Condoms, pills in pantries urged
The Commission on Population and Development has urged proponents of community pantries to include contraceptives such as condoms and pills as necessary goods in their distribution activities......»»
D.C.Plinado Campaign pushed
DAVAO City Councilor Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique N. Advincula urged Dabawenyos to continue embodying the "culture of discipline", as a legacy, and to be conscious of turning it into the key for the city's growth......»»
Get kids jabbed versus pertussis, parents urged
Get kids jabbed versus pertussis, parents urged.....»»
Fisherfolk group urges gov’t to regulate fish prices amid Lent
Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas on Wednesday urged the government to address the surge in retail prices of fish during the Holy Week......»»
Public utility trike operators urged to renew franchise, warned vs overpricing
THE Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) conducted a dialogue with the different Tricycle Operators and Drivers’ Associations (Todas) of Toril District to remind drivers of the provisions of the Traffic Code of the City......»»
Stop motorcycle taxi expansion, Marcos urged
Various transport groups yesterday appealed to President Marcos to stop the expansion of motorcycle taxis in Metro Manila amid the impending decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board o authorize several companies as players in the pilot study......»»
DA, DTI urged to enforce stricter price monitoring during Holy Week
A lawmaker has called on the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry to keep an eye on possible price surges during the Holy Week and set suggested retail price on basic commodities......»»
Consider alliances with Netherlands, Norway, DFA urged
The Department of Foreign Affairs should consider alliances with non-defense allies like Norway, the Netherlands and other countries for maritime exploration, research and development amid conflict with China over the West Philippines Sea (WPS), Sen. Francis Tolentino said yesterday......»»
PSA-7: Report to us if PhilSys ID not accepted
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority in Central Visayas (PSA-7) urged Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID holders to report to the agency if some entities do not accept their IDs. PSA-7 chief administrative officer of Edwina Carriaga told CDN Digital in a phone interview that the agency is urging PhilSys ID (National ID).....»»
Tolentino to PPA: Hire veterinarians to assist travelers with pets
Senator Francis Tolentino has urged the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to hire veterinarians to vet on-site the pets travelers bring along in their trips and making the boarding process on sea vessels a lot easier......»»
Mayor urged to convene film festival council
Mayor urged to convene film festival council.....»»
Date night inflation: Cost of flowers and condoms this Valentine’s Day 2024
Good news for lovebirds this Valentine's Day: Inflation has eased......»»
Ex-UK leader Johnson to join right-wing broadcaster GB News
Britain's former prime minister Boris Johnson announced Friday that he was joining the right-wing broadcaster GB News, the latest Conservative politician to take a presenting role on the contentious channel. The scandal-tarred Johnson, who was ousted from power last year by Tory MPs and quit as a lawmaker in June, will start his new "presenter, program maker and commentator" post in early 2024, GB News said. The channel was launched in mid-2021, billing itself as a right-wing, pro-Brexit competitor to mainstream broadcasters such as the BBC and Sky News, and has stoked controversy ever since. It has drawn comparisons to the US network Fox News for its unabashedly populist agenda, blurring the distinction between fact-based reporting and opinion while hiring high-profile right-wingers. In its latest setback, the channel sacked two of its presenters this month after an on-air sexism row that generated nearly 8,500 complaints to media watchdog Ofcom. Ofcom has opened several probes into GB News over alleged breaches of the broadcasting code of neutrality for TV news outlets after it hired several prominent members of the ruling Conservatives as presenters. Johnson, 59, said he was "excited" to be joining "an insurgent channel with a loyal and growing following", saying he would be offering his "frank opinions on world affairs". "I will be talking about the immense opportunities for Global Britain -- as well as the challenges -- and why our best days are yet to come," he said. GB News's editorial director Michael Booker called Johnson "the most influential prime minister of our generation". "As well as his political skills, he's an incredibly talented journalist and author," he said. Johnson, a former Daily Telegraph columnist who currently writes a weekly column for The Daily Mail, first worked as a journalist for The Times, where he was sacked for making up a quote. He moved on to become Brussels correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, where he made his name writing exaggerated claims about the European Union, including purported plans to standardize the sizes of condoms and bananas. He then entered politics, becoming an MP in 2001 and later serving two terms as London mayor before realizing his life-long dream of being prime minister in 2019. The post Ex-UK leader Johnson to join right-wing broadcaster GB News appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
An old antibiotic may get new life as an STI prevention pill
