March 4, 2013 • 2 notes
Q
First of all, I hope you're not too stressed this semester. Thanks for answering if you do end up answering. I'm an MtF transgender person hoping to gain admission to Hamp. Do you know what would be the best place in the area for HRT treatment? I would begin beforehand via informed consent, but I would probably need blood tests later to monitor hormone levels to determine possible dosage changes.
Anonymous
A

Hi Prospective Student!
Hampshire College Health Services is still in the process of implementing gender-specific medication provision, so we’re answering to the best of our abilities. A Sexpert who was prescribed HRT on the informed consent model while not at Hampshire has gotten emergency refills from Health Services, but as far as we know at the moment the protocol they will be implementing will be to have the student go through our counseling services so that they may access endocrinologists close by (in Amherst or Northampton) who require a letter from a therapist. However, there are a lot more trans resources in the area, and it is very likely that you can find a healthcare provider locally who will take your insurance, especially since Hampshire’s insurance now covers gender-specific medications. This resource is a great place to start http://www.umass.edu/stonewall/transresguide/ and the Sexperts have heard really good things about Kimberly Browne-Martin in Springfield, MA.

Your endocrinologist can also ask Health Services at Hampshire to do blood tests here on campus and have the results sent to them, so it may be possible for you to keep your current provider.  

March 4, 2013
Q
How do I get Emergency Contraceptives from Health Services? And with their wacky hours, will I still be protected if I had sex Saturday and get the pill Monday?
Anonymous
A

Emergency Contraceptives are available from Health Services during their operating hours. On the weekends we recommend going to UMass Health Services, which is open 11-5 pm. It’s always available at pharmacies like CVS, but if you’re looking for a cheaper option, we suggest getting it from Hampshire or UMass. Without insurance, the average cost is $35-$46 dollars. 

EC works best if you take the pill within 72 hours after you have sex but there is still a possibility of it working up to 120 hours (five days) after. The sooner you can take the pill, the better! Additionally, Planned Parenthood and Tapestry have EC but price it based on a person’s income. We recommend keeping an extra dose on hand just in case. Typically, an EC pill will not expire for up to two years.

This information comes from a pamphlet provided by the Abortion Rights Fund of Western Massachusetts. 

March 4, 2013

Everybody has different preferences.  Even though TV, etc. may make it seem like no one has or likes pubic hair, that’s not true.  What you do with your own pubic hair is your choice.  Try out different styles!  If you don’t like it, it will grow back.  If you are going to shave, make sure to use a clean razor.  There are health-related reasons that some people choose not to shave, wax, or trim their pubic hair.  For example, pubic hair helps prevent the transmission of bacteria that can occur from skin-to-skin contact.  Additionally, shaving and waxing can be painful for people with sensitive skin.

December 6, 2012 • 42 notes • facebook.com
shodhiniinstitute: One of the best benefits of doing group exam is that you get to see different varieties of vulvas! They are all beautiful and they all HEALTHY! Love thy vulva. INTERESTED ON DOING GROUP EXAM AND BECOME A SHODHINI?

shodhiniinstitute:

One of the best benefits of doing group exam is that you get to see different varieties of vulvas! They are all beautiful and they all HEALTHY! Love thy vulva. INTERESTED ON DOING GROUP EXAM AND BECOME A SHODHINI?

(via caseyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy)

December 5, 2012 • 1 note • caseyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

NOOOOO

caseyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy:

if the only… tool… you feel you can access is a LINT ROLLER, for the love of god, let me know. i am personally offering my time & money to find you something else. anything else.

December 4, 2012 • 1,682 notes • maarnayeri
Commonly misunderstood, sex-positivity is not a movement rooted in liberating what’s between the legs. Rather, it is a framework for expanding consciousness, promoting tolerance, and rebuilding human respect. It’s a tool for reimagining our bodies, pleasures, and desires as healthy, normal, and diverse. It’s an instrument for reclaiming our power, challenging shame-infesting ideologies, redefining our relationships, and fortifying our sisterhood.

Arielle Loren, The sex positive Black woman

Hey, tumblr ~sex pozz~ crowd, read this.

