Planned Parenthood sees swift fallout from quitting program - Los Angeles Times

Planned Parenthood sees swift fallout from quitting program - Los Angeles Times
How Change By Planned Parenthood Could Affect Ohio - WYSO
R. Kelly Is Reportedly Suffering From An STD, According To His Medical Records — His Lawyers Have A... - Celebrity Insider
I’m Terrified to Have Sex Because Everyone Lies About STDs - Slate

Posted: 22 Aug 2019 12:50 AM PDT

Planned Parenthood clinics in several states are charging new fees, tapping into financial reserves, intensifying fundraising and warning of more unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in the wake of its decision to quit a $260 million federal family planning program in a dispute with the Trump administration over abortion.

The fallout is especially intense in Utah, where Planned Parenthood has been the only provider participating in the nearly 50-year-old Title X program, and will now lose about $2 million yearly in federal funds that helped serve 39,000 mostly low-income, uninsured people. It intends to maintain its services — which include contraception, STD testing and cancer screening — but is considering charging a small copay for patients who used to get care for free.

Planned Parenthood in Minnesota is in a similar situation, serving about 90% of the state's Title X patients, and plans to start charging fees due to the loss of $2.6 million in annual funding.

The organization is concerned about the spread of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

"We believe there will be a public health crisis created by this denial of care," said Sarah Stoesz, the Minnesota-based president of Planned Parenthood North Central States. "It's a very sad day for the country."

Planned Parenthood and several other providers withdrew from the program earlier this week rather than comply with a newly implemented rule prohibiting participating clinics from referring women for abortions. Anti-abortion activists who form a key part of President Donald Trump's base have been campaigning to "defund Planned Parenthood" because — among its varied services — it is a major abortion provider, and they viewed the grants as an indirect subsidy.

About 4 million women are served nationwide by the Title X program, which makes up a much bigger portion of Planned Parenthood's patients than abortion. But the organization said it could not abide by the abortion-referral rules because it says they would make it impossible for doctors to do their jobs.

Mindy Dotson, a single mother in Utah, is among the women who use the family planning program. She started going to Planned Parenthood as doctors' bills for treating recurring yeast infections mounted. The services became even more important when she gave up her employer-sponsored health insurance because she couldn't afford the $500 monthly bill.

She is unsure what she'd do if the services stopped.

"It would put me in a very dangerous position," said Dotson, who works as an executive assistant for an accounting and consulting firm. "It covers so many things: STD testing, emergency contraception, birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings ... you name it, they have treated me for it."

Planned Parenthood says it's dedicated to maintaining its current services in Utah, but CEO Karrie Galloway acknowledged it won't be easy and could cause some "pain on all sides."

She said the organization plans to lean heavily on donors to make up the funding gap while staff members assess how they'll cope. Among the possibilities are instituting copays of $10-$15 per visit, shortening hours and trimming spending. She doesn't plan to lay off staff, but said she may not be able to fill jobs when people leave or retire.

Minnesota is planning fees as well.

"We'll continue to offer all services, and keep clinic doors open, but we'll be charging patients on a sliding scale who we didn't charge before," Stoesz said. "Vulnerable people who previously were able to access birth control and STD testing for free will no longer be able to do so."

Elsewhere, the impact of Planned Parenthood's withdrawal will vary from state to state.

Governments in some states, including Hawaii, Illinois, New York and Vermont, say they will try to replace at least some of the lost federal funding. In the Deep South there will be little impact because Planned Parenthood did not provide Title X services in most of the region's states.

The chief operating officer for Planned Parenthood of the Greater Northwest and Hawaiian Islands, Rebecca Gibron, said Southern Idaho could be hit hard by the changes, with other health care providers in the area saying they can't fill the gap if the roughly 1,000 low-income women served by Planned Parenthood in Twin Falls are no longer able to receive care.

"This was not money that can simply be made up by raising dollars from donors," Gibron said. "We have rent to pay, we have staff salaries ... there are limits to what we are able to do in terms of providing free care without the Title X program."

Gibron said Planned Parenthood is working with Washington state officials in hopes of securing "bridge funding" to keep operating more than 20 Title X clinics serving roughly 90,000 people.

"We're going to do everything we can to provide care for patients in the same way, but we know that it's not sustainable and we're looking at all of our options," she said.

Among other providers withdrawing from Title X is Maine Family Planning, which oversees a network that serves about 23,000 patients per year and will be losing $1.8 million in annual funding. Its CEO, George Hill, said the organization will rely on reserves and intensify fundraising efforts to bridge the gap while seeking more aid from the state.

