New method of protection against HIV/AIDS/HSV-2 for women!

Earlier this week my Mother told me about a new product that curbs the risk of HIV infection. At first I was skeptical, I thought her story was too good to be true. I went home later that day and did some research to try and confirm if what my Mother heard on the radio was the real deal.

Within minutes I found an article which supported her claims and made me really excited! Finally some progress is being made! It is true, scientists have reported that there is a new gel that has proved capable of preventing the AIDS virus!

A study conducted in South Africa report that the gel has the potential to reduce a women's chances of getting HIV and HSV-2 virus from an infected partner by half. And though this is not full protection such news brings great hope for women all over the world.

The gel would be a helpful tool in protecting women whose partners won't use condoms. It would have an even greater impact in African countries which have the highest incidence of rape and child rape. The long-lived belief in the so called “Virgin Cure” make young African girls especially vulnerable to rape and infection. In places like the Congo where girls as young as 2 and women as old as 80 are raped such protection is vital!

The new vagina gel is the first women-initiated and controlled HIV prevention and if confirmed it would help end the AIDS epidemic. Thirty three million people are infected today and over twenty five million people have died due to this disease. The AIDS epidemic is a global issue and it has to stop. I personally have lost someone to AIDS and I look forward to the day when people no longer have to suffer. Though we still do not have a cure for AIDS science has brought women some more options for protection and this is progress!

You + Me= Us (Calculus) ... Sally Ride urges girls to work 2ge+her on math and science

When I was in the midst of my student teaching residency, some of the student teachers and myself noticed something had changed with some middle school students. Over a period of about two weeks, some of the girls had become less likely to participate and it was taking longer for a lesson to "click" with them. What had happened? I went to my teaching advisor to see if there was any education tools to fix my teaching style.

She laughed. "Well, it's rounding the end of April and they're 7th graders."

She then proceeded to explain that it's pretty common knowledge among teachers that around this time girls will subliminally shy away from appearing too "bright" in the "harder," more structured subjects like science, math and foreign languages to impress those boys they're just starting to notice. This is where the feminist in me did everything in her power not to let out an ear-piercing shriek.

Luckily, not everyone has accepted this fact. We have people like Sally Ride ( THE FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE ) out there to counteract this phenomenon.

As Val shared earlier, Sally has recently been included in US News' list of "America's Best Leaders 2009." Her organization Sally Ride Science promotes a love of math and science starting from 5th grade (before the curse) until 9th. While it is co-ed, Ride stresses that one of the reasons she founded the organization back in 2001 was to defeat the dreaded science/math mental block often found in girls.

In an interview about her US News recognition, she said:

"I discovered that there were still significant societal stereotypes and peer-group pressure that start to affect girls in upper elementary school through middle school in such a way that they start to drift away from math and science. So I realized that there was a lot that could be gained by targeting that particular age."

Sally Ride has used her organization as a way to ensure the next generation of great mathematicians and scientists will include both men and women and has been seeing strong results proving that a Y chromosome isn't necessary to master the subjects.

Along with Sally, this list includes great feminists like VDAY Campaign's Eve Ensler and Tony award-winning Twyla Tharp. So, unlike the rumors in the hallway, being smart is pretty cool!

ps. to anyone wondering, the title of this blog is named after a pop-culture reference from my younger years. yes, i've shamelessly plugged MTVs 2001 original movie 2ge+her (the mockumentary made to get some laughs at boy bands like *nsync, backstreet boys, 5ive, soulDecision, etc...) Don't worry, I'm now seriously reconsidering the music choices of my youth while reviewing the music video and assure you that I've better developped my music taste since then (well, maybe...)

photo credits: db*photography on flickr.com

Women in STEM: Sally Ride

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, was named one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report.

Given my ongoing adoration for women in STEM fields, I was very excited to hear this news! It's great to have the achievements of groundbreaking women recognized, and even better when they take it upon themselves to make the path for young women a little easier! Sally Ride founded Sally Ride Science, "to provide exciting science programs, events, and publications for upper elementary and middle school students and their parents and teachers."

Way to go, Sally Ride!

Via Jezebel.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Science To The Rescue

There have been many advances in the area of contraception and STI-prevention since the early days of the first birth control pills and diaphragms. We have oral and injectible medicines, physical barriers, and IUDs that help women (and men) protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and diseases. Although I am not a science person whatsoever, I found this new breakthrough very interesting.

Scientists at University of Utah have designed what they are calling a "molecular condom." This breakthrough was first made in 2006 and has gone through a massive redesign to come to the product that they have presented today.

