One thing I have learned from working independently in the sexuality field is that networking is absolutely essential. I do it all the time. In fact, I'd say I am shameless when it comes to "pimping myself out" to other professionals and potential contacts.
Prime example: my partner recently sold his iPod off of Kijiji; the purchaser was friendly and told us that he is a high school teacher. I asked what the sex ed programming is like where he works and within seconds had given him both of my business cards and told him a bit about what I do.
Like I said -- shameless.
I've found LinkedIn to be another great source of like-minded contacts. There aren't too many of us (relative to the overall population) -- but we sexuality educators find ways of connecting and sharing info and ideas and I've recently joined a LinkedIn group to do just that.
The BEST networking method I've found so far? Volunteering. Without a doubt. I have met more professionals and made more connections through volunteering than any other way. I think it's because when I'm volunteering for something, I'm engaged and I'm showing just how passionate I am about the cause and about what I do. Now that I've settled into life in Cambridge, I've signed up to volunteer at ACCKWA - The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area. You should check them out!
Anyway, I'd better get back to my shameless self-promotion ... :)
- Candice
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
How many HIV infections will it take?
News has recently emerged that yet another performer in the adult entertainment (aka porn) industry has tested HIV+. As a result, porn production in Southern California has been put on hold, while the person undergoes re-testing to confirm the diagnosis. A similar shut down took place late last year, when porn actor Derrick Burts tested HIV+.
Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry. Sex sells, and adult entertainment offers lucrative opportunities for performers. As a society, we really like porn ... there wouldn't be so much money to be had if we didn't! So why isn't this industry more heavily regulated? Why isn't safer sex -- aka condom use -- a fully enforced requirement for all porn production?
As long as the demand is there, people are going to continue to work in the industry. How many HIV infections will it take before we put the same value on health and safety in the porn industry as we do in other workplaces?
HIV tests look for HIV antibodies in the blood. It usually takes about three to six months before the body produces enough HIV antibodies to be detected in testing. That means that a person will be infected for at least three to six months before they know about the infection. In the case of adult performers, that's three to six months of unprotected sex -- three to six months of infecting other people with HIV without knowing it.
A few facts about HIV:
Sources:
ACCKWA - The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area
ACT - The AIDS Committee of Toronto
The Huffington Post -Porn Shutdown over HIV Test
Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry. Sex sells, and adult entertainment offers lucrative opportunities for performers. As a society, we really like porn ... there wouldn't be so much money to be had if we didn't! So why isn't this industry more heavily regulated? Why isn't safer sex -- aka condom use -- a fully enforced requirement for all porn production?
As long as the demand is there, people are going to continue to work in the industry. How many HIV infections will it take before we put the same value on health and safety in the porn industry as we do in other workplaces?
HIV tests look for HIV antibodies in the blood. It usually takes about three to six months before the body produces enough HIV antibodies to be detected in testing. That means that a person will be infected for at least three to six months before they know about the infection. In the case of adult performers, that's three to six months of unprotected sex -- three to six months of infecting other people with HIV without knowing it.A few facts about HIV:
- The Face of AIDS is changing. Once labelled ‘the gay disease’, the majority of new HIV infections around the world are through heterosexual contact.
- You can’t contract HIV from hugging, touching, kissing or loving a person who has HIV/AIDS. Only blood, seminal & vaginal fluids and breastmilk have been proven to transmit the virus.
- Anyone can be infected by HIV no matter their age, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion or ethnic origin.
- There is no cure for HIV or AIDS.
- People are most often infected by acts of unprotected sex, sharing needles and pregnancies where the mother is infected with the virus.
Sources:
ACCKWA - The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area
ACT - The AIDS Committee of Toronto
The Huffington Post -Porn Shutdown over HIV Test
Monday, August 22, 2011
Lingerie for little girls? Yikes!
A company in France has recently released a new line of lingerie ... for girls as young as 4 years old (as well as swimwear for girls as young as 3 months). The new line has been dubbed "loungerie" and includes ruffled panties, bras and camisoles for young girls. The advertising photos being used to market these products depicts young girls with adult-like hair and makeup, in some very adult poses.
The launch of this line of undergarments for children has generated quite a stir ... and I have to say I really understand why that's the case ...
First of all, what 4 year old (or even 8, 9, 10 or 11 year old) needs lacy underwear and midriff-revealing camisoles? Children are not mini-adults ... they don't have the developmental capacity to cope with the world as we (adults) construct it for ourselves. Childhood is a time for development ... a time for playing and learning about yourself and the world around you. A child's experience is already so heavily impacted by the society they live in, and I don't see any need to add on the burden of adult-like sexuality to this already fragile and complex stage of life.
Secondly, what is going on in the minds of the parents who are buying these items for their children? What parent really wants their child parading around wearing adult-like lingerie? I do not understand where the market for this kind of product comes from and it upsets me to think that parents might decide that their 4 year old should be wearing these items. Children grow up so quickly as it is ... do we need to make it even faster?
And thirdly, I'm horrified by the sexualized images of little girls that are now widely available across the internet as a result of the marketing of these products. Isn't it just asking for more issues around child pornography? Anyone can get their hands on these pictures and once they're posted, and they are going to exist in cyber space for as long as cyber space exists. I shudder to think about the potential for damage this holds.
