Monday, June 3, 2013

HPV Caused Throat Cancer for Michael Douglas

Well now we can really talk about the elephant in the room... Guardisil vaccinations for our daughters AND sons because of the prevalence of HPV that can cause cancer.Guardisil is not just about preventing cervical cancer (which was how it was marketed to remain politically correct) and yes it is a vaccine for an STD.
A highly prevalent STD that can go for months and years without symptoms.

According to the CDC... "HPV is so common that nearly all sexually-active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives."

Click HERE for a CDC fact sheet on HPV.

So when can we stop playing "Cute" and talk about reality for a minute.
Americans are having sex. Americans are getting sick from having sex because they are uneducated. We need to get over our hangups about sex and use protection. Condoms are not bad, STDs are bad.

Any questions?

I have a few... why is this all so difficult, and with all the information at our electronic fingertips, why are STD's spreading like wildfire?

Read the full article from the Guardian HERE.


Love Well. Love Wisely.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Yo Mama! Happy Mother's Day!

Today we celebrate... the mundane and the extraordinary, the expected and the surprises that we call motherhood; the inexplicable passion to protect the very thing that can drive us to moments of insanity and bliss. We celebrate the love that pours through the sacrifices, of time, money, and body, in the hopes that we can fill the world with compassionate responsible people who know how to love AND balance a checkbook... Our jobs are never finished, for I am a daughter too who still leans heavily on my own incredible mom. So I say thank you, to all the moms out there, for washing the same dish 50 million times, reminding your kids to say please and thank you, for volunteering at the school when you’d rather be getting a pedicure, for drying tears, pulling teeth, changing diapers, cleaning up barf… and for molding our future. Here’s to doing our best, forgiving our shortcomings, and to never giving up. Happy Mother’s Day.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Safe Sex Beyond 50

JUST IN CASE was recently featured in a blog written by published author, Joan Price who also writes for Huffington Post. We were thrilled to be a part of the conversation about safe sex for older couples.
Check out the article HERE!
The infection rates for 50+ age group are on the rise. Looks like "The Talk" needs to happen a few times in life.

Love Well. Love Wisely.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Do You REALLY Know What You Look Like?

Dove has really done it this time... in a new video, they have women describe themselves to a forensic sketch artist... Earlier, those same women were paired up with a stranger for a quick "get to know you" chat, then those strangers were asked to describe the same woman to the same sketch artist... the difference in the sketches is astounding and sad. The group of women were critical of themselves to the point of distortion, and the strangers who spoke with them for a short time described them so well the forensic sketch looked like a portrait.
How would you describe yourself, do you think a stranger would describe you the same way? When you critique yourself... if someone else said those same things about you, would it hurt you or make you mad? Loving yourself, somehow, isn't that easy but we have a responsibility to control that inner dialogue that is hurtful and deceitful. 
This is well worth the 3 minute watch, and Dove's website has the full 6 minute version.



Love Well. Love Wisely. Love Yourself.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Poor Misunderstood Condom




Are you breathing air or sand?

The Poor Misunderstood Condom

 Cases of HIV/STD's are skyrocketing. 1 in 5 American teens is infected with an STD. Unintended pregnancies nationwide are at a staggering 49%(1). There are 20 million annual new STD infections, 110 million are currently infected, totaling $16 BILLION in medical costs(2)But, statistics don’t change the minds and behavior of people. Trends and peer pressure do.

Which is why the Mother/Daughter duo formed their company Just in Case, Inc. and created a product for women that will change the course of how women think of protecting themselves and provide a tool for smarter choices when it comes to safer sex.  JUST IN CASE® is a chic mirrored compact, that looks like a make-up compact and has a hidden compartment to hold… condoms.

Yes, they said it; condoms. They're not just for hookers and one-night stands anymore. The condom is a reliable, versatile means of contraception AND protection. There are colors, flavors, shapes, sizes, thicknesses, lubrication, and materials to choose from. And yet… can't even be advertised along with Viagra or Cialis.

