Planned Parenthood Celebrates National Condom Week in Albany and Troy!

ALBANY, NY: One in two sexually active young people in the US will get an STD by age 25. Planned Parenthood urges young people to use a condom every time you have any type of sex to protect against STDs and unplanned pregnancy.

• Planned Parenthood’s “Safer Sex Teams” will visit more than 15 capital district nightspots in three outreach events.
  • Albany, Friday, February 12^h from 5:00 to 8:30 pm
  • Troy, Friday, February 12^th from 8:30 to 11:30 pm
  • Albany, Saturday, February 14^th from 8:30 to 11:30 pm
  • The Planned Parenthood volunteers will stop in and hand out condoms, safer sex kits and engage willing patrons in a game of "Fact or Crap" on sexual health issues to win fun prizes.
  • Planned Parenthood will distribute 2,000 condoms during the weekend long event.

Why Condoms?

• Even if you are using a method of birth control, you may be at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Using condoms plus another method of birth control — like the IUD, implant, shot or pill — is the best way to prevent both pregnancy and STDs.
• Using condoms can actually enhance a person’s sex life. Contrary to popular myth, condoms don’t make sex less fun — people who use condoms rate their sexual experiences as just as pleasurable as people who don’t. 
• Condoms are a good way to feel a little more relaxed about  sex. Many people say they find sex more enjoyable when they use condoms because they aren’t worrying about STDs or unintended pregnancy.
• Using condoms correctly every time provides the best protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV, and is also very effective at preventing pregnancy. Consistent condom use saves lives.
• When it comes to HIV, using a condom makes sex 10,000 times safer than not using a condom.
• Latex and plastic condoms, as well as female condoms (also known as internal or insertable condoms), are very effective at preventing pregnancy; they’re also the only type of birth control that also helps reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
• You don’t need a prescription to get condoms — they’re one of the most accessible and affordable types of birth control.
• Everyone deserves a sex life that is safe and healthy as well as pleasurable/fun. Getting comfortable talking about safer sex and using condoms is a good way to take care of your health and your partner’s. Take care of your sexual health at the same time you're enjoying your Valentine's Day — or any time you're sexually active. Using a condom can take a lot of the worry out of sex since you won't be thinking about unintended pregnancy or STDs.
• It’s important to remember that we never reach an age when we’re not at risk for a sexually transmitted disease. Continuous condom use helps protect your health and well-being — no matter how old you are or where you are in life.

Rates of STDs remain a major problem in this country — the U.S. has the highest rate of STDs of any nation in the industrialized word. Every year, there are approximately 20 million new sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. 

STATS

• Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported STD in the United States, with an estimated 820,000 new cases every year. The recent emergence of a new drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea means that protecting yourself from infection is even more important than before.
• Many people who have a sexually transmitted disease don’t realize it, since many STDs cause no immediate symptoms. For example, 70-95 percent of women and 90 percent of men with chlamydia have no symptoms. And, on average, people with HIV don’t develop symptoms for 10 years.  
• According to the 2010 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, condoms are used only in about six percent of sexual encounters among those aged 60 and older.
• Communication is key.  It’s important to talk with your partner about using condoms before you engage in sexual activity. Be direct about your feelings, and emphasize that condoms are essential to protect one another’s health — and that using them can even make sex better.

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