You seem pretty scared of catching the flu for someone who’s not remotely scared of catching STDs.
Via someecards
Dug up this golden oldie (but goodie) from Someecards in honor of National Condom Week. Let’s hear it for the only method of birth control that also prevents STIs! And speaking of golden, remember that just because you’re using another method of birth control doesn’t mean you should give up condoms. Doubling up=the golden ticket to safer sex.
Not-so-shocking news: People like sex, whether or not it involves using a condom.
Happy National Condom Week! In case you haven’t stumbled upon this study yet, basically some kind researchers took it upon themselves to debunk the all-too-common myth that sex is no fun with condoms. Unsurprisingly, the researchers found that condoms do not prevent people from enjoying sex—good news since condoms are the only birth control method that protect from STIs. Check out a few other interesting tidbits from the study over in our news section.
Bedsider in the Wild: USC Back-to-School Edition
In September of 2012, Bedsider launched its first-ever student-run programs at University of Maryland, University of South Carolina, American University, and Howard University. The Bedsider Campus Ambassador program takes birth control to college students in their natural habitat—the wild world of campus. You will spot Bedsider hosting trivia nights, showing fun movies, and dropping some birth control knowledge in the quad. And because this internet thing is here to stay, you can connect with all the campus programs on Facebook.
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Out with the old, in with the new! To get us into the mood for Spring 2013, we thought we’d share some fond memories from last semester. Back in November (the 27th, to be precise), as an end-of-semester treat, we put together a Bedsider “Between the Sheets” Movie Night. It was the first big event that the University of South Carolina (USC) Ambassadors held as a part of the Bedsider in the Wild campaign, which aims to bring birth control to college students and other young adults “in their natural habitat.” Our movie night was open to anyone and we had extra help from The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (who helped us get the room) and Students With A Responsible Message (SWARM), who were awesome enough to bring free condoms for everyone!
SWARM with their awesome condoms and mini lubes (yes, those exist!)
We started out the night with pizza and Bedsider Fact or Fiction videos, which were playing as people walked in. The videos definitely broke the ice and led to some pretty interesting conversations about common sex myths—like that you can’t get pregnant the first time you have sex or that certain positions can literally stop the sperm from working. Um, fiction. After everyone settled down with their pizza, we were ready to start Friends With Benefits. Because, seriously, who has hotter sex than Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis?
No one, that’s who. Throughout the movie we had people signing up for birth control reminders and checking out Bedsider.org and our awesome Facebook page on their smartphones and laptops.
At the end of movie we passed out awesome prizes and free swag and answered questions about Bedsider. The first 10 people who signed up for our text reminders got a free Bedsider t-shirt—and trust me when I say there is no better prize for a college student than something that lets them put off laundry for another day (or two). The first 15 people who liked our Facebook page also got a Bedsider prize pack and at the end of the night we raffled off a $25 IHOP gift card to one lucky winner!
The good times didn’t stop there—we passed out candy canes on Greene Street and at Pendleton Bridge in the week between classes and exams. And let me tell you, nothing is better than the look on someone’s face when you not only hand them candy, but hand them candy that has the #1 tip for hotter sex.
Our lovely USC Campus Ambassadors at movie night!
PS: Want to know that #1 tip for better sex? Get on birth control!
Thanks for climaxing quietly when we visit family.
Via someecards
Everybody back in their own bed and ready for New Year’s revelry?
(If you’ll be partying hard, remember the special recipe for a celebration that’s memorable in a good way should include great company, party-ready birth control, and condoms for STI protection.)
Climaxing, Austin-style
There’s a lot happening (as usual) in the wild of Austin—and don’t worry, everything is happening before the end-of-the-world parties start! First and foremost, this Saturday is Ladies’ Night—Bedsider will be at Holy Mountain from 9pm-2am sponsoring Knuckle Rumbler’s event with G-Eazy. Pro nail artists will be on site, and the Bedsider ATX crew will be catering to all of your swag and photo-opp needs. If you haven’t checked out the Bedsider photo booth—you’ve got to take a picture with one of our suggestive props—it is kind of a must-see. Ladies get in free all night and guys can grab their tickets in advance for only $10. Because who says Ladies’ Night can’t include our favorite dudes?
Keep your calendars out because we have a few more events coming up this month. On Tuesday, December 11th, Bedsider will be hosting Alamo Drafthouse’s Girlie Movie Night featuring Love Actually. You can purchase tickets for the Ritz location in advance or at the door. And don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook.
As always, you’ll be able to load up on free Bedsider gear like t-shirts, condoms, and stickers that are probably NSFW. Sidenote: keep your eyes peeled for this nifty Bedsider sidewalk art all around Austin!
P.S. Check out G-Eazy on YouTube—because he is kind of adorable in a steaming-hot-sexy kind of way. There, I said it—but don’t pretend like you weren’t thinking it too.
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Alyssa is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin studying Psychology. She is a sex educator for the Healthy Sexuality Peer Educators at UT and has a huge passion for public health and all things quirky. Alyssa is an intern for Bedsider’s ATX campaign and will be reporting every Wednesday with the inside scoop on all things Bedsider (along with the occasional band, book, or documentary recommendation and a baked-goods recipe or two) in the wild of Austin.
