By Emily Rogers, a member of the SWARM Youth Council and student at the College of Charleston

My liberal (arts) college allows us to distribute condoms out in the open in the center of campus or anywhere really. But, there’s finesse to how to do give them away. In a school of 10,000 undergraduates you’d think they’d get picked up by the handful regardless of the situation. But I’ve learned it’s not always so easy.  Why don’t some college students take FREE condoms!?

Shame. Embarrassment. Apathy. Misinformation. All of the above?

I’ve gone out a few times to hand condoms out somewhere where I’ve set up a table.  I’ve even dressed up and in costumes to make people less weary.  But some students walk past me without making eye contact.  I’ve been told: “my girlfriend is on the pill, so we don’t have to worry,” and some tell me their boyfriends take care of that.

My response to those students and all young people…. there is no shame in safe sex, it never hurts to be doubly careful, and ladies take your health in your own hands! Carry condoms– especially if they’re free.

But a little advice I do have is to be bold while handing condoms out.  The night I wore a kitty costume was a pretty big success.  The other time when I went to the Colbert Rally (Yeah, that was here.) I got a complete stranger to hold a huge foam board with the phrase “FREE CONDOMS” on one side and “SC NEEDS REAL SEX-ED” on the other.  People flocked to me.  I gave out 500+ condoms in just a matter of an hour or two.  Ha. As the band walked by about half of them came over and snagged a couple.

So, it’s good to have them readily available in your living space where your guests can just take one or two, but if you make it a “BIG TO-DO,” it’ll take on a life of its own.  You’ll be out of stock before you can say: “Great American Condom Campaign!!!”

Since this bipartisan legislation first passed in 1994, it’s been reauthorized twice without a hitch. And it’s been tremendously successful in helping to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Send an email urging your Senators to support the Violence Against Women Act.

Since this law passed, it has helped reduce the annual rate of domestic violence by an astounding 53 percent. The rate of women killed by an intimate partner has dropped 34 percent. Its programs, including violence prevention programs, shelters and rape crisis centers, and funding for the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes have made a world of difference in giving victims of violence a safe place to turn.

It has without a doubt saved thousands of lives.

Send an email urging your Senators to support the Violence Against Women Act.

The film begins in Denmark, where Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) convinces her friend Baron Bror von Blixan (Klaus Maria Brandauer) to enter into a marriage of convenience, and the pair moves to Kenya to begin work on their coffee plantation.

Early into their marriage, Karen discovers Bror’s marital infidelities by contracting syphilis. She returns to Denmark for a treatment of arsenic, but ultimately becomes sterile because of the seriousness of the infection. She returns to Africa and begins a passionate affair with Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), a local big-game hunter.

Out of Africa received 28 awards including 7 Oscars and was ranked #13 on the America Film Institute’s list “100 Years 100 Passions.” The film is loosely based off of Karen Blixen’s book (written under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen.)

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that has a tremendous impact on the real-life Karen Blixen. Her father committed suicide, apparently because he was diagnosed with syphilis. When Karen contracts the infection herself, she is forced to leave Africa for intense treatment which included mercury and arsenic – the standard treatments for syphilis at that time. There are reports that Karen suffered from mercury poisoning, and that the syphilis degenerated her nervous system throughout her life.

Syphilis rates are on the rise in the United States. Unprotected sex by an infected person make the transmission of HIV two to five times more likely. South Carolina ranks 26th out of 50 states for Syphilis rates. STI rates are highest in South Carolina’s poorest and most rural counties, where access to reproductive health services are minimal or nonexistent.

April is Sexually Transmitted Infection Awareness Month. Most STDs are treatable, if not curable, if caught early. Get yourself tested and (if needed) treated – then rent Out of Africa and settle in for a great film.

Denim Day began in the 1990s, after a young woman was blamed for being raped.  In 1992, an 18-year-old girl in Italy was raped by her driving instructor. She pressed charges and won.  The instructor appealed to the Italian High Court.  In 1999, the court overturned the conviction, stating that since the victim was wearing jeans, the instructor could not have removed them himself, therefore the victim must have participated. Women of the Italian legislature protested the decision by wearing jeans.  As the news of the decision spread, so did the protest. In April 1999, the first Denim Day was established in the United States.

Today, nearly one in five women and one in 71 men have been raped in their lifetime. And a sexual assault is committed every two minutes in the United States.  Often, victims are further traumatized by the blame and criticism they receive from friends, family, and systems. This blame not only puts victims in further danger, it allows perpetrators to escape accountability, thereby furthering the prevalence of sexual assault.

Together, we can support victims, hold perpetrators accountable, and end sexual violence in South Carolina.

Download the application here

This event will bring together people from across the state to celebrate the power of women. According to Unitewomen.org, this is the first time in American history that a simultaneous rally will be happenings in all 50 states!

Join us on Saturday, April 28th, from 11am-1pm at the South Carolina Statehouse

By Emily Rogers, a member of the SWARM Youth Council and student at the College of Charleston

Dear 15-year-old Emily,

First of all, kudos for you for getting the HPV vaccine (and kudos to your mom for being so awesome by supporting it)! It’s all about preventative care. About now you are finishing your freshman year of high school and, wow, has it been intense.

