Boulder Has a Big Heart at Mother House

Mother House, Inc., a Boulder non-profit, has provided at risk pregnant women with a place to stay and access to available resources for 30 years. Housed in a two story yellow home, complete with a white picket fence, Mother House has room for seven women. Residents are interviewed, and if accepted they agree to pay rent as they are able, see a therapist and either attend school or work. Guest speakers teach practical skills and other organizations provide complementary services. Most women stay for a few months after the birth of their babies to make sure they are ready to live independently.

Read the entire article here: Mother House, Boulder’s Home for Pregnant Women in Need, Celebrates 30 Years

Bi-National Gay Couples Challenge Defense of Marriage Act

Regardless of how long the couples have been together or whether they are married, foreign born partners are being denied green cards under the Act. Same sex couples have no legal way to help their partners become legal residents of the United States due to the Defense of Marriage Act. The Act prohibits them from petitioning for legal status for their partners. On April 2, 2012 five same-sex couples filed suit against the Act after a request to the administration to change its policies so that green card applications are suspended rather than denied while challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act go forward was denied.

Read the entire article here: Defense of Marriage Act Challenged by Binational Same-Sex Couples

The Rush to Judgment

The urge to judge the guilt or innocence of those accused is strong. This desire is part of our human makeup; the ability to quickly identify the person at fault lets us simplify reality, giving us a feeling of control. Psychologist Daniel Khaneman says humans have two mindsets. One, based in emotion, reaches conclusions quickly and intuitively. The other is much slower and uses deliberate thought to sort through facts and perspectives to reach a conclusion. Both ways of reaching a conclusion are valid in the appropriate context. Activity in the the right temporal parietal junction of the brain increases when a person is weighing right or wrong.

Read the entire article here: George Zimmerman and the Rush to Judgment

New Ultrasound Device Detects Breast Tumors

Dense breast tissue has made it hard for physicians to see hidden tumors when using traditional mammograms. A new device recently approved by the FDA, the Automated Breast Ultrasound, provides automatic ultrasound images of breast tissue. This is good news for the approximately 40% of women who have dense breast tissue. The device is meant to be used in conjunction with traditional mammograms, and will take the place of hand held ultrasounds which are labor intensive and require ultrasound technicians. Mammograms detect most breast cancer tumors, ultrasounds increase the detection rate, and MRIs are the most thorough screening process.

Read the entire article here: FDA Panel Approves Ultrasound Device for Spotting Hidden Breast Tumors

HAART Does Not Give Guaranteed Protection to Sex Partners of HIV-Infected Men

Decades after it was first diagnosed, HIV/AIDS continues to be a worldwide epidemic, with over thirty-three million people now infected. Each year the virus claims almost two million lives, and each year there are almost three million new cases. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is the primary treatment for the disease. Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine say that HAART therapy does not give complete protection to the sex partners of HIV-infected men who have sex with men. Most HIV/AIDS cases in the United States and other developed countries occur in this population.Read the entire article here: Researchers Find HIV-infected Men who have Sex with Men May Be at Risk for Spreading HIV Despite Taking Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Bleeding after a Quickie

For a woman to be comfortable during intercourse, it is important that her vagina be adequately lubricated. Lubrication is not instantaneous, sometimes taking several minutes, which is why it is a good idea to enjoy foreplay before penetration. If natural vaginal lubrication is inadequate or takes too long, a water-based vaginal lubricant can ease the process. When penetration takes place before the vagina is well lubricated, it is possible to suffer small cuts and tears which may produce bleeding. These cuts and tears take time to heal. While this is generally nothing to worry about, if bleeding persists you should consult your physician.Read the entire article here: Q&A: I Had Quickie Sex, Now I’m Bleeding

Handle Financial Woes Together

 Money can be a sensitive spot in any marriage, but when money is tight that sensitive spot can become a raw, pulsing nerve center. What can you do to help your relationship survive a personal economic downturn? Make a realistic assessment of your situation. Create an emergency budget and re-evaluate what is truly important to you as a couple or as a family. Set a communication goal for yourselves that includes pleasant greetings and simple compliments. Let your partner know they are valued and their efforts appreciated. Involve the whole family in budgeting. Decide what information to keep private. Most importantly, work together.Read the entire article here: Marriage Maintenance When Money Is Tight

Couples Therapy, Alone?

Good news for those who believe that therapy can improve their relationships, but can’t convince a partner to accompany them to the therapist. A five year study has shown that the improvement in relationships resulting from therapy is approximately the same for couples in which only one partner attends counseling sessions. It is suggested that a partner who feels more comfortable expressing feelings (usually the woman) can attend counseling sessions and then teach new behavior skills to the other partner.Read the entire article here:  Couples Therapy, Alone?