The United States is set to roll out a powerful new weapon in the long fight against sexually transmitted infections: a decades-old antibiotic repurposed as a preventative pill. DoxyPEP, or doxycycline used as a post-exposure prophylaxis, has been found to significantly cut the risk of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis when used after condomless sex. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is developing national guidance for clinicians, will need to weigh the need to contain record high rates of STIs impacting millions of Americans against potentially giving rise to more antibiotic-resistant strains. "Innovation and creativity matter in public health, and more tools are desperately needed," senior CDC official Jonathan Mermin told AFP. But the recommendations, set for publication this summer, will remain narrow in scope. They will likely target only the most at-risk groups of gay men and transgender women with histories of prior infection. As word spreads, some clinics are already prescribing DoxyPEP. Malik, a 37-year-old man in Washington, said his doctor recently told him he could start using doxycycline as a "morning-after pill" following risky sex, something he's had to do twice -- including after a partner did not warn him he had removed his condom. Two-thirds reduction Reported cases of the three bacterial infections grew to 2.5 million in the United States in 2021, following about a decade of growth. Several issues are behind the rise: fewer people are using condoms since the advent of PrEP -- daily pills that significantly reduce chances of contracting HIV. And people who are on PrEP are recommended to undergo screening every three months, likely increasing the identification of infections. Then there is the basic epidemiological fact that the greater the number of people infected, the more they can further infect. Researchers have found DoxyPEP efficacious in three of four trials. "What we found was there was about a two-thirds reduction in sexually transmitted infection every three months," Annie Luetkemeyer, who co-led a US trial, told AFP. The physician-scientist at the University of California, San Francisco recruited some 500 people in San Francisco and Seattle among communities of men who have sex with men and transgender women. Efficacy was greatest for chlamydia and syphilis, both of which were reduced by about 80 percent, while for gonorrhea it was about 55 percent. There were few side effects. Antibiotic resistance Broadening access to doxycycline has prompted concerns about causing antibiotic resistance, particularly in gonorrhea, which is fast mutating. But early research hasn't shown cause for alarm. Connie Celum of the University of Washington, who co-led the US study, told AFP researchers tested gonorrhea samples from breakthrough infections in the DoxyPEP group and compared them to the group who didn't receive the pill. Though they found the rate of resistant gonorrhea slightly higher in the DoxyPEP group, she says the finding could simply mean the pill is less effective against already resistant strains, rather than causing that resistance. DoxyPEP could even boost responsible antibiotic stewardship -- cutting the incidence of infections, thus also cutting need for antibiotic treatment. If it slashed gonorrhea cases by some 50 percent, it could reduce the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment with the current frontline treatment drug, ceftriaxone, which doctors are eager to preserve. Longer term study is required, on both impacts on STIs but also "bystander" bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, which live inside people's noses but sometimes cause serious infections. 'Additional tool' Malik said that while he is glad he could use DoxyPEP as a last resort, he wishes more men were willing to use condoms. Since moving to America from South Asia, he gets relatively little interest on dating app Grindr when he says he's not willing to have condomless sex. But Stephen Abbott -- a doctor at Washington's Whitman-Walker clinic who prescribes and uses DoxyPEP -- said it's crucial to meet people where they are. "From speaking with patients, and being part of the community that's now on PrEP... I think the age of prevention through condoms is fading," he told AFP. A 42-year-old man in London who runs a cultural organization told AFP that word had spread about DoxyPEP through the international gay party circuit and he had procured a supply on the black market and through a partner who buys in bulk in Mexico. It had largely worked for him, though he did have one breakthrough infection of throat gonorrhea. He said he was looking forward to the United Kingdom adopting similar guidance so that people have the right information and aren't left to guess at the right dosage. For Luetkemeyer, DoxyPEP won't be "the answer" to the STI epidemic, and there is considerable interest in the development of a gonorrhea vaccine. "But I'm optimistic... I think this is an additional tool," she said. The post An old antibiotic may get new life as an STI prevention pill appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Berlin’s fetish fashion breaks out of the club
