[nabs-l] condoms and Sexual Health

Mon Sep 10 13:23:01 UTC 2012

Yes, carly. But we kind of differ here. I'd kind of like to quickly do a 
self checkout, especially if it could be made accesible.
On 9/10/2012 12:51 AM, Carly Mihalakis wrote:
> Guys, ask the folks in the store, or at the touch screens! 'ts why 
> they're there, is it not?
> for todyatoday, Car9/2012, Ashley Bramlett wrote:
>> Arielle,
>> Thanks. I think discussing access to information on
>> sexual health is fine as long as its not too graphic. You definitely 
>> also tied it to blindness too! As with many things, people learn via 
>> observation where as we depend on someone else for such info.
>> We cannot just go in and browse a store for such private stuff and as 
>> you said we often depend on a parent or someone else for transportation.
>> I know I do because where I live there is no sidewalk to walk to a 
>> bus, or I can get paratransit.
>>
>> I was also going to suggest buying condoms online or with a trusted 
>> friend. Thanks also for the websites on preventing
>> pregnancy and STDS as this is something I wanted to research.
>>
>> Also, regarding medical appointments, I struggled there too. I was 
>> driven there and had a parent assist me in filling out forms there. I 
>> am still fine with that.
>> Oh on another note, with touch screens now, its nearly impossible to 
>> walk into a clinic alone. In my area, the walk in clinics at the 
>> pharmacy have you sign in via a touch screen with personal information.
>> I want a trusted person such as a family member taking me there 
>> because there is no way I'd want to reveal such private info such as 
>> date of birth or social security number or the name of my insurance 
>> provider to a stranger!
>> I also had a parent take me into the doctors for a long time. Finally 
>> I insisted as you did that they wait for me. I felt as you do that I 
>> have a right to
>> medical privacy and that there was no need for them to discuss such 
>> info with them. Besides I am pretty healthy and only take one med and 
>> over the counter stuff on occasion, so
>> there really isn't much for them to know about.
>>
>> Good to know. I'm not the only one that had to assert some independence.
>>
>> Ashley
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: Arielle Silverman
>> Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2012 1:00 PM
>> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nabs-l] condoms and Sexual Health
>>
>> Hi all,
>> I know the recent discussions about sex and dating are kind of in a
>> gray area as to whether or not they're on-topic for this list, since
>> most of the issues Koby brought up are not really unique to blindness.
>> So if the moderators or Dave feel this is getting too far afield, I
>> will happily respect your judgment. However, I also think that
>> Brandon's question about where to get condoms is a legitimate one and
>> that there might be other blind people out here, including teenagers,
>> who have similar concerns about how to get condoms, birth control or
>> sexual health information without a lot of awkwardness or
>> embarrassment. It can be particularly difficult if you have to depend
>> on someone else (especially parents) for transportation which can make
>> going to a clinic or drugstore difficult.
>> There are a few places to buy condoms online, including
>> www.condomania.com
>> www.undercovercondoms.com
>> and
>> www.condomdepot.com
>> Believe it or not, they also have some condom choices at
>> www.amazon.com
>> If you go to your health center on campus for any reason, it shouldn't
>> be a problem  to ask a doctor or nurse there about condoms.
>> I cannot answer the questions about when to begin having sex with a
>> partner because that is a highly individual decision. However, I feel
>> it important that anyone who is considering having sex for the first
>> time ensure you understand what all of your options are for preventing
>> pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, the advantages and
>> disadvantages of each option, and the proper way to use condoms and
>> birth control. There are  a couple different websites with this kind
>> of information:
>> www.plannedparenthood.org
>> (includes live chat with a sexual health educator) or
>> www.scarleteen.com
>> This issue is particularly close to my heart at the moment because my
>> boyfriend's sister just had an unintended pregnancy at a very
>> inopportune time (while still in college, with a guy she had only
>> known for a few months) and was apparently taking birth control pills,
>> but had not been taking them consistently. While I don't believe that
>> sex  should be feared, it is something that takes some responsibility,
>> planning and foresight to ensure it is enjoyable while minimizing the
>> risks. Also, while I won't go into details here, there are other ways
>> to be physically intimate with someone that are less risky, which
>> these online forums will talk about.
>> I also want to bring up  an issue that is somewhat relevant to sexual
>> health, which I experienced and I think that some of you might also be
>> struggling with. This is the issue of having your parents drive you to
>> doctors' appointments and then having them want to sit in or even
>> participate in your appointments. Since I attended college in my home
>> city, my mother always wanted to drive me to my doctors' appointments
>> and would then want to come in and chat with the doctor while he/she
>> was examining me. This was partly because my parents and I saw many of
>> the same doctors and she often thought it was a good opportunity to
>> ask the doctor a quick question about her own health while she was
>> there, or because she was curious to see what the doctor recommended
>> to me about a particular issue. I eventually realized that while it
>> wasn't ill-intentioned, it was a violation of my privacy as an adult
>> patient and I asked her to wait in the waiting room while I was seeing
>> the doctor. I didn't actually take this stand until I was 21 and in
>> hindsight I wish I had done  it much earlier. By the time you are 18,
>> unless you have a serious cognitive disability, you have a right to
>> privacy of your medical information and it is important to establish a
>> good doctor-patient relationship without a third person interfering.
>> This is especially true when it comes to sexual health and by the time
>> you are 18 or even 16, you will want to start discussing your sexual
>> activities or questions with your doctors without your parents being
>> around. You might also want to consider getting a driver or even
>> taking the bus to medical appointments to avoid this problem.
>> On a related note, by the time you are in high school, you should know
>> the names of all medications you take on  a regular basis and any
>> chronic medical conditions you may have. If you ever have to go to the
>> emergency room, this kind  of information may be requested of you.
>> Best,
>> Arielle
>>
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