Global Female Condom day was founded in 2012 when advocates took action to expand awareness around and access to female condoms. September 16 is now known nationally as the day many individuals and organizations come together to increase knowledge, availability, and use of female condoms. Female condoms serve as a powerful tool for protection against pregnancy, STIs & HIV. Female condoms are recognized by leading health authorities as an essential component of reproductive health and HIV...

With the month of October well underway, most of us have already seen a pink ribbon or two celebrating breast cancer awareness month. Keep your eye out for purple ribbons, and sport your own, as October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is not just physical violence….. Domestic violence includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional abuse. Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual...

Change is good from time to time.  It is a way to grow and a way to learn. As the Community Health team moves forward with current and new programming, we will have much more to share through our blog. Therefore, we have changed the name of our blog to encompass various topics and to highlight our areas of expertise which go beyond sexual and reproductive health.  We hope you continue to follow our blog as we transition into and establish our blog under the new name; Community...

Are you feeling under the weather? Are you wondering if the symptoms you have are due to a cold or the flu? It's not always easy to tell the difference between the two since both can have similar symptoms - stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough - which makes it hard to decide what medication to take. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has a handy chart that can help you differentiate between a cold or the flu (see image). See previous post about reducing the spread...

Teen pregnancy prevention is one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) top six priorities, and of utmost importance to health and quality of life for our youth. Evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs typically address specific protective factors on the basis of knowledge, skills, beliefs, or attitudes related to teen pregnancy. Knowledge of sexual issues, HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy (including methods of prevention). Perception of HIV risk. Personal values...

In the days of most everyone carrying a water bottle in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, frequent urination may not be a seen as a red flag of a serious health issue. Truth be told, passing urine more than eight times a day may be a signal of a bladder health problem. One of the many health observances in the month of November is National Bladder Awareness Month; what a better time to learn more about this little talked about part of our bodies. Bladder health issues are estimated to...

Studies show that about one in five women is a survivor of attempted or completed sexual violence while in college. Among college women, 9 in 10 victims of rape and sexual assault knew their offender. Additionally, a substantial number of men experience sexual violence during college. In response to the 2011 "Apps Against Abuse" challenge, several new apps are available offering college students new tools to protect themselves from sexual assault. The challenge is a...

Child sexual abuse is an ugly topic many would rather avoid. The sad truth is that children of every demographic (gender, age, race, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, and family structure) are at risk.1 There are an estimated thirty-nine million survivors of sexual abuse in the United States; three million of those are children. Those who abuse children are usually known by the child; they look like anyone else, and are often children themselves. 2 A new law, “Erin’s Law”...

Being open and available to talk about subjects such as sex and sexuality can be challenging. Some common fears that many parents have include not having all the answers, feeling embarrassed, encouraging sexual experimentation, or feeling as though talking doesn't matter. Here are some suggestions about how to address these fears: -If children ask about something unfamiliar, it's okay to say "I don't know. Let's find out together." -Feeling embarrassed is very common for both parents and...

Welcome back to the Community Health blog, Sexual Health from the Inside Out. Traditionally, women are the caretakers of their families. When our children are not feeling well, we take their temperature, give them medication and make sure they are comfortable. When our parents are sick, we take them to their medical appointments and fill their prescriptions. When our partners fall ill, we encourage them to see the doctor and sometimes even make the call to schedule an appointment for...

It's that time of the year again were anywhere you look you see pink: pink ribbons, pink balloons, pink clothing, buildings with pink lights, professional athletes wearing pink gear, and even pink animals! Ok, maybe it was not a live animal, but I did come across a freshly-painted pink horse outside a chain restaurant over the weekend. It is all done to bring attention to the fact that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While the intention is respectable, my question to you is...

Sharing is caring!  That is what we have always been taught, right?  Well, one thing we don’t want to share is germs.  Germs make people sick! To help reduce the risk of illness and stop the spread of germs, it’s a good idea to take precautionary measures.  Here are some easy ones to practice: Wash your hands regularly Use soap and water Wash both sides of your hands Wash between your fingers and under your fingernails Wash for at least 20 seconds (about the time it...

Many women choose to undergo laparoscopic hysterectomy (removing the uterus) or myomectomy (removing uterine fibroids) in the treatment of uterine fibroids. Laparoscopic surgeries tend to be less invasive, are associated with shorter post-operative recovery time, and reduced risk of infection compared to abdominal hysterectomy and myomectomy. Morcellation is the process of dividing tissue into smaller pieces or fragments and is often used during laparoscopic surgeries to aid in removing tissue...

The Affordable Healthcare Act: What does it mean for Women's Health…..?You had to be living under a rock to not have heard all the buzz about the Affordable Care Act and the push for people to sign up before the deadline. While there are many people who are for and against this new healthcare initiative… one thing we can possibly all agree on is that it will help more people, women in particular, receive healthcare and address those individual unique healthcare needs. What does the Affordable...

The solstice heralds the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This year, the solstice falls on June 21, at 6:51am EDT. The summer solstice is the day with the most hours of sunlight during the whole year. While for many of us summer means fun in the sun with swimming, going to the beach, and barbequing; it's important to make sure you're not getting too much of a good thing. Avoid the consequences of overexposure to the sun like sunburns, premature aging of the skin, wrinkling, and...

One form of early breast cancer detection is the breast self-exam (BSE). The breast self-exam is not a means for diagnosis but detecting a lump can be the first step in getting further medical evaluation. Although 80% of lumps are non-cancerous, it is important to perform monthly breast self-exams starting at the age of 20. So what should you be feeling for? Women have breast tissue that may feel stringy, ropey, or granular. This is called "Nodularity" and it is normal breast...