Sex on TV: Condom Etiquette with Dr. Mindy
During last week’s episode of The Mindy Project, Dr. Mindy Lahiri found herself in the awkward situation of telling her new OB/GYN and fellow doctor Dr. Danny Castellano all the dirty details of her sex life. When Danny asks her about protection, Mindy says she uses condoms and isn’t shy to show her disgust. Danny is confused—why are condoms such a big deal? Condom etiquette, Mindy replies. You know, it’s hard for women. Danny, completely unaware of the double standard, stares blankly at Mindy.
Mindy goes on to explain the female contraception conundrum: You want to have condoms (obviously, safe sex is the best sex) but you don’t want to keep them right next to your bed because you don’t want to tarnish the good girl, never-does-this-kind-of-stuff thing you’ve got working for you—nor do you want to give off the air of having a stash nearby for the hordes of men who travel through your bedroom on the reg. So you do the dance where you pretend to think about where you could possibly have had a few leftover from a bachelorette party, like as a goof, and run around your room looking for said goof condoms, purposefully checking the wrong places, until you “magically” unearth one. All of this, just to seem ladylike.
What’s up with that dance? Why did every female watching nodding her head in recognition of the dance, as if it were as commonplace as the Macarena or the Electric Slide? And why was any male viewer who was forced chose to watch this episode as clueless about the whole thing as Danny was?
I’m putting an end to the nonsense right now: being in control of your sexual health does not make you slutty, promiscuous, or any other negative-sounding adjective. It makes you smart. And smart is sexy. I understand that keeping a wholesale club-size box of condoms on your nightstand may not work for the shabby-chic décor you’ve got going on, but there’s no need to bust out an Oscar-worthy performance just to find a condom. And clearly the guys don’t really care. Girls may mature faster than guys, but in this case, guys are five minutes ahead of us—less focused on your big performance and more focused on the dance you’ll be doing together, under the covers. So cut the dress rehearsal and get [it] on with the show.
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Lauren Mann works in The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy’s Entertainment Media department. She’s been blogging about sex, love and relationships among twenty-somethings since she first joined the Campaign as an intern in 2009. Check out her personal blog at whatjewtalkingbout.tumblr.com.
Danny: Do you use contraception?
Mindy: [laughing] Yeah, condoms. But, ugh, am I right?
Danny: I don’t know. What does “ugh” mean?
Mindy: Well, condom etiquette, it’s hard for women, you know? ‘Cause you want to have condoms, but you can’t keep them by the bed, ‘cause then it seems like …
Aw, Mindy…watch this, okay? We say any man who’s not turned on by a woman who’s on top of her reproductive health probably shouldn’t be having sex…
Bedsider in the Wild: UMD Kinklings Edition
In September, Bedsider launched its first-ever student-run programs at University of Maryland, University of South Carolina, American University, and Howard University. The Bedsider Campus Ambassador program takes birth control to college students in their natural habitat—the wild world of campus. You will spot Bedsider hosting trivia nights, showing fun movies, and dropping some birth control knowledge in the quad. And because this internet thing is here to stay, you can connect with all the campus programs on Facebook. Our first “In the Wild” post comes from our campus ambassadors at UMD.
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At 5pm on Saturday October 13th, 2012, the University of Maryland’s Bedsider Ambassadors held their first event on the UMD Campus as a part of the Bedsider in the wild campaign, aimed at bringing birth control to college students and other young adults “in their natural habitat.” The UMD event was held specifically for two student groups on campus: the Satanic Mechanics, a Rocky Horror Picture Show cast, and the College Park Kinklings, a group of kinky students which isn’t officially affiliated with the University.
Things started out pretty casual—hanging out in the campus radio station getting to know each other, putting questions in the anonymous question box, and chowing down on some homemade penis cookies. FUN FACT! No one approached the penis cookie balls first (good idea for a study there).
Getting down to business, we went through a Bedsider walk–through, which was slightly edited due to technical difficulties. But hey! That’s what sparkling personalities are for. And if birth control wasn’t titillating enough, we also had 2 representatives from the College Park Kinklings talk about the ins-and-outs of kinky relationships, from being proud of your personal kinks and communicating with partners to sex-toy safety and the importance of having a safe word. One of our goals for the evening was to bring kink out of the shadows and into open conversation. Kinda like what Bedsider is trying to do for birth control. Safe in body, mind, and communication—a winning combination!
So a pad of paper, a banana, and an unlubricated condom walk into a bar—what do you get? A sexy kinky game show, that’s what! We started out with a bang: “What is the Lotus sex position? 2 points for drawing or describing it….3 points for acting it out! (Clothes on, of course.)” Only one team was outgoing enough to take a go at acting it out, and they just so happened to be a pair of 6 foot 5 inch tall burly men. From there we moved on to sex and kink trivia, sex pictionary, condom balloon animals, and, for the grand finale, a condom relay (hence the banana). But this wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill condom relay—oh no, this was a hands free condom relay! I’ll let your imaginations take it from there.
In the end, the rules were fake and the points didn’t matter and everyone got a fun and functional prize-bag filled with Bedsider cups, chap-stick, condoms, candy, and more information about where to go to to learn more about birth control and sexual health. And what better place to start than Bedsider.org/UMD?
How to make sex safer in 4 simple steps
Know what’s better than switching from condoms to a more fool-proof form of birth control? Continuing to use condoms and getting on another method of birth control. Doubling up FTW (!) in our latest Provider Perspective.
