Repro Health Hub

Over here at the Repro Health Hub we can’t seem to stress enough how powerful and imperative accurate and accessible information about sex and reproductive health is. So this week, we’d like to shine the spotlight on a fantastic organization that has been committed to that cause for 20 years now, The Reproductive Health Technologies Project!

Just check out their awesome mission statement:  

The mission of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP) is to  advance the ability of every woman to achieve full reproductive freedom with  access to the safest, most effective, and preferred methods for controlling her  fertility and protecting her health.

Based out of Washington D.C., the organization started in 1988 as a group dedicated to public education about RU 486, the “abortion pill”. Since then it has grown to also take on policy development and advocacy of preexisting and developing reproductive health technologies. They have also made great contributions in scientific research on reproductive health, from abortion to contraception and STIs, with many of these studies are available online. The Project’s work is extremely valuable, and that’s why they are the Repro Health Hub’s Hero of the Week!

Be sure to visit their website to see if RHTP will be participating in an event near you! 

Another pat on the back for the Guttmacher Institute! Earlier this year, the research center published some enlightening information about the recent trends in abortion rates within the U.S. and have now released their most recent research is a study on sexual behavior of American teens.

According to the study led by Laura Lindberg, the Institute analyzed information about teens between the ages of 15-19 taken from the 2002 National Survey of Family growth, with findings that demystify the myth that teens perform oral sex as a way of both being sexually active and remaining virgins.

The findings were as follows

• 55 percent of teenagers have engaged in heterosexual oral sex
• 50 percent have engaged in vaginal sex; and 11 percent have had anal sex.
• Both oral and anal sex are much more common among teens who have already engaged in vaginal intercourse than among those who haven’t, suggesting that teens initiate a range of sexual activities around the same time, rather than substitute one for another, Lindberg says.

“Our research shows that this supposed substitution of oral sex for vaginal sex is largely a myth,” Lindberg said in a statement. “There is no good evidence that teens who have not had intercourse engage in oral sex with a series of partners.”

The study will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Studies like these are imperative to understanding teenage sexuality, how to best prepare those who are sexually active to act safely and be aware of possible risks, and how to shape policy that effectively support these findings.

“The study has clear policy implications,” said Lindberg. “While oral and anal sex carry no risk of pregnancy, engaging in these behaviors can nevertheless put teens at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Counseling and education should take into account total STI risk by addressing the full range of behaviors that teens engage in, including oral and anal sex. It is crucial that teens receive evidence-based education and counseling about STI risks and protective behaviors for all types of sexual activity. The federal government’s exclusive emphasis on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs does not give teens the skills and information they need to be safe.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Who says we can’t cover international issues?

Last week, emergency contraception was approved for over-the-counter status in Canada. Hurray!

In its final ruling, the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) has given Plan B, or Levonorgestrel, full over-the-counter status.This new status will make Canada the fifth country worldwide that allows women to go into any pharmacy and purchase the single dose pill without speaking to a pharmacist first. Plan B is already available without a prescription and a medical consultation in Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and India.

EC was given partial over-the-counter status in Canada in 2005, meaning women had to consult with a pharmacist beforehand. It’s nice to see the EC love being spread beyond the U.S., where EC is over-the-counter, although ID requirements and age-limitations still limit women’s full access.

Check out the Back Up Your Birth Control campaign for more info about and how to get EC.