Six Birth Control Apps Worth Checking Out
I’m sure you heard about the #teamiPhone vs. #teamAndroid Instagram beef last week. Can’t we all just get along, guys? Thank goodness for the wonderful world of birth control—it offers something for everyone! Hopefully you’ve already checked out and taken advantage of Bedsider’s custom cheeky text message reminders for birth control and medical appointments. They boast nifty features like a snooze function and a “discreet” option for the faint of, umm…frisky.
If you’re craving even more birth-control-related technology, these swipe-able, tap-able, colorful apps are good resources, too. Need a helpful text, an ovulation reminder, or a condom tracker? There’s an app for that. Since prevention is literally at your fingertips, there are no excuses—no matter what kind of phone you have. (Except for the BlackBerrys. Jk!)
The datebooks and calendars of yesteryear can be nixed. My True Cycle tracks the peak of a female user’s ovulation. “You’ll enter three pieces of information on the website or your phone each morning: your temperature, your fertility symptoms, and whether it’s the first day of your period,” reads the website.
MeFertil’s iPhone app is designed for those who “are trying to get pregnant or looking for a natural, hormone-free contraceptive method.” Its convenience lies in the fact that paper charting isn’t necessary…you can keep temperature information and track any fertility medication with one swipe.
Oh, New York. The concrete jungle where plenty of dreams are made…and sometimes babies, too. To prevent an even more populous city, the local health department launched their NYC Condom Finder app on Valentine’s Day. It’s simple: type in your address or use your iPhone or Android GPS and the tracker will direct you to the nearest venue with free condoms. The app is a free download as well.
Have you heard of MTV’s Staying Alive Campaign? It’s their global initiative to fight HIV/AIDS. Ther iCondom app is very similar to the NYC Condom Finder, but this digital download is a national effort. The directions instruct users to “simply upload the location of your nearest condom dispenser or retailer via GPS” to create a user-generated map of condom dispensers and retailers.
The Android app iPill is definitely going for the gold in versatility. For $2.99, you get “specific reminders for over 90 pill, patch, ring and IUD prescriptions.” There are also reality-inducing alarms that you can use, like a baby’s cry. Um, yikes.
Seems myPill was launched with visual types in mind. This iPhone app has an interactive graphic that looks just like a four week pack. As each day passes, a pill disappears (see helpful screen capture). How cool is that?
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Khalea Underwood is an intern for the digital media team of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. When she’s not writing, shopping, or listening to music, the Howard University print journalism student moonlights as an older sister, a contributor for MTVIggy.com, and a copy editor for The Hilltop newspaper.
The Creeps on the Street
Ick. Last night, an older man followed me out of a drugstore near my school. For almost a block, he relentlessly questioned me about anything and everything to get a response. “Where are you from? What’s your major? Do you wanna be texting buddies?” I could’ve sworn that my body language and rapid eye rolls would keep him moving…moving away. But my non-answers motivated him even more. The creep wouldn’t stop until he almost collided with another car.
The street jeers—you know, “Aye, girl!” “Excuse me, miss…” and “Lemme talk to you for a minute, sweetheart!”—are something I’ve grown used to. At first, I found them flattering. Then I found them annoying. And now I find them commonplace. A guy once told me that most males do it as a sport—the whistles and gestures are the bait. It’s up to us to decide if we want to bite.
I figured that most women are used to brushing off and ignoring the lewd comments on the streets. Holly Kearl isn’t one of them. She’s the creator of Stop Street Harassment, a web resource that has grown into a worldwide movement. This week marks the first annual International Anti-Street Harassment Week, but it isn’t the first time that this issue has been brought to light.
This week stemmed from one lone day that sparked a global response.
“Last year, we only observed one day of activism.” she told me. “After thousands of people from all over the world participated, we extended the awareness to a week. It’s still growing. Going into the week, we had 100 cosponsors from 18 countries, and now we have 21.”
So what is street harassment? “Any action or comment between strangers in public places that is disrespectful, unwelcome, threatening and/or harassing and is motivated by gender,” according to Stop Street Harassment’s website. There’s a huge difference between a compliment and a catcall.
“It comes down to tone of voice and what they convey,” Holly said. “A ‘hello’ should be fine, but up and down looks can be creepy and unwelcome.”
She wants us to know that no response is not always the best response in situations like that. “Say whatever makes you feel strong and empowered,” she advised. “Ask ‘would you want your sister talked to that way?’ or repeat their comment to make them feel dumb. But be careful…you never know how harassment can escalate.”
The video above shows guys—GOOD guys—taking a stance against street creeping. It’s not too late to join them.
International Anti-Street Harassment Week ends tomorrow, Saturday, March 24—but I have a feeling the fight will continue year round.
Learn more about street harassment.
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Khalea Underwood is an intern for the digital media team of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. When she’s not writing, shopping, or listening to music, the Howard University print journalism student moonlights as an older sister, a contributor for MTVIggy.com, and a copy editor for The Hilltop newspaper.
5 Reasons to Bat for #teamsingle This Valentine’s Day
Hey, you. Toss the Whitman’s Sampler aside and close that old Facebook album of you and your ex. Ignore the naysayers—batting for #teamsingle isn’t all that bad. One day out of the entire year heightens our awareness, but actually we’re #winning for the remaining 364. Behold, my top 5 reasons why.
1. Love Don’t Cost a Thing
Remember the days when construction paper heart cutouts and a splash of glitter did the V-Day trick? That was in kindergarten. Today, most folks are blinded by bling. The candy, flowers, lavish dinners and other presents adds up quickly. #Teamsingle is lucky—we can pocket that cash and put it to good use! Now excuse me while I log on to Bloomingdale’s website…
2. Sweatpants, Hair Tied, Chillin’ with no Makeup On
I hate to rain on your parade…jk, I love it. According to the Weather Channel, Valentine’s Day will be cold, rainy and snowy for many cities this year. While the taken will be hopping over puddles in their Jeffrey Campbells and Ferragamos, #teamsingle will be at home in slippers and Snuggies. Win.
3. Go to Sleep in Paris, Wake Up In Tokyo
When you don’t have a S.O., there’s the beautiful option of making time in your busy schedule for y-o-u. Use it to your advantage! See a movie you want to see; visit places you want to go. There’s no need to compromise or flip a coin when you’re in a party of one.
4. Thank You for Being a Friend
We all have that one friend who can’t detach themselves from their phone. At group outings, they’re too busy cooing sweet nothings and giggling at cutesy text messages to have a good time. So. Annoying. Being single allows you to be a better listener and pay attention to your pals—your head isn’t filled with thoughts of your S.O. and you’re not doodling your hyphenated name on the margins of the dinner menu.
5. Come Here, Rude Boy
It’s okay to have a roving eye when you’re single, of course. Use your status to your advantage! Have lunch with the quiet cutie in your English class, talk to complete (but safe) strangers on the Metro, and flirt until your eyelashes fall off from batting. Who knows? You may be on the other team next year…if that’s what you’re into.
“Heart in heart” image by tanakawho.
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Khalea Underwood is an intern for the digital media team of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. When she’s not writing, shopping, or listening to music, the Howard University print journalism student moonlights as an older sister, a contributor for MTVIggy.com, and a copy editor for The Hilltop newspaper.
Sex Ed 101: What You Didn’t Learn
Great article from GeNYU (and not just because it mentions us and our fabulous intern Khalea), about sex ed beyond high school.