For the most part, I consider myself to be fairly liberal-minded. I try to keep an open mind, even when I have an initial gut reaction to something. However, this is going too far. I don't believe in ignoring the reality that children are sexual beings, just like the rest of us ... but this goes way beyond acknowledging and communicating with children about sex. This leaps from appropriate education and conversation to dressing up children in sexy "loungerie" and plastering images of young girls in sexual poses on the internet and in magazines ... it's telling little kids that they need to wear sexy underwear, reveal their bodies to the world, and contend with the horrors of self-esteem and a sexualized body image at a VERY young age.
I've pasted in a link to the video where I first learned about this new venture, as well as an additional site with a number of additional photos and info. If you want to do more research for yourself, simply search "Jours Après Lunes".
Please take a look at the posted research for yourself, and I'd love your feedback.
ABC News Video:
Additional website:
Oh No They Didn't! - Jours Après Lunes Launches 'Loungerie' Line for Girls and Hears About It.
Don't forget to leave a comment and please share with your friends!!!
The launch of this line of undergarments for children has generated quite a stir ... and I have to say I really understand why that's the case ...
First of all, what 4 year old (or even 8, 9, 10 or 11 year old) needs lacy underwear and midriff-revealing camisoles? Children are not mini-adults ... they don't have the developmental capacity to cope with the world as we (adults) construct it for ourselves. Childhood is a time for development ... a time for playing and learning about yourself and the world around you. A child's experience is already so heavily impacted by the society they live in, and I don't see any need to add on the burden of adult-like sexuality to this already fragile and complex stage of life.
Secondly, what is going on in the minds of the parents who are buying these items for their children? What parent really wants their child parading around wearing adult-like lingerie? I do not understand where the market for this kind of product comes from and it upsets me to think that parents might decide that their 4 year old should be wearing these items. Children grow up so quickly as it is ... do we need to make it even faster?
And thirdly, I'm horrified by the sexualized images of little girls that are now widely available across the internet as a result of the marketing of these products. Isn't it just asking for more issues around child pornography? Anyone can get their hands on these pictures and once they're posted, and they are going to exist in cyber space for as long as cyber space exists. I shudder to think about the potential for damage this holds.
For the most part, I consider myself to be fairly liberal-minded. I try to keep an open mind, even when I have an initial gut reaction to something. However, this is going too far. I don't believe in ignoring the reality that children are sexual beings, just like the rest of us ... but this goes way beyond acknowledging and communicating with children about sex. This leaps from appropriate education and conversation to dressing up children in sexy "loungerie" and plastering images of young girls in sexual poses on the internet and in magazines ... it's telling little kids that they need to wear sexy underwear, reveal their bodies to the world, and contend with the horrors of self-esteem and a sexualized body image at a VERY young age.
I've pasted in a link to the video where I first learned about this new venture, as well as an additional site with a number of additional photos and info. If you want to do more research for yourself, simply search "Jours Après Lunes".
Please take a look at the posted research for yourself, and I'd love your feedback.
ABC News Video:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Additional website:
Oh No They Didn't! - Jours Après Lunes Launches 'Loungerie' Line for Girls and Hears About It.
Don't forget to leave a comment and please share with your friends!!!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Why Women Cheat
Disclaimer: This article is only partially about sex; more than anything, it's about relationships and why some people seek connections with people outside of their relationships. Please do not misunderstand -- the subject matter of this article is COMPLETELY SEPARATE from the articles I've published about nonmonogamy / open relationships / monogamish relationships (etc). This is about actual "down and dirty" cheating ... specifically, women seeking to cheat on their husbands.
In the article, the author "goes undercover" on AshleyMadison.com to try to find out why women cheat. With the knowledge and consent of his wife, he creates profiles, talks to women, meets them in person and integrates his "interview" questions into their casual conversations. The article is well-written and I think it gives some great insight into why some women seek connections with others, outside of their marriages/relationships.
Happy reading! :)
"Honey, I have to join Ashley Madison."
So began the pitch I gave my wife to let me join the marrieds-looking-for-affairs website, AshleyMadison.com. It would be part of my research into women who cheat, why infidelity is increasing, and what can be done to possibly affair-proof a marriage. I proposed to "cheat" on her for a few weeks, to talk to and attempt to seduce as many women as possible, and get a real-world understanding of why women want to stay married but also need some illicit action on the side.
Read the rest of the article here
In the article, the author "goes undercover" on AshleyMadison.com to try to find out why women cheat. With the knowledge and consent of his wife, he creates profiles, talks to women, meets them in person and integrates his "interview" questions into their casual conversations. The article is well-written and I think it gives some great insight into why some women seek connections with others, outside of their marriages/relationships.
Happy reading! :)
"Honey, I have to join Ashley Madison."
So began the pitch I gave my wife to let me join the marrieds-looking-for-affairs website, AshleyMadison.com. It would be part of my research into women who cheat, why infidelity is increasing, and what can be done to possibly affair-proof a marriage. I proposed to "cheat" on her for a few weeks, to talk to and attempt to seduce as many women as possible, and get a real-world understanding of why women want to stay married but also need some illicit action on the side.
Read the rest of the article here
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