Please use "Share" function, above right, to "Psst...Pass It On!" to those you love.
This awareness campaign feautures two special offers from PPWNM!
2/16/12
Best Kept Secret: STDs are on the rise! Half of all sexually active young people will have an STD (sexually transmitted disease) by age 25. What’s more, STDs are also climbing faster among the over-age-55 crowd than within the population as a whole.
Since many STDs don’t show any symptoms, protection and prevention are your best defenses if you are sexually active. That means getting tested so you know your STD status, and making sure your partner gets tested (one in three people will lie and say they do not have an STD when they know that they do, just to have sex). It also means using a condom when you have sex to provide a physical barrier between you and potential disease.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are among the most common infections spread through sexual contact. In 2010, nearly a million-and-a-half cases of Chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – the largest number of cases ever reported to CDC for any condition. Gonorrhea cases jumped nearly three percent from 2009 to 2010, to more than 300,000.
These infections often have no symptoms; but if left unchecked, they can do serious damage to your body. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are pretty easily spread through sexual contact, but the best kept secret may be that they are also easily treated once discovered.
A PAP TEST WILL NOT DETECT MOST STDs. YOU MUST GET STD TESTS IN ADDITION TO YOUR REGULAR PAPS IN ORDER TO KNOW YOUR STD STATUS.
If you think you need to be tested, PPWNM is offering a $50 Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV screening package to all new and current clients through April 30, 2012.
Learn more: Chlamydia, gonorrhea, safer sex
Psst…Pass it on!
2/9/12
Best Kept Secret: Birth control that you only “take” four times per year! You’ve probably heard about Depo-Provera (Depo), the birth control shot. But have you seriously considered it as a method for you? No more pills to swallow, fewer visits to the doctor or pharmacy, nothing to insert or remove … these and other benefits make Depo the favorite choice for lots of women.
The birth control shot is one of the most effective methods available. Less than 1 out of 100 women will get pregnant each year if they always use the birth control shot as directed. About 6 out of 100 women will get pregnant each year if they don't always use the birth control shot as directed.
New clients to PPWNM can try out the birth control shot FREE before April 30, 2012! Just call any PPWNM health center and ask about our Free Birth Control offer.
Make no mistake, there can be side effects, ranging from mild to severe, which may not make Depo the best choice for you. The highly trained and skilled health care providers at Planned Parenthood are always ready to help you find the best method of birth control for YOU.
Learn more about Depo benefits, side effects, and exactly how it works.
Psst…Pass it on!
2/1/12
Best Kept Secret: Celebrating the condom! This front-line warrior in the battle for your sexual health often gets a “bad wrap.” Of all the tools in our sexual health toolkits, what else puts itself out there literally as a physical barrier between you and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), AND between you and unintended pregnancy?
Valentine’s Day makes February the “month for lovers,” and not so coincidentally, it’s also National Condom Month. What better time to celebrate all things condom, and spread the word about this mighty, ancient soldier in the fight against STDs and unintended pregnancy?
A history that stretches back centuries:
Condoms were reportedly used by the Egyptians in 1350 B.C. The earliest evidence of condom use in Europe come from scenes in cave paintings in Combarelles, France, dated 100-200 A.D. Throughout time, condoms have been made from animal skins, bladders, and intestines; linen, leather, and of course, rubber. Nowadays, the vast majority of condoms are made from latex, but there non-latex options for those with allergies. (source: lovepanky.com)
So do they really work?
Like all birth control methods, condoms are more effective when you use them correctly. Each year, two out of 100 women become pregnant among those who always use condoms correctly; but 18 out of 100 women become pregnant among those who don't always use condoms correctly.
If you have a condom mishap (the condom breaks or comes off during sex) you can take Emergency Contraception within five days to prevent unintended pregnancy. It’s available at Planned Parenthood and you can purchase it in advance so you have it around, just in case.
When it comes to STDs, condoms prevent skin-to-skin contact, helping prevent against the spread of STDs. But it is still possible to spread STDs that are occurring outside the protected area.
Think condoms aren’t for you?
They come in all kinds of shapes, colors, sizes, and fits. You and your partner can have fun exploring different brands and types until you find ones that work for you.
And, the Best Kept Secret of all? Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan locations offer THREE FREE CONDOMS A DAY, every day, to clients and non-clients alike, during regular business hours. Just stop in and ask. Want more than three? They’re only 25-cents each.
More info: condom facts, female condoms, safer sex
Psst…Pass it on!
1/23/12
Best Kept Secret: There ARE steps women can take to avoid the “silent killer” that claims 4,000 American women’s lives each year. Cervical cancer usually shows very few symptoms until it has progressed. But when caught early, the five-year survival rate is nearly 100 percent. Annual Pap tests can help with early detection, and the HPV vaccine can protect against most cervical cancers in the first place.
Every year about 13,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Because they are less likely to have access to early screening and treatment, Latinas and black women are more likely to develop and die of cervical cancer. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Regular cervical cancer screenings (Pap tests) and preventive care such as the HPV vaccine are the keys to combating cervical cancer.
PPWNM offers annual Paps, and the HPV vaccine (for women ages 18-26). We also have funding programs that may help you cover the costs.
Learn more: National Cervical Cancer coalition, HPV, HPV Vaccine
Psst…Pass it on!
1/16/12
Psst...Pass It On: Thank you for being a friend to Planned Parenthood! In 2011, our successful “I Stand with Planned Parenthood” campaign showed us just how many people support our quality health care and services.
In 2012, we are showing our appreciation for that support with two special offers from Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan (PPWNM). From now through April 30, 2012:
1. New clients to PPWNM can receive one month of FREE BIRTH CONTROL (pills, patch, ring, or shot).
2. New or existing clients can receive a STD (sexually transmitted disease) testing package (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV) for $50.
For too many people, sexual health remains a secret: something talked about in hushed tones, rumors passed along through word-of-mouth. We know there are many people in need of our services and for some it’s just a matter of discovering that we are here for them.
So in 2012 we are shouting it from the rooftops: WE ARE HERE for you, your loved ones, neighbors, and friends; providing affordable services and professional, private care. And we’re not just shouting it — we’re showing it — with these two special offers.
Recent attacks against Planned Parenthood have been based on misinformation or a lack of understanding about what we do. So we are determined to share some of the Best Kept Secrets about Planned Parenthood in 2012, starting with these two special offers. Our Best Kept Secrets campaign is designed to shred the myths and spread reliable, useful information.
Please join us in passing along these two special offers, as well as weekly tips and resources that you and your friends can use to stay sexually healthy and safe in the New Year. Using the links on the left, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, then share our weekly Best Kept Secrets with your friends and followers. You can also find weekly updates on this Best Kept Secrets webpage, or sign up for our wbsite RSS feed.
To our many, valued friends of Planned Parenthood who “Stood for Us” in 2011, will you “Speak for Us” in 2012, sharing the word that WE ARE HERE for people you know who need our services?
They will thank you, and so do we!
Psst...Pass It On!
