Local Resources

Hey Everyone! I thought I'd list some information about a few health departments in case anyone wanted to find out about any resources and programs that may be available:

Lake County Health Department

 

1.) http://www.lakecountyil.gov/Health/want/Pages/Medical.aspx

 

General Medicine, Family Medicine and Pediatrics

 

Purpose: Provide medical care to adults and children through Community Health Center clinics.

Services available include:

Adult Primary Care

• Adult physicals
• Treatment of acute and chronic illness

Preventative Care

• Testing, Treatment, Counseling for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS

Medical Management Clinic (Also part of Lake County Health Department)
 
Purpose: To provide individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS with a 360-degree visit so that his or her physical, emotional and lifestyle needs are addressed at each visit.
Services available

• Medical care
• Adherence support
• Nutritional assessment and counseling
• Health Education
• Oral Health - routine preventative, emergency and restorative
• Psychosocial Counseling
• Group Support
• Pharmaceutical Assistance
• Referrals for Specialty Care and Diagnostic Testing
• Linkage to community support/social services



Condoms....No Glove, NO LOVE!

Hey all! I hope everyone is finding my postings informative and entertaing at the same time; learning doesn't have to be by the book and drawn out! With that being said, I bring you to my next topic of discussion - CONDOMS. And here's a male "philosophy" if you will, about how he feels about using them:

"Safe Sex is Great Sex! So you better use that latex....

You don't want to get that late night text

 from her, saying that 'I'm Late!' Text" - Author Unknown

 

In all seriousness, if you choose to not be abstinent, the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your partner, is to wear condoms. They come in a variety in materials, shapes, sizes, textures, even flavors!


(Yes flavors - because remember, ORAL SEX carries the same consequences as penetration, so condoms are an absolute must!)

Perhaps the first most important thing to consider when shopping for condoms, is to buy the kind that won't cause any irritation or discomfort to you or your partner. Case in point - many people have a latex allergy, and a majority of top selling condoms are made with latex. The last thing you would want to do it ruin the moment due to an allergic outbreak - ouch!




The next I want to discuss is the different types or styles of condoms there are. Guys, please don't buy a condom that you know for a FACT cannot fit you! Weather it be too big or too small, all you're doing is putting both you and your partner at risk for semen to excape from the condom, or the condom breaking. If you are unsure, buy a few different sizes and try them on BEFORE engaging in intercourse.

....Continuing on. Aside from the traditional male condom, did you know that there was also a condom made espesially for the female to wear? Oh yeah, it exists (See Below):

Now I leave you with this: A quick informational video from Planned Parenthood on how to properly put on a male condom - Enjoy! http://youtu.be/EdSq2HB7jqU

 



Abstinence: What does it really mean anyway?

Hello All! Thanks for stopping by and welcome to my first post! As I said in my introduction, the intent of this blog is to inform everyone about how to be more conscientious and make smart decisions when it comes to being sexually active.

With that being said, the most important message I can convey to my readers is......

ABSTINENCE!

So what exactly is abstinence? Dictionary.com defines abstinence a couple different ways:
ab·sti·nence  [ab-stuh-nuhns]  noun :

/ˈæbstənəns/ Show Spell

1. Forbearance from any indulgence of appetite, especially from the use of alcoholic beverages: total abstinence.

2. Any self-restraint, self-denial, or forbearance.

3. Economics- the conserving of current income in order to build up capital or savings.

4. The state of being without a drug, as alcohol or heroin, on which one is dependent.

...And now the definition your eight grade PE/Sex Ed teacher taught you:

Abstinence - Refraining from any and all forms of sexual activity.

Simple!

He or she probably added the point of being abstinent was to prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases. This would also be true. But what a lot of those PE teachers failed to acknowledge, was the fact that ORAL sex needed to be refrained from also because it was a form of (wait for it)....SEX!

Many people young and old fail to realize that vaginal penetration is not the only form of sexual intercourse. Middle school instructors also never, ever spoke of anal intercourse either, because kids don't do that - at least that's what the facade is.

The bottom line is this: The only way to keep yourself 100% free of contracting any type of sexually transmitted infection, disease, or becoming pregnant is to keep your private parts in your pants, and your hands to yourself.