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Author Archives: Dr Petra
The Science of Pulling
Tweet Tonight I’ll be hosting The Science of Pulling event, part of the British Science Festival a week long celebration of science, this year hosted in Birmingham. Have you ever wondered… - how much of your adult life are you likely to be single? - can one night stands ever lead to love? - do [...]
Posted in Activism and Open Access, Dating, Sex positive, Sex tips/advice Comments closed
Watch out you silver foxes, it’s Sexual Health Week 2010!
Tweet Today sees the launch of FPA’s Sexual Health Week 2010, with the focus of this year’s event aimed at the over 50s. Entitled ‘Middle Aged Spread’ it’s the first dedicated sexual health campaign aimed at this age group with the message for people in the 50+ bracket who are starting new relationships that they [...]
Posted in Condom(s), Contraception, Health/care, HIV/AIDS, Safer sex, Sexually transmitted infection(s) Comments closed
Good news.UK Sex and Relationships Education back on political agenda today
TweetToday MP for the Rhondda Chris Bryant will be using the 10 Minute Rule in parliament to push Sex and Relationships Education back onto the political agenda. This is being proposed in collaboration with the National Children’s Bureau and the Sex Education Forum (further details here). Supporters have been glad to see sex education being [...]
Posted in Politics, Sex education Comments closed
80% of women have enlarged labia? That would be a ‘sex panther’ statistic
TweetFans of the movie Anchorman will no doubt be familiar with the men’s fragrance ‘Sex Panther’. If you hadn’t heard of it before, here’s your introduction… The fantastic line ‘they’ve done studies you know. 60% of the time it works every time’ has become a well known catchphrase. But I think it deserves far wider [...]
Posted in Health/care, Journalism, Medicalisation, Television, Vulva Comments closed
STIs, sexual health worries and HPA data – what you need to know
TweetThe Health Protection Agency has released its most recent figures on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) (including HIV) today. This is based on data collected from GU clinics across the UK annually. You can read the main report here. Those who’re of the more thorough/geekier persuasion may also want to look at the data summaries of [...]
Posted in Condom(s), Contraception, Drug/alcohol, Epidemic, HIV/AIDS, Sexually transmitted infection(s), Teenager(s) Comments closed
Smile, you’re on my phone’s camera!
TweetThis post is based on a true story. I’ve altered identifying details, but the events described are real. I wrote it a while ago as a training activity for healthcare practitioners to consider some of the fuzzy boundaries that exist around mobile technology and our working practices. In an era where we’re eager to use [...]
Posted in Case studies, Child(ren), Ethics Comments closed
How to be an Agony Aunt (or Uncle)
Tweet I’ve been working as an ‘Agony Aunt’ (advice giver) in print, online and in broadcast media for the past eight years. I’ve written advice columns for magazines like Grazia, Beauty Zambia and Men’s Health; for websites like mykindaplace and mansized; and presented on radio programmes on national and regional stations in the UK and [...]
Posted in Agony Aunt Comments closed
11 years old, on the pill and sexually active? The media loses the news again
TweetParents across the UK are understandably being made anxious by news reports today suggesting: Rise in 11 year olds on the pill (Sunday Times) One thousand girls on Pill at 11: Huge rise in contraceptive prescription for pre-teens without parents knowing (Daily Mail) Huge rise in 11-year-olds on the pill (Telegraph) The UK appears afflicted [...]
Posted in Contraception, Menstruation, Reproductive health, Teenager(s) Comments closed
Sexual pleasure empowers women!
TweetThe e-journal Contestations is a cross cultural and cross disciplinary publication which tackles diverse issues around women’s health internationally. It seeks to create a platform to explore and discuss core issues around development, politics and health. The current issue debates the statement ‘Sexual pleasure empowers women!’ and opens with an outline of core issues relating [...]
Posted in Activism and Open Access, Critical appraisal, Gender, Health/care, HIV/AIDS, Human rights/law, International Comments closed
Reporting back on the ‘Science of Pulling’ – making science work for you