In anticipation of the changes, Democrats in neighboring New Hampshire added about $3.2 million in the state budget they passed earlier this year to make up for the federal funding. But that's on hold after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed the budget in June for other reasons.

How Change By Planned Parenthood Could Affect Ohio - WYSO

Posted: 20 Aug 2019 07:50 AM PDT

Planned Parenthood says it will no longer provide birth control, HIV and STD testing and other health services with federal money known as Title X funds. The group says it cannot comply with what they call a gag rule that just went into effect that prohibits its doctors from talking about abortion with their patients. Here is what that means in Ohio.

Lillian Williams with Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio says more than 60,000 low income Ohioans get health screenings and birth control with the help of Title X funds.

"The subsidy allows us to provide services for patients at no cost, up to 100% of poverty. Without that funding, those, quote, unquote, fully subsidized services won't be available," Williams says.

Williams says Planned Parenthood is the only Title X provider in nine Ohio counties. She says the organization will continue to serve patients on Medicaid and with private insurance. But Williams says this change will also prevent mobile clinics in Cuyahoga County from going to low income communities to provide health education and testing for HIV, STDs and pregnancy.

R. Kelly Is Reportedly Suffering From An STD, According To His Medical Records — His Lawyers Have A... - Celebrity Insider

Posted: 22 Aug 2019 01:15 AM PDT

Recent reports indicate that R. Kelly might be suffering from an incurable STD. The legendary singer/songwriter is currently awaiting trial and has continued to deny any wrongdoings in his past.

However, not many people seem convinced by his story at this point, and the allegations that have been going around regarding his life might finally be catching up to him.

What is more worrying in this situation, though, are the reports that Kelly might have carelessly spread his disease to some of the women that he had reportedly had a sexual relationship with.

Some victims have reportedly stepped forward with specific accusations, and may even have a proof for their claims.

Whether Kelly did indeed expose those women to herpes — which is apparently what he is suffering from — and whether he did do this knowing his current condition is going to be hard to prove at this point.

However, it looks like there is a lot of attention firmly focused on Kelly's situation, and many people have been trying to dig deep beneath the surface to find what is really going on.

The R&B star has been distancing himself from the whole situation to the best of his abilities and has continued to insist that he had done nothing wrong.

Many reports seem to contradict his story at this point though, and he appears to be in quite the hot water already. It will take some time for the full story to come out though.

Douglas Anton, a lawyer for the legendary singer, blamed the multiple federal sex charges he is facing on "groupie remorse."

The attorney shared a YouTube video of a 1985 David Letterman interview with rocker David Lee Roth explaining how he offered backstage passes to cute girls spotted from onstage and explained: "I urge the court to click this link for a very brief overview of the industry-accepted, understood, and agreed upon, by consent, the definition of the fan and celebrity groupie experience."

He continued with: "This is touring rock and roll, not a criminal enterprise. These groupies sought out Robert's attention, even fought each other for it, voluntarily contacted him, came to his shows, pined to be with him. Robert would spend his time and even become friends with and care about these groupies and fans who were dying to be with him."

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The musician has been accused of kidnapping, recklessly exposing women to sexually transmitted diseases, rape, and underage sex.

He has denied those claims.

Post Views: 403

I’m Terrified to Have Sex Because Everyone Lies About STDs - Slate

Posted: 13 Aug 2019 12:00 AM PDT

Senior woman surrounded by neon plus signs. — Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Getty Images Plus.

How to Do It is Slate's sex advice column. Send your questions for Stoya and Rich to howtodoit@slate.com. Nothing's too small (or big).

Dear How to Do It,

I'm a 60-year-old woman who still attracts attention from others, which I desire. But I always say no, because of STDs. I do not trust men to answer me honestly about their status, and I know some men may not even know if they have an STD. My motto is better safe than sorry, so I stay at home, alone. I get by with sex toys, but I so wish for physical contact. So sad when the skin craves love. Is there any way out of this box?

—Not Out There

Dear Not Out There,

I'm seeing two possible options for you. One is to focus on intimacy and closeness, and seek out cuddling partners. Your current boundaries might not be exciting or appealing to everyone, but even one snuggling buddy would be more physical contact than you're getting now. You can't be the only person who craves intimate touch but is wary of or uninterested in sexual activity.

In that scenario, you'd stay within your boundaries, whatever they may be. If you're feeling up to it, you might explore kissing. Depending on how that goes, you could even try masturbating together. Which brings me to the other possibility—allow yourself to accept some managed risk.

You can ask new partners to get a new round of STI testing. Talk with your doctor or gynecologist about what level of testing is appropriate for you, and decide what you feel comfortable asking of your potential partners. Show them your test. Ask to see theirs.