(via eastafrodite)

(via anarchofeminist)

March 27, 2012
Q
Dear Sexperts, I'm male bodied and have issues with my "lasting time". I've read my condition can be improved, and I've seen fluctuation, but it's always short, and puts strain on my relationships. I'm not asking about how to satisfy my partners. It's not a problem. However, despite their satisfaction, I've felt inferior being both unable to satisfy myself and them in this way. It took years of work not feel to shamed each time I ejaculated. "Lasting tips" haven't helped. I hope you can. Thanks.
Anonymous
A

Q: Dear Sexperts, I’m male bodied and have issues with my “lasting time”. I’ve read my condition can be improved, and I’ve seen fluctuation, but it’s always short, and puts strain on my relationships. I’m not asking about how to satisfy my partners. It’s not a problem. However, despite their satisfaction, I’ve felt inferior being both unable to satisfy myself and them in this way. It took years of work not feel to shamed each time I ejaculated. “Lasting tips” haven’t helped. I hope you can. Thanks.

A: Hello!

 

Given society’s tendency to romanticize the mythic, athletic hour-long “sack session” and the cultural stigmas against premature ejaculation, it’s understanding that many people such as yourself feel frustrated not being able to achieve the high standards that have been set by Hollywood and the like.  We want to honor that you’re on a journey towards accepting your body and sexual needs and emphasize that you’re not alone.  

 

 The cultural privileging of the orgasm can have very damaging consequences on people’s sexual experiences and their perceptions of their partners’ experience.  It’s important to be open with your partner and not make assumptions about their sexual experience, and to work towards being as honest as possible about your needs and wants in bed.

 

Although we want to underline the above, here are some suggestions Sexperts had:

 

  • Orgasm is not the be-all, end-all of sex!  There is foreplay, post-play, play with you clothes on, and many more elements of the sexual experience to spend your energy on, and doing so may yield very fruitful, rewarding results.
  • Enjoying and prolonging foreplay more (keeping your underwear on for longer helps resist the temptation!) and not privileging genital-to-genital contact and penetrative acts can also help prolong the experience for both you and your partner.
  • If you’re not already, try using condoms!  Condoms preserve the penetrative experience but can also help prolong erection.
  • Try de-centering your sexual experience and try stimulating the other 97% of you and your partners’ bodies.  Other parts of your body other than the genitals can yield sexual pleasure without leading to orgasm.
  • On that note, experiment with toys that allow you and your partner to heighten non-penetrative pleasure and also explore alternative forms of penetration.
  • Cock rings!  Cock rings come in all shapes and sizes and each one serves a different function, from constriction to vibration.
  • Lube!  There are many different lubricants (and lubricated condoms) on the market that help to prolong erection either through mild desensitization or by providing other forms of sensitization, such as through a variety of tingly sensations from warming to a refreshing mint.
  • Avoiding the “go-to” motions and positions that “get you off” quickly, and choosing instead to experiment with different positions and erogenous zones that are still pleasurable but not hypersensitive may also help.  These are different for everybody, so experimentation is the only way to figure out your body for yourself.
  • The Guide to Getting It On has an entire chapter on “premature ejaculation” that is friendly, accessible, and comprehensive, and discusses a number of points in addition to providing more creative “lasting tips.”

 

The Sexperts weren’t sure if you were looking for advice on communication with your partner, learning to accept yourself, or further resources for more information, so if we haven’t sufficiently answered your question message us back with more questions!

February 14, 2012

Bacterial Vaginosis

Anonymous asked: Is there a street name for bacterial vaginosis?

Bacterial Vaginosis, also known as BV, Gardnerella vaginitis, Gardnerella, or simply non-specific vaginitis, is a benign infection of the vagina in which Gardnerella is the most common bacteria involved.  Bacterial Vaginosis is commonly confused with a common yeast infection (candidiasis), but these are distinct conditions.  There may or may not be a street name for bacterial vaginosis, but a cursory Google search did not yield any significant results.  

If you are concerned about whether or not you or a friend may have bacterial vaginosis, see your physician for proper treatment.

October 25, 2011

Things to consider before having sex

Q: I’m nowhere near Hampshire, but I found this blog and I really respect the non-judgmental information you’re providing people, so I figured you might answer my question even if I’m miles away (no rush).

I’m debating having sex for the first time, but I need to find the right birth control. I don’t really want to tell my parents (especially not my dad), so I was going to try going to Planned Parenthood. I am leaning towards the pill, but I know that it messes with hormone levels and has side-effects. What are the most common ones? What are the differences between brands? I would like to know my options before I try anything. I’d also like to know how long I should wait to have sex after starting birth control.

