female condom

Are you looking to get on PrEP?

By Nick and Jarucha "Oh" Janmekha Hi! I’m Nick, and I’m the Nurse at Maple Leaf PrEP Clinic. I am thrilled to be writing my first blog post for ACAS. Over the years, I have received many questions about taking PrEP, so I’ve gathered all of the most commonly asked questions that you might have when considering whether or not you might want to start taking PrEP. First of all, what is PrEP? Simply put, PrEP is a pill you can take, where, if you take it daily and you happen to be exposed to HIV while you’re taking it, it will prevent you from becoming HIV positive. It is over 99% effective and is credited as a major reason why HIV rates have been dropping in recent years. Is PrEP covered by OHIP? Yes and no. In Ontario PrEP is fully covered by OHIP until the day you turn 25, after that OHIP no longer covers the cost of PrEP. The full cost of PrEP can be very expensive, but almost nobody actually pays this. There are so many clinic programs and insurance options now, so when people are on PrEP they’re able to get it for an affordable price or for free. It’s important to know that these programs also exist for people who don’t have OHIP. What are the steps to getting PrEP? Step one is to connect with a PrEP clinic. You don’t need a referral for these clinics, if you’re coming to my clinic all you need to do is either walk in or just email us (PrEP@mlmedical.com) and say you want to be on PrEP! Once you’re linked to a clinic, you’ll be asked to do some bloodwork and STI testing. When your lab results are in, you’ll have an [...]

Internal Condom Campaign 2017

The internal condom, also known as the female condom, also known as FC2 is a nitrile based condom that is inserted into the vagina or anus. While bulky on first look, it can be an effective, and sexy way to protect yourself against STIs, HIV, and pregnancy. In my research, I have found a general sour disposition towards the internal condom. The Atlantic actually published a very interesting article in 2016 regarding the unpopularity of FC2. However, the positive aspects of being able to negotiate safer sex regardless of your genitals and protection against HIV and STIs is a huge sexy plus. Here are the sexy and less sexy details: The condom has a two rings, each designed to keep the condom in place. The inner ring can be removed depending on what kind of sex you're choosing to have. If you're having vaginal sex, keep the ring in -- if anal, ring out! The ring is helpful to remain secure in your vag. It's made out of Nitrile! Which means it's LATEX-FREE! Talking to you, folks with latex allergies. Fun fact! FC1 - the precursor to FC2 - was made of polyurethane and the switch was made to nitrile because a major complaint of FC1 was that it made a lot of distracting squeaking or rustling. The internal condom can be inserted up to 8 hours before sex. Eight. Hours. Which can mean no more stopping mid foreplay to get a condom on. On perfect use, it has a 95% rate of effectiveness. In real life, it's about 79%. External condoms with perfect use are 98% effective at preventing pregnancy. In real life, it averages to 82% rate of efficacy. The internal condom is capital E - Expensive. Luckily for you, ACAS gives them out for free! Here is also a [...]

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