To use this "molecular condom," a women would insert a vaginal gel that turns semisolid in the presence of semen before sex, trapping the AIDS virus particles in a microscopic mesh so they can't infect vaginal cells.

The goal of this new product is to help in the prevention of the spread of HIV so women can protect themselves without having to try and persuade their partners to do it, like with normal male-use condoms.

Another goal for this product is to target some of the most under-resourced countries like sub-Sahara Africa and south Asia where the rate of infection is as high as 60% in women.

So what does this means for women like you and me? Well the "molecular condom" is still going through testing and clinical trials and probably still has several years before it will be available to the general public. However, this does give women more control over their own bodies and reproductive health, which is another step in the right direction. This new form of protection gives women more option in their arsenal of disease prevention and looks to help out those women who need more protection the most.

Photo courtesy of ynse on flikr.com

Gender and Friendship

One of the things I find the most mind-boggling and interesting are the essentializing scientific studies that claim certain gendered behaviors as linked to various biological things.

A recent article I found in Time talks about a study that "shows" that girls have strong, one-on-one friendships while boys hang out in large groups. It's all related to hormones and activated brain regions, very complicated. You know, nature versus nurture.

It's interesting in a few ways. First off, those are some pretty big generalizations.... I spend time hanging out with a large group of men and women. I think I'm attuned to group dynamics, and I care about them. And, I'm pretty sure that there are men who have the type of friendships the study suggests as being feminine.

Secondly, the study argues that all of this is because of evolution. Men hang out with large groups because they are trying to cut down the competition for potential sexual partners, and women focus on one-on-one friendships becuase they are trying to find the best father. I don't know how smoothly that argument applies to the non-sexual, same-sex friendships the study looked at.

I'm willing to bet that a large part of these friendship styles are due to socialization. If young boys mostly socialize with sports teams or larger groups, and young girls are sent to "play-dates" where they are told to play house or whatever, that probably impacts what their friendships will be like in the future.
Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr/

Motherly Instinct

Being young, in college, and quite independent, settling down and starting a family is not on my list of top priorities. Just the thought of having babies ever gives me the creeps. I've always heard about that "motherly instinct" that women are supposed to have, but I don't think I've got it. In fact, I like to keep a good distance between me and anyone who is under the age of 8.

So what is this "motherly instinct" and why don't I have it? I've talked to other women my age and many of them say that they want to have kids, lots of them in fact. And there is nothing wrong with wanting to have babies, the thing that I do not understand is why don't I want to also. Aren't I supposed to?

Curious about figuring out what and where this "mother instinct" comes from, I stumbled upon a possible clue. The fosB gene is a kind of regulatory switch that has been found to be a crucial player in types of behavioral long-lasting changes, like the ability to nurture the young.

A study done on mice back in 1996 found that when this gene was missing in female mice, they showed no interest in their babies. While humans also posses the fosB gene, it was not certain at the time of the study if it plays any role in prompting women to nurture their young as well.

So maybe the lack of this gene is the answer that I have been looking for, or maybe it is something else? I think the biggest question might be, why is there this pressure on women to have babies when they reach a certain age? Who says that women have to first off reproduce and secondly must do it at a certain age?

There are many alternatives to having babies and being "nurture", such as adoption, being a foster parent, or just not dealing with children at all. I do not see anything wrong with any of these options. It should be up to each individual person as to whether they want to procreate or not, not some set of social standards.

Photo courtesy of D.A.K. Photography on Flikr

I'm Single. What's wrong with me?

I'm a single woman. There are millions of people out there, but I just can't seem to conquer my overwhelming commitment phobia! What will happen to me?! I'm going to be alone forever!

While there clearly is anxiety and pressure to be in a relationship, I've never really understood why that is the case. I can certainly function sans serious relationship. I mean, look at me, I'm writing this blog all by myself! And, sometimes, when I'm not consumed with my worries about being alone forever, I'm capable of being productive and living my life. It's hard, but I just have to remember that the right person is out there. Maybe I sustain myself with sarcasm?

Society pressures women into thinking that they need to be in a relationship, and then works to give us endless tips and tricks for getting dates, flirting, and for breaking out of our trust, daddy, and commitment issues. The British online newspaper Times Online recently reported on a new discovery in the great mystery of relationships. Evidently, scientists are investigating whether there is a gene in women that decreases oxycotin, which supposedly helps lower the stress we feel when starting a relationship. Seriously?

In a way, it is sort of liberating that the media and society recognize that women have have varying desires for being in relationships, but I'm not sure why we have to say that when women have no desire to be in a commited relationship it's because of genes. Why can't we just accept that people are different and want different things? Maybe it's time to re-evaluate whether or not being in a committed relationship is the norm and ideal?