On each of his visits to Berlin, Ronen Shaham feels the rush of freedom that sees the computer engineer from Los Angeles ditch his workwear for something more relaxed: a lace shirt, studded necklace, and a side-split skirt. Known throughout the world for their extravagance, Berlin's clubs have fostered a taboo-free style, inspired by fetishism, that makes liberal use of leather and latex with accessories that pinch, poke and squeeze. "Fetishwear" has its dedicated shops and well-known designers, and takes pride of place in the city's two big summer festivals: the Technoparade, which took place in July, and Berlin's pride march, one of the biggest in Europe, on Saturday. It is during this summer party season that Shaham and his partner Lulu Neel have decided to make their latest pilgrimage to Berlin. The couple fell in love with the city three years ago when they came across a community of clubbers "just dressing so much better than I had ever seen", says Lulu. "I wanted to be dressed like that," says the young woman, a specialist in 3D digital design by day, who wears a black rope necklace with metal rings to a show organized by upstart clubbing label, The Code. Purple and black Shaham and Neel have refined their look over the course of repeated visits to the German capital. He says his preference is for latex, lace, and harnesses, and he likes to put his tattoos on the show. In Berlin, "You can be like that, and you can walk out to the street, you can get into the Uber and... you feel free", says the 45-year-old. "The clubs, the nights, the magazines that you find here -- our clients say there is nothing similar in Paris, Rome, Milan, in Argentina or New Zealand," says Gisela Braun, whose Schwarzer Reiter (Black Knight) boutique is one of the temples of fetish fashion in Berlin. The shop, which opened 14 years ago, is decked out in purple and black and proudly displays its wares in the window, which looks out on a city center street. "We wanted a place where people feel comfortable, where you forget your inhibitions, with a touch of luxury and elegance," Braun says. In their workshop, Schwarzer Reiter's tailors cut out and stitch together their own line of accessories -- most of them in leather -- that have made their reputation among the city's night owls. "When the clubs reopened after the pandemic, we had queues in front of the store for six months. People sometimes waited for 40 minutes," says Braun. After three years spent between coronavirus lockdowns, the demand spoke to a "huge need to rediscover what is carnal, wild", says Carl Tillessen, an expert at the German Fashion Institute (DMI). Uninhibited generation High fashion has not shied away from the trend, with the biggest designers putting on uninhibited shows: Diesel handed out sex toys and condoms with recent collections, while Tommy Hilfiger sent out a model in full S&M gear, brandishing a whip. It was "not a bad thing" for the fashion trend to find a larger audience, according to 34-year-old Argentinian jeweler Augusto Talpalar, who lives in Berlin. "Everything that becomes popular is more accepted by society," he says. The new generation of Berliners amazes Christopher Bauder, who says he has spent more than 20 of his 50 years on the planet in the capital's "dark techno clubs". "There's a naturalness to the way they move, to their sexuality, their fashion sense," says the multimedia artist. "Wearing minimalist clothes or being naked used to be a very special thing. You could only experience it in certain clubs and certain situations. Today, it's completely normal in Berlin. You can do it at every party. I think it's great." The post Berlin’s fetish fashion breaks out of the club appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Championing accessible HIV testing and prevention
Teleperformance Philippines continues to uphold its commitment to making HIV testing and prevention more accessible by holding a program review and ceremonial turnover of wellness supplies and KISS (Keep It Safe & Sure) dispensers at its Vertis North site. KISS dispensers, which contain condoms, lubricants, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP) and HIV testing, were provided for in partnership with the Department of Health through their Project Red Ribbon Care Management Foundation and Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. Rachel Cacabelos, Teleperformance Philippines vice president for Human Resources, Communication and Marketing, praised the ceremony. “This would show that TP is one with the community, not only the community inside but outside. Because it’s an environment, an ecosystem that you need to bend, and TP cannot do this alone. We need to have partners, like private and government partners, who will help us further our advocacy for Teleperformance Philippines and all communities as well,” she stated. A review was also held of Telepeformance’s current policies and the cultural journey and milestones achieved from Teleperformance’s HIV prevention campaign, which began in 2015. The HIV in the Workplace Policy of Teleperformance is implemented under its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives, which the company has been championing, not just for its employees but also for the communities they have adopted. The post Championing accessible HIV testing and prevention appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Family planning in India: A woman’s burden
Occasional screams sounded from the operating theater in a rural Indian clinic as a heavily sedated woman named Kajal waited to have her tubes tied, long the country's preferred family planning method. "The anesthesia must not have kicked in," one healthcare worker said outside the facility in the northern village of Bhoodbaral, where a line of women in colorful headscarves waited to undergo the 50-minute procedure, which in India's stretched healthcare system can sometimes be risky. India is set to become the world's most populous nation by mid-year, according to UN figures published Wednesday, overtaking China, where the population shrank last year for the first time since 1960. The Indian government launched a nationwide family planning program in 1952 -- long before societies around the world had even started to destigmatize birth control. But in the decades that followed, as the pill and condoms became the go-to contraceptive