Don’t Wait for an Impending Divorce Date for Couples Counseling

Last-ditch marital counseling seldom has the desired affect. Once the “d” word is out there, it is difficult to overcome. However, if this is the position in which you find yourself, you can improve the odds by 1) telling your spouse you don’t want a divorce and that you want to work on the marriage, 2) postpone your court date, 3) both be willing to examine yourself and to three things that make it difficult for your spouse to love you, 4) write down five reasons you think your marriage can survive, and 5) seek therapy on your own and then choose another couples counselor to see with your spouse.Read the entire article here: Don’t Wait for an Impending Divorce Date for Couples Counseling

Boulder Valley Women's Health to Offer Services for Transgender Patients

Transgender people in the Boulder area will no longer have to travel to Denver to receive hormone therapy. Boulder Valley Women’s Health has announced that the clinic will over hormone therapy and general reproductive healthcare. For those patients who are hesitant to try out these new services due to the possibility of being judged for being transgender,  Susan Levy, executive director of Women's Health, said "We already are very tuned into the various stigmas that attach around sex and sexuality [and] don't make assumptions about our patients." The Boulder County Transgender Health Task Force has offered training for health care staff to show them how to make their practices more inclusive.Read the entire article here: Boulder Valley Women's Health to Offer Services for Transgender Patients

Survey: Marital Therapy May Increase Sex

A survey of counseling professionals has indicated that the number one reason for marital discord is not feeling valued by one’s partner. While other problems highlighted by the survey come as no surprise (communications problems, disagreements about finances, and the couples’ sex life), the survey also indicated that preoccupation with sports can cause relationship problems. However, for couples with problems in one or more of those other areas, sports might be simply a way to avoid dealing with the more important issues affecting a marriage. The good news? If a couple seeks counseling, which can help reopen clogged communications lines and reinforce the positive aspects of a relationship, a couple’s sex life will probably reflect that change. Read the entire article here: Survey: Marital Therapy May Increase Sex

Supreme Court Lets Stand Ruling That Sides With Transgender Inmates

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bans cruel and unusual punishment. Under that heading, state governments must provide “medically-necessary” treatment to inmates. While the law seems obvious in the case of life threatening disease, this case involves providing hormone therapy to transgender inmates. The inmates’ doctors argued that this therapy was medically necessary for their patients. The court’s argument did not address any particular treatment for any particular condition, only that treatments which are deemed medically necessary by an inmate’s personal physicians must be administered. The case was a review of a 2006 law passed in Wisconsin that prohibited state funds from being used for hormone treatments or sexual reassignment surgery.Read the entire article here: Supreme Court Lets Stand Ruling That Sides With Transgender Inmates

Move-in Before Marriage No Longer Predicts Divorce

Forty years ago, couples who lived together before they got married had a higher incidence of divorce. Because the practice has become so widespread, with 60% of couples living together before the wedding, living together has ceased to be a predictor of divorce – if the couple is engaged when they move in together. If no commitment was made, the likelihood of a long-term relationship (15 years or more) decreased sharply. However, a number of factors play into that statistic, including the couples’ family histories, attitudes toward commitment, and level of education. Not surprisingly, the attitudes and expectations of each couple have a profound impact on the relationship.Read the entire article here: Move-in Before Marriage No Longer Predicts Divorce

Are You Sexually Intelligent?

Is your sex life one of quiet desperation? Perhaps you need to boost your sexual IQ. In his book, Sexual Intelligence, author Marty Klein, Ph.D equates sexual intelligence with combining information, emotional skills, and body awareness. This combination of factors gives us the ability to lift a ho-hum sex life out of the doldrums and gives couples of any age the ability to experience excitement and mystery again. The author particularly stresses the need to be able to communicate with one’s partner, both verbally and nonverbally, to cultivate openness, and to realize that as we change as people our sex lives will also change.Read the entire article: Are You Sexually Intelligent?

Sex Therapy

What is sex therapy, anyway?Sex therapy enables either you (an individual or a couple) to talk with a therapist about what may or may not be happening in your sex life.  Also, since there are many myths about what is "normal" when it comes to sex, taking with an educated professional can give you a much better perspective regarding whether you have a real problem, or not, and if so, what you can do about it.

Couples Therapy

Couples or marriage therapy encompasses working with a therapist to explore any issues, no matter what they are, that affect a couple's relationship.  This can include events from the past (that occurred in the relationship or in the life of either person) or current challenges (such as parenting, relationship dynamics, lack of communication, affairs, money issues, interactions with extended family, etc.)

10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Sex Life

1. Take care of your physical health. Exercise, rest, and reduce stress. Eat a healthy diet. Laugh often.2. Sexuality begins within you. Reconnect with your own sexuality first. Know what turns you on and where your erogenous hot spots are located.3. Talk to your partner about what you know brings pleasure to you. Ask about what is pleasing for him/her. Try something different. Take a Tantric sex course. Visit a local bookstore’s sexuality section. Use a vibrator and other “toys”.4. Make time for sexual intimacy either by scheduling time or reducing the amount of things that fill your time.5. Work on improving the health of your relationship. A healthy relationship is very important in promoting sexuality.6. Remember that sexual intimacy is more than orgasmic performance. It begins with seductive eye contact and continues through with eye gazing.7. Try a lubricant! Lubricants come in many different forms and the one you choose should not only serve to reduce friction but also not be chemically irritating. There are many commercially produced lubricants to aid your body’s normal lubricant which will improve sensory pleasure.8. Do Your “Kegels.” Kegels are pelvic floor squeezes, which strengthen the PC (pubococcygeus) muscle. To exercise this muscle, imagine urinating and then stopping the flow. Squeeze for 10 seconds, release, and repeat about 5 times, several times a day.9. Protect your sexual health. Practice safe sex. Get checked regularly.10. Aging and disability does not mean the end of sexuality. What it does mean is that you will have a wonderful opportunity to be open and creative.