I was introduced to the speculum when I was 18 during my first year of college. It was my first pap smear, my first breast exam, my first prescription for birth control pills, and the first time I was able to get a good look at my cervix. It’s too bad my mom wasn’t there to share her uncomfortable excitement with me. Fortunately I attended a very liberal university in the northwest, with accessible sexual health services and resources like STD testing, GYN exams, and the like. After I paid $65 for the appointment and $40 for one pack of pills, I learned of a clinic off-campus that provided these same services for low cost or no cost. I came to find out that as a student I didn’t have to pay a dime! I was lucky to have this resource to stumble upon through word of mouth from my roommate’s older sister. At the time (2001) we mostly used the internet for email, Napster, ebay, and instant messaging a friend in the dorm room three doors down. But now (2011 – holy crap it’s been 10 years!) we have so much legitimate information online to use in every aspect of our lives.
Which brings me to my point: Young adults need sexual health resources to assist in translating the web of confusion that we call the healthcare system. Especially in Massachusetts where our 2006 Health Care Reform has created a more affordable and accessible yet amazingly confusing system than ever before!
I recently worked with a group of people to fix this problem by creating a user-friendly interactive online guide about health insurance and birth control. The Little Black Book for Sexual Health helps young adults navigate their health insurance options and answers questions about finding health plans that work for them, why prescription coverage matters, and how birth control fits in. Young adults ages 18-26 are the group most likely to be uninsured and to face an unintended pregnancy. This new guide can help to reduce the confusion young adults face when it comes to making sure their health plan meets their sexual and reproductive health needs.
I’m writing on Her Campus about The Little Black Book for Sexual Health for 2 reasons:
1) I hope college women in Massachusetts will read this and use the site.
2) I think it’s an awesome resource (and not just b/c I helped create it) that could possibly be replicated in other states.
Check it out!
The Little Black Book for Sexual Health is available in both English and Spanish. For more information, visit the site!