The idea for the product was born in 1980 when founder Marsha Bartenetti and her neighbor were having dinner.  The neighbor happened to be Dr. Carl Djarassi, the father of the birth control pill.  They discussed birth control and the subject of condoms came up.  Carl said it was still a great means for contraception, but it simply had a bad image.  Marsha was in the entertainment business at the time, and he suggested, humorously, that since she was so creative she should come up with a new image for the condom.  After the dinner, she had a creative “flash”.  And the idea of JUST IN CASE® was born; only it was an idea before its time.  HIV/AIDS wasn’t even in our social consciousness. 

Fast forward to 2005 – when Marsha's daughter, co-founder Rachael Sudul approached her with the idea of actually manufacturing JIC.  Surely now, with all the information out there about the risks of unprotected sex; STD’s , unplanned pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, the product would be welcomed with open arms!  Right? Not so fast.

During the course of building the business and talking with students and women about this issue, it became apparent that they were in for a real ride.   Although the idea first came to Marsha in 1980 – it had been found that most of the reactions to condoms hadn’t changed at all.  Especially when it came to women.  So what was the missing link from “what we know”…to “What we do”?

The value of using condoms is proven.  But, what if the guy doesn’t have a condom, where does this leave a woman, besides terribly vulnerable to the life changing maladies from unsafe sex?  And why aren’t women carrying their own protection?

The answers were very clear.
1.     Women are embarrassed to have someone see condoms in their purse. (Think Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City when after dropping her purse – her condoms fell all over the sidewalk in front of Big - she was mortified!)
2.      Women are afraid of judgment for carrying a condom.
3.      Women are afraid they will be rejected or judged by their boyfriends for being “too forward”

Society says… " be a good girl", "have a man protect you", "have modesty" and to always be in style.

The reasons above may seem like simple and old-fashioned notions, but they are core concerns that have been engrained in women and they haven't really been seriously addressed when it comes to safe sex.  Which is why many women will make terrible choices in a matter of seconds that can change the course of her life forever (and not necessarily in a good way) rather than appear too aggressive, or promiscuous, by being prepared.

You can hand out thousands of free condoms, however, statistics tell us they are not being used.  And if women aren’t carrying them, they aren’t using them.   And we can see now why most women don’t carry them. Condoms are ugly and are completely misunderstood - they have a horrible rep.

The big question, then is: how can someone make carrying condoms more attractive to women?  So the compacts were designed with these requirements in mind.  And now, for the first time, a woman can be confident, doesn't have to sacrifice style, and will have her privacy protected as well, forming a new link between ”What we know” and “What we do”.

And they aren’t only reaching out to young single women about safer sex… Women re-entering the dating scene after divorce or the loss of a spouse, believe they are past the time when pregnancy is an issue and are having unprotected sex. They haven’t a clue about the new dating landscape and that while pregnancy may be a concern, some STD's are for life and can be debilitating… not to mention the new strains of STD's that are resistant to antibiotics and show no symptoms. STD's are even highly prevalent in the retirement population, thanks to that little blue pill and misinformed people (3)

Oprah aired a program about a man who was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon - and his "weapon" was his bodily fluids!  The man had HIV and spread the disease to scores of women - 6 of whom were on the show to discuss how their lives had been devastated.  They all met this man on a very popular dating website. He dated these women with the knowledge he had the disease - Upon looking at him - NO ONE would suspect that he carried the virus – He was a handsome, charming karate instructor. Seemingly fit, and a real “catch”. It was heartbreaking to hear these women’s stories and how they now face a totally different future after having made the worst choice of their lives.  It only took a few seconds to say, “yes” to unprotected sex with someone they knew virtually nothing about.  And the effects of that few seconds will unfortunately last a lifetime.
And to think all of this can be prevented! It is an act not only of self-love, but also love for your partner and an act of mutual respect to have protected sex.

We are in a time where we simply must be careful; more than ever.  And the message is for all women who are sexually active at any age. Having unprotected sex is like game of Russian Roulette.

