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TBH (To Be Honest) is a monthly newsletter dedicated to learning about our bodies, talking about sex and relationships, and challenging health inequity and injustice.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

The latest on medication abortion + Trans Day of Visibility + STIs and sexual health

"Everyone deserves the freedom and power to control their own bodies, regardless of their gender identity, ZIP code, income, or immigration status."

Celebrate trans people and fight transphobia by dialing 211 to report hate. 🏳️‍⚧️

From the blog…

Medication Abortion Without Mifepristone: What You Need to Know: You can still have a medication abortion with only one drug, misoprostol — it's safe, effective, and legal to use in states where abortion isn’t banned.

Five Things You Can Ask Bots About Relationships and Your Body: Sexual health questions to help you get the conversation going.

Fact or Cap?: The internet can be an amazing source for info, but how do you know if what you’re seeing is trustworthy?

Read more on the blog >>

What we're watching, reading, listening to, and taking action on:

The Biden administration is making important moves to protect the privacy of patients seeking abortion and other reproductive health care. Urge the administration to finalize this rule as soon as possible >>

To honor Transgender Day Of Visibility, Tica Torres, a trans care coordinator, and Dr. Bhavik Kumar, medical director of primary & trans care, spoke with ohhey.gay and Hypebae about community, humanity, and self-liberation for all trans people.

"It's a crisis of democracy and a crisis of health care." Watch Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson’s interview with MSNBC about the recent ruling by a Texas judge that threatens access to mifepristone, a safe and commonly used abortion medicine. (After a ruling from the Supreme Court last week, access to mifepristone remains for now while the challenge continues through the federal court system. Learn more here.)

Experts predict a rise in stricter birth control laws as soon as this year. Check out this state-by-state guide to birth control — see what laws looks like where you live and what changes you might see this year and in the future.

Ask the Experts:

"Can I take an STD test at home?"

Someone asked us: I need an STD test but can’t go to a doctor’s office. Can I get one online?

Yes, you can test yourself for STDs (also called STIs, or sexually transmitted infections) with kits that you use in private. At-home STD testing lets you skip a visit to a health center, and it’s safe and accurate.

Depending on where you live, you can buy STD test kits online, at your local pharmacy, and through your nearest Planned Parenthood health center.

If you go through Planned Parenthood, you’ll first make a telehealth appointment with a nurse or doctor. During your appointment, they’ll ask you to share your medical history and any symptoms you may have (a not-so-fun fact: the most common STD symptom is no symptom at all). Planned Parenthood health centers and test kit websites will mail your test to you.

Your nurse or doctor may ask you some additional questions about the kind of sexual contact you’ve had — like oral, anal, or vaginal sex, or anything that involves skin-to-skin genital contact or passing sexual fluids — and how often you use protection when having sex. These questions will help your nurse or doctor tell you whether an at-home STD test is right for you, how to use it, and what it’ll test for. Talking about STD testing might feel awkward, but try not to be embarrassed. Nurses and doctors like the ones at Planned Parenthood are there to help you, not to judge you.

If you buy a kit on your own, check the website or label on the box to see which STDs it tests for and if it includes access to a nurse or doctor. Some kits only test for one STD, such as HIV/AIDS at-home tests. Other kits can screen for many STDs, or for a couple of STDs in different areas of your body.

Learn more about at-home STD testing here.

— Kendall at Planned Parenthood

*Note: Planned Parenthood is not responsible for nor does it endorse any legal, medical, or other advice or information provided by any of the entities identified or referenced herein or by any other third parties, whether referenced herein or not.

Check out Ask The Experts for more Q&As on a ton of different health topics.
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