Sometimes tests can miss new infections. You can ask your partners to wait the window period—the time in which an infection can be in the body without it showing up on a test—after his last sexual interaction before testing (this is more of an option in monogamous relationships). If you decide to have penetrative sex, use condoms even though everyone has been tested. If you engage in oral sex without barriers, get your throat swabbed every once in a while. You can exercise layers of precaution for even safer sex. Testing reduces the likelihood of having sex with someone with an STD, condoms reduce transmission possibility in the event of exposure, and regular testing afterward increases the chances of management or total cure.

It's completely up to you, and you should move slowly and be gentle with yourself. Let your emotions happen, and pay attention for signs you might be feeling overwhelmed. There's no rush, and there doesn't have to be an end goal other than human connection.

Dear How to Do It,

I am in my 20s and have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for a year last month. When I first met "Jim," I felt as if I had found the person I had always dreamt of: He is very attractive, hardworking, family oriented, kind, etc. The only issue I have with our relationship is with the amount of intimacy we share, and I'm not just referring to sexually. We have sex roughly every three to four weeks, but he doesn't really give verbal affirmation (besides "I love you" or "Miss you"), and cuddling isn't really a thing we do. He will do things like put his hand on my leg in the car, put his arm around me when we are out, and regularly giving me "peck" kisses, but that's about as far as our intimacy gets most of the time. I thought as we got more comfortable with each other, this would improve, but after a year, he seems very content with this. (He shows love by spending quality time with me, whereas I do verbally and physically).

When I've talked to my friends about this, they believe I should try to initiate more or put myself out there—I rarely ever do—but frankly the lack of intimacy has left me feeling extremely insecure about myself and left me constantly questioning everything about our relationship. It has also caused me to secretly be angry at him, and I feel myself distancing myself from him, and he has no idea. I'm too young to be in a relationship that barely has sex and lacks intimacy. I feel as if the only option I have is to bring this up to him, but I'm not even sure how. I don't want to tell someone they need to touch me more or be more verbal with what they feel about me if they don't want to. That just feels unnatural. But I love him very much and want to continue building a future together. What should I do? Do you think this is something that doesn't usually get better and I'm better off leaving now, or can intimacy improve just from communicating what my needs are?

—Out of Touch

Dear Out of Touch,

I get a version of your question often, so I reached out to Logan Levkoff, a doctor, sex educator, and author of multiple books on sex and dating. She says what you might not want to hear: "I understand that people want to avoid uncomfortable conversations, but that's just unrealistic if you want a relationship to go the distance (however you define 'distance')." Consider this: If you really do love and want relationship longevity with this person, is it worth holding back, crossing your fingers, and hoping that something changes? It's not "unnatural" to tell your partner about your needs, and for him to try to meet them. He might even crave more intimacy himself.

If you're nervous about broaching this conversation, you can set yourself up for success. Pick a good time when neither of you are rushed or stressed, and things are quiet. Foster intimacy by maintaining eye contact and arranging your body to be open—legs uncrossed or crossed toward the person you're speaking with, arms by your sides or on your lap. Focus on your goal going into the conversation—to communicate about what you need to feel comfortable and cared for, and hear the same from your partner. Levkoff added, "If you don't want to come out directly and say, 'I would really love for you to do _______,' think about asking him, 'What do I do that makes you feel loved and appreciated? What would you like me to do more of?' Ideally, this will initiate a conversation about your needs, too. If it doesn't (and the question is not reciprocated), then it seems like there is a deeper underlying issue at play."

It might not feel fun or easy, but this is part of the work of having a healthy long-term relationship. Our partners aren't mind readers. To get our needs met, we usually need to ask for what we want. It's absolutely normal and fine for this to feel difficult or scary at first (though it's great and also normal if it doesn't). I absolutely believe that intimacy can improve, and the first step is communication.

Dear How to Do It,

I am a 41-year-old woman who's never really dated. I've had a few longer-term relationships (the longest lasting eight years) with men who started out as friends and then developed into something more, but I've never actually "dated," as in "go out to dinner with someone you don't know that well to see if you like each other." As a late bloomer and an introvert, I missed the standard awkward high school and college dating scene, and now I feel like the odd ball who doesn't know how to get started. Since the end of my last relationship, I've been single for the better part of a decade. In the meantime, I've had a couple of major blows to my self-image as a sexual person (hysterectomy and menopause, major weight gain and loss, and arthritis that makes me feel 90 years old on some days), and now live a life where I don't meet a lot of men through work or social contacts. Add in the fact that I'm still an introvert with a touch of social anxiety, and dating starts to seem like an even bigger challenge to tackle.