methods for millions elsewhere, men in India were subjected in the 1970s to a brutal program of forced sterilization. Since then the focus has shifted to women in India, with tubal ligation as the preferred method of birth control. There is a non-invasive vasectomy available for men but women like Kajal are often convinced by government healthcare workers to undergo the procedure, often with cash incentives of around $25. Kajal, 25, said she and her husband Deepak decided she would undergo the operation since they can barely make ends meet with their three children. "I thought it would make me weak," Deepak, a factory worker, said when asked why he chose not to have a vasectomy. Myths around virility Poonam Muttreja from the Population Foundation of India said Deepak's fears about how a vasectomy -- a reversible, 10-minute procedure -- would affect him were common in what is still a "very patriarchal society". "The most popular myth that exists among both men and women is that a man will lose his virility," Muttreja told AFP. "This is a myth which has no science... but it is a belief. The belief is the reality for people," she said. The health center in Bhoodbaral sterilized more than 180 women compared with just six men from April 2022 to March this year. "People have a misconception that no-scalpel vasectomy for males leads to impotence... This has become a taboo," said Dr Ashish Garg, the facility's medical superintendent. Dangerous Makeshift sterilization clinics that perform tubal ligations on women are common in India, particularly in its vast rural belts where two-thirds of the population live. Usually, it is a safe procedure but in India, this is not always the case. Four women died and nine others were hospitalized last year after getting their tubes tied in the southern state of Telangana. In 2014, at least 11 women died after sterilizations at a makeshift clinic in the central state of Chhattisgarh. Muttreja said the government needs to do more to promote contraception. She also said the solution to getting more men to have the operation was better education. "It's a magical pill... Investing in health and education would have reduced the economic cost to the family and also to the nation," she said. But Harbir Singh, a 64-year-old local resident, still believes that vasectomies rob men of their "strength" needed to work and put food on the table. "The man has to go out and earn... The women make food and stay at home," he said. "What will happen without the man?" The post Family planning in India: A woman’s burden appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cebu BPO workers group’s fundraising show features queer artists
An organization of business process outsourcing (BPO) workers in Cebu mounted a show, “Hey Cebu, Ano Naaah?: Show for A Cause” on 2 April at the University of the Philippines Cebu Performing Arts Theater on Gorordo Avenue in Lahug, Cebu City, Cebu. [caption id="attachment_119835" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Photograph courtesy of Twitter.com/lavieenrozeeee | ‘Drag Den’ winner Naia Black.[/caption] The fundraising show, produced by Angat Cebu BPO under Bangon Inc., was headlined by queer singer-songwriter Nica del Rosario and drag artist Naia Black, who won at the first season of the drag competition series Drag Den. The Metro Manila-based artists were joined by Cebu drag performers Maria Lava and Piayuuuh and the drag group Cebu Divettes. Lloyd Abesia, Claire Anne Yongco and Kayla Barrientos, who are products of the singing competition Sinulog Idol, and spoken word artist Alfonso Manalastas also performed at the event. A highlight of the event is video message from former Vice President Leni Robredo, who is credited for inspiring the formation of these volunteer groups. An attendee commented on Twitter that “her remarkable personality instilled hope in us that a clean government is attainable. She has been instrumental in inspiring volunteerism, and her pursuit of transparency in government has been truly remarkable. Although she ran in the 2022 election and defeat, for us, she remains a true winner.” One of Robredo’s plans was to strengthen the maritime and BPO industries of the island province in central Philippines. LGBTQ+ health advocacy group LoveYourself Cebu also took part at the event, which also served as the launch of Angat BPO Cebu, providing free and confidential HIV screening and giving away condoms and lubricants. According to Angat BPO Cebu, proceeds of the show will go to projects on providing education and career opportunities to the youth and that will benefit their partner communities and schools. The post Cebu BPO workers group’s fundraising show features queer artists appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Condoms, pills in pantries urged
The Commission on Population and Development has urged proponents of community pantries to include contraceptives such as condoms and pills as necessary goods in their distribution activities......»»
Losing it with condoms
BY RICA CRUZ Hi Doc Rica, I met a girl online during the pandemic. We have high sexual energies so we would video sex during the lockdown kaya naman when we decided to meet up, we would always do it. Pero every time na magsusuot ako ng condom para makapagsex na kami, […].....»»
The voodoo governors
The drugstore was quite crowded, so the man sidled up to the saleslady at the counter and whispered, “Do you have condoms?” The clerk said “Yes.” He asked, “Do you have them in ‘extra large’?” The clerk replied, “No sir, they are extremely expandable, one size fits all,” as she handed him a condom. “Good!” […] The post The voodoo governors appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»