Your best friend will reveal to you that she had decided to have sex with her boyfriend who’s also a freshman. At this point the only sex education either of you have had was in middle school and that was just anatomy. You’ll have to wait until next year to learn about condoms, STIs, and to watch an awkward breast self-examination video. Your friend’s chosen method of birth control is called the “pull-out” method? (Um… FYI it’s completely unreliable at best.) She doesn’t know about anything else. I’m not gonna tell you if she gets pregnant or an STI.  You’ll just have to educate yourself the best ways you can figure out and do your best to explain to your friends that they need to too. Forget the whole thing about young people giving “bad” information. You’re probably the best source of education most of those girls will ever have.

You are a lucky girl; your parents are all about education. They will answer any questions you have (and your dad will make it uncomfortable, but he can’t help it). You are in the minority of teens whose parents are open about sexual health. You lucked out.

My advice to you would be to share that knowledge with your peers: those who are not able to speak with their parents about sex and those who are at risk for teen pregnancy, or STIs, and not to mention the emotions that go along with sex. You should start practicing now, because you’ll be a part of SWARM in college. There you’ll continue to educate your peers and convince them the “pull-out” method ain’t got nothing on condoms! But you’re gonna do even better than that… you’re going to change things. You’re going to be one of thousands of sparks to ignite a change where you live. You’re going to help make sure that no 9th grader ever uses the “pull-out” method without knowing that she should be using a condom.

Keep your head high. There’s a lot more going on than sex, though that seems to be what everyone’s doing and talking about. Your history test, for instance, next week is going to get you grounded unless you actually sit down and read the chapter!

Oh, one last thing—You’re awesome in every way.

With love, 21-year-old Emily

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION HERE

Council Goals:

1. 1. Raise awareness among South Carolina youth about the need for STI and pregnancy prevention efforts for themselves and other young people.
2. 2. Advocate improving sex education policies that effect students in South Carolina and other policy priorities.
3. 3. Empower other youth to get involved in their communities.
4.   

What can YOU expect?

• • $100 per month stipend
• • Meet, work with, and learn from amazing young leaders across the state and country
• • Gain information and skills that you will be able to capitalize on throughout your academic and future careers.
• • Collaborate and make connections with Tell Them and Advocates for Youth staff who care about these issues as much as you do.
• • Share your experience and perspective.
• • Hard work, excitement, and fun… all while making a difference!
• • The opportunity to travel, and attend trainings across the state and country
•   

Who can Apply?

Anyone meeting the following qualifications is encouraged to apply for S.W.A.R.M.

1. 1. Be currently enrolled in a South Carolina college and between the ages of 18-24.
2. 2. Be able to commit to the S.W.A.R.M. Council for a minimum of one school year.
3. 3. Participate in bi-monthly conference calls
4. 4. Complete presentations, events, and write personalized blogs
5. 5. Participate in activities to continue building a strong base of advocates in the community and on campus.
6.   

Interested?

Please contact us with any questions. Then fill out the application and email, fax, or mail the application back to Tell Them by May 10, 2012. We will conduct interviews for selected candidates. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Email: tallen@newmorningfoundation.org
Phone: (803) 929-0088       
Fax: (803) 929-0089

Project Condom Upstate year one is complete! Everyone did a fantastic job! 

There’s quite the Buzz on Twitter and Facebook about the models. Each group surprised the entire audience with their truly wonderful creations. The diversity of the contestants ranged from teenagers to stay-at-home moms with teenagers of their own. 

DJ T.O. (@DJ_TO) rocked the beats for the show and one of the SWARM volunteers controlled our massive light construction. We had a tremendous partner in One Condoms, who donated all the condoms for the dresses. And, we had five fabulous judges: Ryan Wilson from the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Pregnancy, Dr. Melisa Holms, MD – Obstetrician and Gynecologist and author of Girlology, Greg Campbell: Executive Director of AID Upstate, India Walters of Contraceptive Access Campaign, and Meghan Rapp of Advocates for Youth. There isn’t much more I could have asked for.

Check out the pictures from the night and let us know who you think was “Best Dressed for Sexual Health Success”!

April is Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) awareness month. As a health education consultant in the STD/HIV division of our state’s health department, I understand all too well how important it is to monitor and promote the reproductive health and well-being of South Carolina youth. This requires a commitment to vigilance considering the high prevalence rates of STIs in our state. South Carolina consistently ranks among the top ten states in the U.S. for highest case rates of AIDS, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.  These rates may place sexually active youth/young adults living in SC at greater risk for acquiring STIs due in part, to simple geography. STIs such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can cause fallopian tube damage that can result in infertility.

In 2010, chlamydia and gonorrhea case rates among 15-24 year olds living in SC were higher than national rates among that same age group. On average, there are 68 cases of chlamydia or gonorrhea reported among SC adolescents and/or young adults each day.

In 1988, the legislature passed the Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA), which requires that sexual risk reduction education, including HIV/STI prevention education be provided to middle and high school students. With a mandated emphasis on abstinence to avoid risks associated with sexual activity, it also allows for information on contraceptive information to be provided in the context of future family planning.

So why, in spite of a law that was written in part, to promote the reproductive health and well-being of our youth, are so many SC youth impacted by high STI rates?  Because while laws and policies exist, we need to promote the improved implementation of CHEA and develop more science based effective programs and practices that can ACTUALLY meet the goals of these policies. Youth in SC are in crisis in regard to their disproportionately high STI rates. 

And while we are promoting CHEA, we should also advocate for an increase in quality prevention services (i.e. more teen friendly health clinics) and the increased ability for youth to access those services.  All of SC youth deserve our commitment to promote and advocate for their reproductive health and well-being — both youth that are not yet sexually active as well as those that are.