There's something inherently awkward about sitting down with a stranger to evaluate whether you'd like to kiss each other.

I'm happy with my day-to-day life, but I miss having someone to share it with. I'm just not sure how to get started. I've asked my friends if they know anyone to introduce me to, but they don't seem to know anyone who meets my criteria (I wouldn't have thought the list is too picky: actually single, AKA not "we're getting a divorce but haven't done it yet"; nonsmoker; gainfully employed; responsible for own transportation; doesn't live in mom's basement; no active criminal or mental health issues; and so forth.) I thought about online dating, but I've heard so many horror stories it makes me even more nervous. My community doesn't have any "singles" events/groups to meet people through, and I'm not really keen on trying to meet guys in bars. Do you have any advice on how/where to meet people in a low-pressure environment—I think it's telling that all of my former relationships started out by hanging out in a group of friends—or how to start selectively dating at an age where it feels like everyone else has figured it out but me?

—40-Year-Old Date Virgin

Dear 40YODV,

A lot of people in their 30s and 40s are getting divorced after a long period of not dating. Others are just now getting their lives on track. Almost everyone is a little awkward on the dating scene. There's something inherently awkward about sitting down with a stranger to evaluate whether you'd like to kiss each other. Consuming food in a semi-ritualized manner as an introduction. Tentatively feeling out whether to hold hands in a theater while watching the summer's big movie. The online aspect makes the whole thing even stranger—deciding romantic and sexual interest based on a handful of photos. And yet, most of us do it at some point.

Find reasons to be where other people are. Take a class in something. Go to the park and read. Splurge for the shared coffee shop experience on the weekend. Present yourself as available—leave the headphones at home and make eye contact liberally. Make new friends as you're able. Maybe some of them are dateable by your criteria—which I agree are not particularly narrow—or have friends who are. In other words, widen your friend circle if your friends are low on suggestions; there's nothing wrong with what's worked for you in the past. Remember some people are monogamous, and others are polyamorous or otherwise open. Some are classic romantic dating types, and others are buddies-with-sex types. Consider what you might be open to. It might be worth a few fairly random dates via dating app (yes, people of all ages use them) or other means to see how you feel once you're actually on one, but if they aren't for you, there's no need to continue with something that doesn't work for you.

Dear How to Do It,

I'm in a loving relationship of four years with my fiancé (both nonbinary). We don't have sex often because of depression cutting into our sex drives, but when we do, I often find myself essentially dissociating for the experience, especially when I'm on the receiving end. I suspect this has to do with traumatic past experiences and ADHD, but I like sex with my fiancé and want to be in the moment, to enjoy the intimacy and pleasure. It often takes me a long time to come, and my orgasms are quite mild/anticlimactic, which I don't mind, but it contributes to the ease at which I can start checking out, thinking about other things, like chores that need to be done or even just getting songs stuck in my head. How can I be more mindful during sex and focus on the moment?

—Present

Dear Present,

The short answer is to practice mindfulness regularly—no matter what area of your life you're training yourself on those skills, the effect will likely generalize. Practice breathing when you aren't having sex. Practice focusing on your breath while you're breathing. Gently return your attention every time you notice that it has wandered. Do the same thing during sex. Don't get frustrated or angry with yourself, just calmly notice that your brain has started folding laundry and return your attention to your fiancé or your body. Think of every time your mind wanders as an opportunity to practice returning your attention to what you want it focused on.

You might consider being a more active participant—depending on how your partner feels, simultaneously mutual oral or digital sex might provide enough complexity to keep you focused. It could be worth talking to an ADHD specialist about ways to manage and work with your brain, which, again, are likely to help in the bedroom if they help anywhere else.

—Stoya

More How to Do It

In high school, my younger sister "Eva" got very intensely into a conservative church, purity pledges and all. My brother "Josh" and I never did, and both turned out to be pretty nonreligious with unremarkable dating lives. Eva remained very involved in her church, and three months ago, at 22, she married her similarly devout husband. This past weekend, Josh informed me that our brother-in-law confessed to him (over too much to drink) that he and Eva hadn't consummated the marriage despite multiple attempts together. He didn't mention what kind of difficulties they were having, only that it was also his first time and he felt pretty lost. Josh was focused on getting him sober and getting him home, so the conversation didn't continue. I feel terrible for them! I'm trying to figure out if I can say something to Eva: Do I give her an adult version of The Talk? Slide a pamphlet in her purse and run away? Josh said he would be open to talking to our brother-in-law too, if he could figure out what to say.

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