It’s time we all get our beautiful heads out of the sand, start breathing the air of reality, and raise our personal bar.  Look after yourself first. Love yourself enough.  Love your partner enough. Know you matter. Love is a beautiful thing.  It is our gift to one another.  Take precious care of it…and yourself. 

And as they say…




2.     STD stats from CDC
     



Sunday, March 31, 2013

Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Little Too Close with Ellen Etten

Found a little web series... A Little Too Close with Ellen Etten... this episode she is interviewing an ex to try to discover why she is still single... Did she accomplish anything more than torturing her ex? Not sure... Very cute series, she is that girl you want to invite to your Girls' Weekend get away... but as a serial dater... she needs to carry a JIC compact... Love Well. Love Wisely, Ellen.

xo Rachael


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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Sugar Daddys for College Tuition


There is a "new" way to pay for school... SeekingArrangement.c​om is a site that caters to the business side of a relationship... many students have been registering on the site to make enough money to pay for school so they aren't riddled with debt when they graduate; this is nothing new really. This is akin to the stripper making her way through med school, these coeds just won't have the employment history to put on their resumes.
MSN Money Article by Bruce Kennedy

Men with wealth and social status have always enjoyed the company of beautiful young women at whatever the price. And women have enjoyed the monetary and social benefits of partnering with these men regardless of the emotional connection. I can honestly believe that cavemen probably had arrangements with lovely cavewomen when they needed to attend the annual "Save the Saber Tooth Tiger Gala"... Ya know, somehow she had to make rent on that penthouse cave she got herself into.

So for a moment lets take actual "paid for sex" out of the picture and talk about the grey area... a paid companion or date that doesn't sleep with whomever hires her. Is this the same as prostitution? Or is this simply the dating game minus the butterflies and hopes of marriage with a pay check... does every woman need every date to be a potential husband? And who are we to judge these people for wanting companionship without the commitment of marriage? We rent a tux for an event... rent clothes that other people have worn to look your best for an event. She's kind of like a tux. Actresses are paid for love scenes, with people we know they don't love, but it's considered art... could this be considered performance art?

Once money changes hands the judgment begins... that somehow the money dirties the date. Money can just be considered the transfer of energy... She is a hired companion paid for her time and beauty, and she pays the money to further her education and broaden her mind... I tend to have the thought if you aren't hurting yourself or anyone else, carry on. But you have to TRULY know that you are OK with what you are doing.

Our chemistry as women tends to betray us in this area when we want to be emotionally detached... hormone Oxytocin known as the "cuddle hormone" is released in larger doses in women when we connect with men. This hormonal reaction will occur whether this is the love of your life or a date to the symphony so it can help with the bond or possibly make you miserable if you live through heightened pleasure without the bond of a true relationship.

So nothing is solved, except the tuition bill. But my question to these women is how do you explain that you have no debt after medical school to the guy you want to marry? And are you truly ok with what you're doing? If the answer is "I'm ok" I have to go with that and realize that it's going to be a matter of your own taste and moral compass... I don't see anything "wrong" with it as a practice, just that it would've been "wrong" for me.

Love Well. Love Wisely.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Justin Bieber Bound

Today is momentous... I am taking my 8 year old daughter to her first concert to see the tween dynamo... Justin Bieber. There's a part of me that wishes it was Disney on Ice; mostly because the pitch of the screams would be missing at a Disney show, but also because this is the beginning of boys entering her radar. I will nurture these "crushes" on rock stars, and actors as long as I can since I don't have to ever worry about them in our daily reality... but it is a reminder that the reality is just around the corner and I'm bracing myself.

Here's to the throes and woes of motherhood...



Love Well. Love Wisely.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

5 Reasons Why Divorce is Your Fault

Thought this was a very interesting article on Huffington Post... good read.
Women: 5 Reasons Why Divorce Is Your Fault

While I hate the word "Fault" in the title it is designed to make you want to read what we're being blamed for... it worked. I read the article. Really what it talks about is taking responsibility for your part of the relationship and changing the only part that you have control to change... yourself.
It's a good read.

Love Well. Love Wisely.