A: There are many things to consider before choosing to have sex for the first time, including but not limited to birth control options.  Congratulations on thinking about these things ahead of time!  Go Ask Alice!, an excellent online sexual health resource, has an excellent, comprehensive article that covers many different factors to consider before choosing to have sex.  If after you do decide that it’s the right time for you and your partner to have sex, it’s essential that you take the proper precautions to protect your sexual health.  Steps you can take to help protect you and your partner(s) include but are not limited to regular STD/STI testing, using barrier methods, and as you know, birth control methods.

Even if you’re on birth control, you still need to protect against the transmission of STD’s and STI’s.  You can help protect yourself and your partner by doing two things: (1) using barrier methods like condoms and dental dams, and (2) have you and your partner(s) get tested regularly. 

From your description, it seems like you have access to a local Planned Parenthood, which is great news.  Planned Parenthood offers confidential testing, barrier methods, as well as birth control.  If you do not have access to a Planned Parenthood or other reproductive healthcare clinics, your physician can prescribe birth control as well as test you for STD/STI’s, and barrier methods are available at drug stores and online.

As for contraceptive methods, there exists a plethora of options to choose from; oral contraceptives, or “the pill,” are but one method to help prevent pregnancy.  Additionally, there is a wide variety of different brands of birth control brands (100 and counting!) and new brands are introduced every day.  Because of the variety of options, we cannot pretend to offer a comprehensive overview of this many different brands of oral contraceptives.  To familiarize yourself with the variety of options, WebMD has a helpful comparison of the different categories of oral contraceptives, the different brands, and the different possible side effects.

When starting birth control, it is impossible to know beforehand which brand of pill is going to work best for you. The efficacy and side effects of any given pill is determined by a variety of factors, and the same pill may affect two different people in radically different ways.  Your healthcare provider can help you narrow down these options and help you find the pill that is most suitable for you and has the least negative side effects.  However, it is important to note that most people try a few different brands of birth control before finding one that works best for them.  Additionally, it may take a for your cycle to readjust and your hormone levels to settle into place before you can tell if the pill is working for you, or if you want to try a different brand.  The provider who prescribes you the pill will be able to guide you through this decision-making process.

To choose which options are best for you, discuss your situation with Planned Parenthood and/or your health care provider, so that your health history, circumstances, and financial situation may be taken into consideration.  There is no need to worry about your parents finding out: if you are a minor in the United States, you have rights to confidential reproductive health care.  Unless you give consent, your health care provider cannot disclose your medical records to anybody, including your parents (except in the case of abortion, depending on your state’s laws). Planned Parenthood and other health centers are very familiar with concerns about confidentiality.  If your parents provide your health insurance and/or will pay for your medical bills and you fear that they will find out after you receive services, talk to your provider about ways to ensure confidentiality, like providing a private contact information and paying in cash. 

October 3, 2011

Special Event!

Hey everybody! 

So, as we get back into the swing of school the Sexperts (with the help of other members of the community) will be hosting two workshops this week, run by sexuality educator Charlie Glickman! Mr.Glickman will be at Hampshire this Tuesday (10/4) and Wednesday (10/5), running workshops starting at 7pm in the Easy Lecture Hall in FPH. Tuesday’s workshop is “Act Like a Man” and Wednesday’s workshop is  ”The Physiology of Pleasure”. Mr. Glickman joins us all the way from California, so make sure to come see him speak before he’s back on the west coast! Descriptions of the workshops are listed below; 

Act Like A Man: Male Gender Socialization

Despite the increasing dialogue about gender roles in modern society, there is little understanding of how masculinity is defined, taught, and enforced. The more we explore these dynamics, the easier it becomes to address them, find new ways of moving through the world, and bring a sense of both compassion and accountability to our lives.

The Physiology of Pleasure

Knowing about sexual anatomy and physiology is more than knowing the names of the parts. This interactive workshop explores the sexual organs and explains how they function from a pleasure perspective. There are many similarities that transcend gender, as well as some obvious (and not so obvious) differences. When we deepen our understanding of how these parts of our bodies work, we are able to explore sexuality more fully and discover new ways to experience pleasure.

click here to view Mr. Glickman’s full website