TresSugar

Dear Exam: What Other Organ, Besides Our Lady Business, Is Self-Cleaning?

DearSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -0800

I learned something new on Friday while watching Oprah's second installment of sex therapy with Dr. Berman. While I knew that our lady business is a self-cleaning organ, I learned that there is only one other organ that has that same ability. Do you know what it is? Test your body trivia below!

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The Biology of Your Lady Business

DearSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0700

I really wish I'd paid more attention in my sex ed class when the teacher taught us all the science-y facts about our lady business. There's so much to know, and being that it's such an important part of your body, take this quiz for a little brush-up.

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Two Child Policy: Environmentalist Seeks Population Limits

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:47:39 -0800

Jonathon Porritt, an environmental adviser for the UK, maintains that contraception and abortion must be at the core of anti-global-warming policies. In a report to be published next month, the UK's Sustainable Development Commission, headed by Porritt, recommends that the government limit population growth with better family planning programs.

People cannot reduce their total environmental impact without reducing the number of children they have, according to Porritt. He says:

Many organizations think it is not part of their business. My mission with the Friends of the Earth and the Greenpeaces of this world is to say: "You are betraying the interests of your members by refusing to address population issues and you are doing it for the wrong reasons because you think it is too controversial."

I can only imagine what he would have to say to the Duggars or the California mother of six who just had octuplets. Government involvement in reproduction might seem extreme - do you think Porritt is throwing the baby out with the environmentally-unfriendly bath water, or is he just being realistic about sustainability?

Courtesy of TLC

The Facts About Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

DearSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0700

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Infection, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is the term that refers to an infection of a female’s reproductive organs. Perhaps what's most worrisome about PID is that it often goes unnoticed by women and undetected by their doctors - if untreated, it can eventually lead to permanent and serious damage, including infertility. To learn more about the causes, symptoms, and treatment for PID, read more

PID occurs when bacteria moves past the vagina and cervix and into the reproductive organs. While numerous kinds of bacteria can cause PID, two of the most common infections associated with this disease are Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.
Douching and having an IUD can also increase the risk of developing PID because they can make it easier for bacteria to grow in the uterus.
Unfortunately, symptoms of PID vary greatly, and in fact, in many cases a woman will not be aware that she has anything to worry about. The most common symptom is lower abdominal pain, but if you’ve noticed any strange discharge, painful urination, odor, pain during intercourse, or a noticeably more uncomfortable period talk to your gynecologist.
There is no specific test for diagnosing PID. However, if your doctor suspects PID, she is likely to run blood tests and/or perform a pelvic ultrasound to confirm. Treatment of PID typically requires the use of multiple antibiotics in order to effectively kill all of the potential bacteria that might be the cause.
Like all infections, the sooner PID is treated the better. The longer it goes undetected, the more likely it is that the offending bacteria will invade healthy tissue creating scar tissue, which can lead to blockage of the fallopian tubes and ultimately, an increased possibility of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic discomfort. This damage is irreversible.

PID is the leading cause of preventable infertility in women, so while it may not be an STI, it still needs to be treated just as seriously. Take the necessary precautions during intercourse and make sure to address any physical abnormalities with a trip to the gynecologist.

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Greece Grants Gay Marriages, Japan Awards Gender Rights

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:41 -0700

With a Greek mayor who presided over outlawed gay marriages yesterday saying, "The laws on marriage simply do not specify any genders. To me, therefore, if something is not banned by law it is not illegal," now facing jail time for his actions, Japan's government is actually moving toward broader gender ideas.

Japan’s House of Councillors (like the US Senate) has unanimously passed legislation which will allow people with gender identity disorder to officially change their sex, giving Gender Identity Disordered (GID) people the ability to change the way the world perceives them - on paper. To see how, read more.

Gender identity disordered people (someone who sees themselves as having a different psychological make-up than their biological sexual orientation) must agree to live as the opposite sex physically and socially to take advantage of the law. The bill states that this condition must be confirmed by two separate doctors, the applicants must also be over 20 years of age, have no children, be unmarried and have non-functioning reproductive organs due to sex-change surgery.

If this law passes their House of Representatives those with GID will have less difficulty finding employment, voting and traveling as their appearances are obviously not in accordance with official documentation.

Are ideas on a strict gender binary, softening worldwide? Will the difference between male and female someday be seen as a sliding scale? Are rights a step in the right direction?

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Dear Quiz: Test Your PID Knowledge

DearSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Earlier this week I shared some important information about Pelvic Inflammatory Disease with you, which is a very serious infection of the reproductive organs. Take this short quiz to find out how much you learned!

