Dear Sexpert,
I hear there are changes happening with birth control at University Health Services. What are they, and what do I need to do?
- Contraceptionally Confused
Dear CC,
You've heard right. Basically, UHS and every other college health service used to be able to get birth control at a discount price. Sadly, these discount prices are no longer going to be offered to any college. This means that brand name birth control will no longer be available at reduced prices at UHS.
UHS offers on-site generic contraceptives, however, and you can charge them to your student account. These are usually cheaper than but very similar to their brand name counterparts.
If you prefer to stick with what you already use, UHS clinicians will still prescribe it, but you will have to get brand name contraceptives at pharmacies for whatever price it costs under your health insurance plan. The prescriptions can be filled at the CVS on Nassau or the Princeton Pharmacy in the UStore (or any other pharmacy). In addition, there's a Planned Parenthood nearby which still offers brand name pills at a low cost (go to www.plannedparenthood.com to find the nearest one).
Generic and brand name pills are required by the FDA to have the same composition. They may look different, but the chemicals, dosage amount and method of administration are exactly the same. The amount of time it takes for the generic pill to be absorbed by the body may be slightly different from the amount of time to absorb the brand name pills, but this is unrelated to the effectiveness of the drug.
The change in birth control availability is not something that Princeton has decided to do, nor is it something that's only happening on this campus. In fact, UHS is working with other colleges' health services to get discounts for the colleges again.
For more information on the birth control changes you can visit the UHS website: http://www.princeton.edu/~uhs/news/news.html#birthcontrol
- The Sexpert
Dear Sexpert,
How do you know if your penis is really small? I'm about to start having sex with someone I'm dating. However, as much as I want to, I am also worried they might be disappointed if I'm not as big as other guys. Can you please give me some kind of indication what the average penis size is?
- Penis Paranoid
Dear Paranoid,
Penis size is a prickly subject for most guys, but not to worry, there's probably no reason to be concerned. Most data collected on penis size is not particularly trustworthy, because it generally (for obvious reasons) depends on self-reporting. Also, the fact that people who consider their penises to be large may be more likely to have them measured than those worried about their size, and could skew data upwards. Two studies which depended on measurements taken by the people conducting the study, rather than self-reporting, found the average erect penis length to be between 5.0 and 5.6 inches , and the The Kinsey Institute New Report on Sex estimates the average erect penis size as between 5 and 7 inches.
However, these numbers really shouldn't influence your self-perception. Sex is about so much more than just penis size. Penis size does not necessarily affect the pleasure you can give your partner or get yourself through intercourse. Furthermore, there's no reason to depend only on the penis to provide your partner with sexual pleasure. An enjoyable sexual experience depends just as much on what you do with your lips, your hands, and the rest of your body, as well as less physical aspects such as how you make your partner feel mentally, how comfortable you are together, etc. So I would recommend that you concentrate more on developing your relationship with your new partner emotionally, establishing sexual boundaries and comfort zones, and finding out what he or she enjoys physically. The rest should take care of itself.
-The Sexpert
Fact Box:
"Colleges are no longer being offered brand name birth control pills at discount prices. UHS will instead provide generic contraceptives"
"Average penis size is 5-7 inches"
"Penis size isn't the only factor in sexual pleasure"
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