The other night, I was watching my new fave show, “The Doctors.” (Btw, Dr. Travis Stork makes it hard not to miss a show…I wouldn’t mind being an ER patient under his care. *wink wink*) Anywhoooo, they were talking about a new contraceptive for men, which I totally think is a great idea because I feel men should have more accountability and responsibility when it comes to sexual health and contraception.

German sexual health advocates have created and are testing the “spray-on condom.” And yes, guys do exactly what the name implies. It is a canister, that is shaped like a bullet the size of a penis (no pun/innuendo intended,) and you insert the penis inside the dome and press the trigger to have latex sprayed around the penis. Wait about 5 seconds and you are ready to “get jiggy with it.”

courtest of google images

This is such an ingenious idea because one of the small risk factors w/ condoms is due to improper fit. When a condom is too tight around the penis, it is uncomfortable for the guy and there is a high chance that the condom may break during movement. Of course, if the condom is too loose, the condom can slip off and/or bodily fluids are able to leak out.

Hopefully, if the spray-on condom passes the testing phase and gets approval by U.S. government officials, this will be another cool gadget that guys can add to their nightstand.

Peace & love, Burnette

I was reminiscing about college today. There was one microbio class that will be permanently embedded into my memory for as long as I am sexually active. We were on the section about sexual diseases/infections and after watching slide, after slide, after slide of different strains of HPV, herpes, HIV, AIDS, etc (you guys should seriously try this at home..just google image a name of an STD) ….and then a diagram similar to the one below popped up on the screen:

Imagine the little circles as humans and the lines connecting them as sexual contacts.

So imagine, when you decide to hop into bed w/ A, you’re not really sleeping w/ only A. You are also sleeping w/ B, C, D, E, and F.

Pretend that the colored circles are people infected w/ an STD, so now you can see a course of unprotected infection.

Now also notice that the diagram follows a straight path, but in real life friends sleep w/ friends and there’s more criss-crossing.

In total, imagine the risk factors and who you are really sleeping w/ when you’re sleeping w/ A.

I’m not trying to say to halt sex completely or ostracize a particular group of people; however, just keep in mind the next time before you hop into bed w/ someone, have an open, honest dialogue w/ your partner about your bodies. Your health shouldn’t be taken for granted for a few moments of pleasure. And of course, always use a condom

Peace & love, Burnette

Society and the media have inundated us with messages of safe sex and promoted the idea of using some type of protection, (the very minimal being a condom,) when doing the “naughty naughty”. However, whatever happened to “protecting your protection”? That’s right, people…protect your condoms.

For the majority of people, they either store it in their pockets or their purse…or *gasp* leave it at home. The first two storage ideas pose some potential risks to your condoms, with first and foremost the possibility of them breaking due to tugging, movement, and possibly some foreign object will poke through them. Also, heat can cause condoms to break down and may cause them to be ineffective when in use. As for the latter storage idea, not very smart. All rationale disappears when two people are in the heat of the moment, so please carry your protection with you.

So there’s a solution to protecting your protection..condom compacts. There are many styles and brands of condom compacts. There’s the simple, square, hard plastic case which is the right size to fit two condoms. I got a free case from the Planned Parenthood booth at Rock for AIDS, (and that is why you should come to RFA because you can freeload!) It snaps open and shut like a simple compact. I put it in my purse and it gets tousled around, but my condoms always come out looking nice and fresh.

Of course, if you are one of those people who don’t want to be annoucing to the world that you’re sexually active or you want to be more subtle about your condoms, there are also more stylish ones out in the market, such as the ones at www.justincaseinc.com. They sell many different styles catered to the ladies who want to carry their condoms in a chic, stylish, and subtle manner.

courtesy of www.justincase.com

It looks like a cute mirror compact on the top and there’s a secret compartment on the bottom to store your condoms. I’ve seen these bad girls firsthand and totally want a blinging one for myself! I believe every sexually-active girl and guy should take part in the responsibility of safe sex. It doesn’t matter if the girl is on birth control because birth control does not protect you from sexually-transmitted diseases/infections, HIV/AIDS, and other whatnots. And even when using condoms, there is still a very small percentage of error and risk, so please remember to get yourself screened and tested regularly if you are sexually active.

So yes, remember to not only protect yourself but also to protect your protection! Go get your compacts!

Peace & love, Burnette

I’m sure most of you know that it is fashion week in NYC so its exciting to see. I wish I was over there right now since the SF fashion week didn’t kick off this year due to lack of funding. I do wish YOU come back so I can go:o) My favorite from this year so far is Marc Jacobs and House of Cassettes.

one of the best blogs to check out fashion week: http://www.hintmag.com/blog/blog.php

I guess I’m the only staff that has weaknesses when it comes to clothing. ha!

From Maison Martin Margiela…

* WHAT: “AIDS T-SHIRT” / “T-SHIRT SIDA” — ONE COLOUR WITH CONTRASTED TEXT EACH SEASON. A PERCENTAGE OF THE SALES OF THIS T-SHIRT IS GIVEN TO THE ASSOCIATION “AIDES” FRANCE.
* WHY: “THERE IS MORE ACTION TO BE DONE TO FIGHT AIDS THAN TO WEAR THIS T-SHIRT BUT IT’S A GOOD START.”
* WHEN: FIRST CREATED FOR A/W 1993/4 & EVERY SEASON SINCE.
* WHERE: CREATED IN PARIS. MADE IN ITALY. SOLD AROUND THE WORLD. WORN TOUCHING THE HEART.

- Huong

Hey hey wonderful world!

Our Date a Rockstar event this past Saturday was a great sucess thanks to all the folks that showed up and gave us numerous support. We would also like to thank all the folks that participated in the auction. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did.

The staff has been working hard and please wait for our next show!

some pictures, please enjoy! We will definitely update on how much we fundraised soon enough:o)

<3 from the staff of RYA

These hot singles will be auctioned off live at ‘Date a Rockstar’ this Saturday 9/6 @ Mint Lounge in SF. Join us for a night of fun and bid on these hot bachelor/ettes! Winning includes accompanying the bachelor/ette, drinks and dessert!

1. Sanayo – Physical Therapist
**She’s smart, sharp, smiles and laughs alot and boy, does she know a thing or two about health and physical wellness!

2. Katy – Professional singing teacher
**She is a huge advocate against teen drug abuse and addiction.
**She loves outdoor activities…and enjoys the company of her furry, animal friends.
**The hot singer will personally serenade to the lucky winner.

3. Salvador – Hot Dancer
**He’s got the smile that’ll melt your heart!
**A big heart the community and dance moves you’d never seen!