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Government-Funded Health Website Blocks Abortion Info

CitizenSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:00:18 -0700

A US government-funded medical information site that calls itself as the world's largest database on reproductive health has secretly begun to block searches on the word "abortion," hiding the nearly 25,000 search results available. People heading to the site looking for information would be hit with this exchange:

Search: Abortion
Answer: No records found by latest query.

The site is run by Johns Hopkins University and funded by USAID, a federal office that provides health-care funding to developing nations. In 2001 President Bush revived a Reagan-era policy that denies funding to nongovernmental organizations that perform abortions or "actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."

Info seekers can learn all about "Anti-Tuberculosis Therapy-Induced Hepatotoxicity among Ethiopian HIV-Positive and Negative Patients," with a quick click, but will have to preform complicated search engine gymnastics to try to access the abortion information (Try entering terms like: Fertility Control, Postconception.) To see the reason behind the censorship, read more.

The manager of the database said of the change,

We recently made all abortion terms stop words. As a federally funded project, we decided this was best for now.

No warning of the change was noted on the site.

Abortion is a controversial issue, but this censorship of 25,000 documents seals off all information, both pro and con. Does it surprise you that a procedure can be considered legal by the government and at the same time starved for funding and information? Is this a step closer to a slippery slope of an abortion ban? Do you hope so?

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You Asked: Do I Explain Our Reasons for Not Having Children?

DearSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0800

DearSugar --

I am 27 and have been happily married to my 33-year-old husband for 5 years. About 2 years ago my husband and I made the decision to not have children (there's a lot of reason behind this). We're very content with our lives. We have two dogs and a cat which bring us great joy, and we love the idea of being able to get up and go and do what we want.

My problem is this: Every time I tell people we decided not to have children I feel as if everyone is making me out to be this horrible person. There have been a few select people that have said, "Good for you." But I've gotten, "Why? How could you not want to have children?" And "You'll change your mind." And the mother of them all, "I think that's a selfish decision." I've even gotten, "Don't you want someone to take care of you when you're older?"

My question is how do I explain my reasons for my decision without people jumping all over me? -- Cornered Caroline

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Cornered Caroline --

Like you, I'm always baffled by the intrusion and obsession around the private, reproductive lives of women. Even if people don't understand that it's ill-mannered, it's still ill-mannered. The grand dame of advice columnists herself, Dear Abby, tells us this is nobody's business (and repeat that fact, if you have the opportunity, Caroline!):

Dear Childless And Happy: There are several ways to handle questions that are nobody’s business. One is to deflect the question by asking another: “Why do you ask?” Or, “Why do you think that’s any of your business?” Alternatively, if you really want the person to back down, you can reply, “If it were any of your business, you’d already know the answer to that question. Please don’t ask me again!”

You asked, Caroline, how to explain your reasons without people jumping all over you. You shouldn't explain, and I hope you won't. This is a private decision, between you and your partner, and no one you don't choose should be privy to your reasons. This decision is legitimate, period, and it's not your job to convince anyone of your truth. Besides, everyone everywhere has an opinion about something, you don't want to spend too much energy entertaining people around their unsolicited opinions, and definitely not when it concerns something so private and important to you.

Try to remember, as well, that when most people react or judge your choices, they're revealing something about themselves, their beliefs or anxieties, even if they seem to be speaking about you (or believe they are). While that sort of behavior can effect you, it really and truly is not about you. Once you start to notice this, life can get pretty liberating.

Run, don't walk, to this website. Baby Not on Board is a great community, and they provide news, information, and wit for people who've decided not to have children. I think it would help you to find a tribe of supportive, kindred people, Caroline. That link sends you into the archives; if you scroll down to January 16, 2006, you'll find some hilarious suggestions for handling the baby question. Here's a sample:

Question
Are there any children on your horizon?

Answer
Earnest: Not the last time I looked.
Witty: No, but I think I spot a flock of geese.
End of conversation: not since losing my reproductive organs in a gruesome fly-fishing accident.

Question
Aren't you getting to the age when you should be thinking about kids?

Answer
Earnest: Gosh, i really don't think that's anybody's business.
Witty: No, but you're getting to the age when you should know better than to ask.
End of conversation: Actually, I'm getting to the age when my ovaries start producing half-wits.

You sound like a genuinely nice woman, Caroline, but don't be afraid to use a little muscle when the situation calls for it. There's a time and a place for everything, and sometimes people need a little help knowing when they've stepped over the line.