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Sexual Health in the News May 15 - May 21

May 21, 2020

NCSH in the News

STD Rates Appear to Be Quietly Skyrocketing Across the US, As Fewer People Get Tested and Treated During the Pandemic – BUSINESS INSIDER
As public health departments nationwide work to contain COVID-19 outbreaks, contact tracers are focusing more on COVID-19 and less on STIs, including HIV. NCSH member, David Harvey, Executive Director of NCSD, is quoted.

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Other News This Week

How Do You Get People to Wear Face Masks? Ask a Sex Educator. – Rewire.News
We haven’t convinced everyone to wear condoms, but there are certainly lessons to be learned from decades of trying that we can apply to this moment with face masks.

People Are Breaking Lockdown Rules to Have Sex. Some Say They Don’t Feel Guilty About It and Would Do It Again. – INSIDER
According to a recent survey, one in five people said they were violating lockdown orders to get it on.  Singles have received mixed messages about sex during the pandemic; some officials say masturbation is key, while others suggest finding a “sex buddy.”

Anti-Abortion Rights Movement Paid ‘Jane Roe’ Thousands to Switch Sides, Documentary Reveals – NBC News
“I took their money, and they put me out in front of the cameras,” Norma McCorvey says in the new documentary “AKA Jane Roe.”

U.S. Births Fall and Experts Say Coronavirus Could Drive the Numbers Down Further – TIME
Births in the U.S. are the lowest they have been in 35 years, and some experts believe the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the economy will suppress the numbers further.

US Demands Removal of Sexual Health Reference in UN’s COVID-19 Response – The Guardian
US officials called on the UN to “stay focused on life-saving interventions” by not including abortion as an essential service, taking issue with WHO giving the provision of ‘sexual and reproductive services’ the same level of importance as food insecurity, essential healthcare, shelter, and others.

Here’s Why You Need to Talk to Your Aging Parents About ‘Sextortion’ Scams – TODAY
The scams—which tell the victim they were recorded looking at pornography and then demand money if they do not want it shared—are rising during the pandemic. Here’s how to broach a sensitive topic.

Dutch Official Advice to Single People: Find a Sex Buddy for Lockdown – The Guardian
Single men and women in the Netherlands are being advised to organize a “sex buddy” while being warned that the risks of such intimacy should be managed.

Lawmakers Urge Trump Administration to Collect Data on LGBTQ COVID-19 Patients – NBC News
“With scarce demographic information available about the LGBTQ population, it is difficult to provide quality care and solutions,” the letter says.

Coronavirus Exposes the Business of Safe Birth – Forbes
In the U.S. there is limited access to midwives, despite evidence of their excellent birth outcomes. With rising interest in “alternative” birthing options due to COVID-19, some say that this should be reviewed.

Masturbation is Sexual Health – Psychology Today
Masturbation is still taboo in most of society and considered shameful. But for most people it’s a healthy and normal activity that can be a great way to learn about pleasure.

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