TBH (To Be Honest) is a monthly newsletter dedicated to learning about our bodies, talking about sex and relationships, and challenging health inequity and injustice.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Mifepristone access + What it's like to work at a Planned Parenthood health center
+ Kids, gender identity, and being trans
Mifepristone access + What it's like to work at a Planned Parenthood health center
+ Kids, gender identity, and being trans
"It'll be the first time the conservative-majority Court will weigh in on abortion since it overturned Roe v. Wade"
Even before the Dobbs decision last year, medication abortions accounted for about 54% of all abortions in the US. Now, the Supreme Court has announced it will hear a legal challenge to the FDA's approval of mifepristone, one of two drugs used for medication abortions.
Read more from The Cut here on what this means and what's next.
Read more from The Cut here on what this means and what's next.
From the blog…
- 4 Facts You Need to Know About Your Kids, Gender Identity and Being Trans: Let's get into the facts about gender identity and trans kids so you feel ready as a parent or caregiver to support your child as they are, whether they're trans or not.
- A Day In The Life: What It's Like To Work in a Planned Parenthood Health Center: Ever wondered what a typical day is like for staff at a Planned Parenthood health center? Here's how a nurse practitioner in Illinois spends their day — and why your support matters to providers and patients.
- What's the Difference Between Brand Name and Generic Birth Control?: Is brand name birth control better than generic? We asked our experts.
What we're watching, reading, listening to, and taking action on:
- Our new video series about "virginity" — which is actually just a social construct, by the way — how to know if you're ready to have sex, and what happens during that first time. It's also available in Spanish.
- This American Life podcast episode about an OB-GYN in northern Idaho and how her practice has changed since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
- Who decides when a patient qualifies for an abortion ban exception? Spoiler alert: It might not be a doctor since our federal abortion rights were taken away.
- According to a University of Pittsburgh study, younger people on Medicare lack access to birth control.
Ask the Experts:
"I keep getting yeast infections. What causes them and how can I prevent them?"
Dealing with yeast infections can be frustrating and uncomfortable, but you're not alone. Your vagina has a natural balance of healthy bacteria and yeast. But when too much yeast grows, it causes an infection. Here are some of the things that can lead to a yeast infection:
- Taking certain medicines, like antibiotics or steroids, can get rid of the good bacteria in your vagina. Good bacteria helps keep yeast in check.
- Hormonal changes, like your menstrual cycle or pregnancy, can create an environment for yeast to grow.
- Eating a lot of sugary foods — yeast thrives on sugar.
- Wearing tight pants, a wet bathing suit, damp clothing, or underwear with no breathable cotton crotch — yeast thrives in moisture.
- Cleaning your vulva with mild, unscented soap and water regularly
- Wearing breathable, cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothing whenever possible
- Changing out of wet bathing suits or clothing as soon as possible
- Avoiding douching, which can disrupt the natural balance of bacteria in your vagina: Your vagina is actually self-cleaning when left alone!
- Taking a probiotic, as directed by your nurse or doctor, when you're on antibiotics: While there's not enough research yet, some people find that taking probiotics at the same time as antibiotics helps prevent problems.
- Managing stress (if and where you can!): Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or mindfulness practices can help reduce stress. Stress can weaken your immune system's ability to control yeast levels.
*Note: Planned Parenthood is not responsible for nor does it endorse any legal, medical, or other advice or information provided by any of the entities identified or referenced herein or by any other third parties, whether referenced herein or not.
Check out Ask The Experts for more Q&As on a ton of different health topics. Got a question in mind? Ask Roo, our sex ed chatbot, or one of our trained health educators.
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