Article: The Stereotype of the Drunken Indian

I know I've had this conversation with a few people before. It's an awesome read, I really recommend that you check it out for yourself.

9 Interesting Facts About Orgasms

From Betty Dodson. Thanks to GetLusty For Couples on FB for sharing this!

Presented by Jimmyjane - It could be the climax of your week.

Internship is a no-go, but runner-up option isn't bad either

I didn't get the internship, but they offered me a volunteer position instead. I think I will probably end up taking it.

In other news, the clinic project is finally starting to come together. We will be at OK College in Penticton to promote the new clinic and hand out information & materials. I won't be able to be there for long because I work and can't get my shift switched, but hopefully we can make something work for later in the week so I can be here.

Updates and the like

It's been a busy month, and it's only going to get busier.

First order of news - I applied for an internship position with The CSPH in RI! After some technical issues, they gave me an interview via Google Hangout. I will find out Monday whether I'll be accepted or not.

Second order of news - I am part of a working board that is working with Options for Sexual Health to get a local sexual health clinic set up in town. Well we got our funding, and we're set to open September 18th! Right now I'm in charge of putting posters up around town to help spread the word.

Third order of news - I've added a couple of new sexual health blogs to my blogroll, so keep you eyes peeled for new links that are added as I find them. If you have any you think I should see, leave a link in a comment! Also while I'm at it, I'm not the best with updates, but check out my Twitter (@SexEd4Youth) to see what I'm up to (I try to check my Twitter at least once a day).

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All in all, I'm excited to see what the fall is going to be like. I'm trying to find a second job, so if everything falls into place, I will have 2 dayjobs, my internship, my clinic shifts, and my side project of sending safer sex materials to the dorm in Abbotsford to juggle. But I wouldn't have it any other way!

New materials have arrived, huzzah~

I'm so excited! About a week ago I ordered a whole bunch of educational pamphlets and brochures from the organization CATIE. They provide resources free-of-charge to AIDS service organizations, healthcare providers and other frontline service providers across Canada.

So I ordered a large amount of pamphlets and brochures, to be used in my work with Baker House. :) Hopefully they will be useful. I'm especially happy to be able to get some resources in languages other than English (Vietnamese, Korean and French to name a few), since universities are hubs for students from around the world.

New Fall Project! & Upcoming Internship

Success! I have been allowed to continue my original "side project" this fall at the Baker House dorm at UFV (University of the Fraser Valley) in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. UFV is where I graduated from with my BSW in 2011.

What is my "side project"? During my final practicum in my final semester of school, I worked with the organization YouthCO in Vancouver. They receive free safer sex materials to give to the members who access their services. When I found out that the Abbotsford SUS (Student Union Society) gets free condoms to give to students, but Baker House and Chilliwack SUS don't, YouthCO allowed me to take some of their materials and give them to students on campus. Baker House got most of the supplies I used, but Chilliwack SUS got a batch as well.

Now I've gotten permission from both Baker House and YouthCO to continue this in the fall! YouthCO will send me the supplies and I will package them and send them to Baker House. After we get the connection established, my goal is to get Baker House connected with the resources so they can access them on their own without needing a third party. This would hopefully allow for a continuous supply of resources for future students.

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The other piece of happy news I have is that I plan to apply for an online internship with the CSPH (Centre for Sexual Health and Pleasure) in RI. They are the awesome organization who published my personal lubricant information on their website. I have my fingers crossed that I will be accepted, because it would be an awesome experience and I'd love to be able to add it to my resume.

Personal Lubricant Research Hosted Online!

I'm so excited! An organization in Rhode Island called the Centre for Sexual Pleasure and Health found me and my research online, and they asked me for permission to post it on their website. I said yes of course, and now it's gone live.

So behold, my research on the qualities of many personal lubricants that was a part of my fourth year social work practicum at YouthCO in Vancouver, BC. My research is at the bottom of the page, in the spreadsheet.

A big, huge thank you to the CSPH for hosting my research and sharing it with everyone. I am so honoured and humbled to have been invited for this.

Some thoughts on Lunapads

Took part in a London Drugs contest for Lunapads. :)

London Drugs Now Carries Vibrators!

Totally awesome. :D  When I was there last week, I spotted some new lube brands in the local store too. I know where I'm getting my goodies from now on.

Pics of the new lubes are up top, and the vibrators and new Trojans are on the bottom.

I really like the condom cases (middle picture) - I think they're a neat idea, but they're way too expensive at $15 each. My workplace sells simple cases for $4 and they come with 3 Durex condoms in each. Those are more affordable for what I have planned.

On another note with the condom cases, it'd be neat to see something geared towards guys as well, and not just women. Whether it be different colors/designs, I think making them more appealing to men would be a good idea. Birth control and contraceptives shouldn't (and isn't) entirely the woman's responsibility, or one person's responsibility. Both people in the relationship need to think about it and plan for it.

I totally want to try the new Trojans. Maybe I'll start a product-rating series of posts or something. Hmmm... 

Article: Why Neither Liberals Nor Conservatives Can Crack the Teen Pregnancy Problem

Read it here. Also worth a read is the academic paper linked titled "Why is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States So High, and Why Does It Matter?"

Article: 11 Year Old Girl Gang-Raped in Texas

Read it here. The guys who did it range in age from middle school, all the way up to 27 years old. And to make matters worse, the whole thing was recorded on cellphones, like the attack in Maple Ridge, BC.

Not impressed with the victim-shaming and the blaming of the girl's mother in the article though.

Most people know this already, but apparently some haven't grasped it yet...

Abstinence-Only Education Leads to Highest Rates of Teen Pregnancy in the US

How does the Affordable Care Act affect you?

Check it out right here and see for yourself. :)

Article: Arizona GOP Legislator Says Women Should Witness Abortions

Another dose of crazy from the GOP. *sigh*

A Really Good Guest Article on Transvaginal Ultrasounds

You can read it here. It is very well-written and well articulated, and I recommend everyone read it!

This is what a properly stocked pharmacy should look like

Two different pharmacies with a range of condoms and lubricants. This is what safe sex should look like!

Blog Link List Updated

I updated the "sexual health blog" link list with a bunch of new ones, and moved "At Your Cervix" from my "other blog list" to the sexual health blog list, now renamed "Sexual/Reproductive Health Blog List".

Video Link: Dr. Laura Berman Shares Ways to Explore Contraceptive Options

Video is here. It loads small so click the button to make it full screen if you want to see it better.