husband and her dedicated intern, Jake). Amy Lehman, as co-chair, tied the event together beautifully - she and her team chose the Society for Arts (1112 N Milwaukee) as the venue, as it has lovely gallery and event space, and the silent auction items were a hit. Overall, it was just very reassuring and inspiring to connect with people around these important adolescent health issues. I truly believe, and science certainly suggests, that if we provide young people with accurate information about sexuality (and info that is age and developmentally appropriate) then they can have brighter, healthier futures. Thanks to ICAH for including me in their annual event. To learn more about ICAH, visit their web site.
Power Exchange is a space in San Francisco where women, men, transgender and other folks can go and have sex (or watch other people have sex) for the price of admission. Check out this video about the family behind the scenes. (Thanks to J for passing on the link!)
Although this article is inteded to be read by psychiatrists and other healthcare providers who may be treating women for postpartum depression, if you have an interest in the topic then you may find it to be of interest too. Pregnancy is a period of intense hormonal changes and these changes take on different patterns from trimester to trimester, and again after giving birth. Women commonly feel some changes related to mood, and many women experience what are commonly described as the "baby blues", in the weeks after given birth, probably as a result not only due to their body re-adjusting after having given birth, but also as a result of the changes to sleep, eating and anxiety that they may feel as they try to take care of a new baby.
Some women, however, experience diagnosable postpartum depression (PPD). Women with PPD sometimes are interested in taking medications so that they can feel better and try to attend more to their new baby (and the rest of their family, including their relationship partner). For women who are breastfeeding, however, the issue of medication is particularly important, as women (and their healthcare providers) need to look into which medications are safe to take while breastfeeding as well as when might be the ideal time to take medications, so as to minimize the risk of exposing one’s baby to high levels of the medications. To learn more about these special concerns, read the full text of the original article here.
Oh, there are so many gender issues we could go into here… watch and see for yourself:
Procedures to terminate an early pregnancy are typically very safe and effective when performed by trained medical professionals in safe, sanitary conditions. Unfortunately, legal restrictions against abortion and situations in which women (culturally or individually) lack power are just two of the characteristics associated with poorer outcomes and unsafe abortions. In a recent article from Maternal Mortality, the issue of unsafe abortion practices is examined. Read an abstract of the article here.
In this episode of Kinsey Confidential, I respond to a listener’s question about performing analingus (also called "rim jobs") on and having anal sex with his girlfriend. You can listen to it here and learn more about our WFIU-produced Kinsey Confidential podcasts on the KC web site or NPR web site.