The Wyoming Health Council works to ensure that all people can access safe, unbiased, high-quality sexual and reproductive health care. | |
Celebrate Pride With Us: Without Exception!
Pride is a joyful celebration of all of the beautiful identities of our LGBTQ+ community. We create spaces where we can bring our whole selves to dance and march in the streets and declare: We are here. We are visible. We are proud!
But this is also a moment of crisis for our country and our community. Lives are literally on the line. Too many people — trans people, Black and Brown people, people living with HIV & AIDS, people being denied basic care — are facing unprecedented attacks. And still, we rise up and fight back.
Never forget that Pride was inspired by the Stonewall riots. At Stonewall, we stood our ground. Today, we are still fighting and will do so until we have freedom without exception, liberation without exception, joy without exception and pride without exception. Join us!
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Law marks turning point for LGBTQ rights in Wyoming.
How did we get here?
As a wave of legislation restricting transgender rights swept through statehouses across the country this year, Wyoming broke with what some say is a decades-long tradition of blocking anti-LGBTQ bills.
Activists deployed a strategy, they say, that worked for decades: aligning LGBTQ rights with the core Republican principle that government should sparingly intervene in citizens’ private decisions.
In 1977 state lawmakers defined marriage as a civil contract between a male and a female, a blow to LGBTQ rights. But since then, “every single bill that would limit the civil rights of LGBTQ people in Wyoming has been defeated,” said Sara Burlingame, a former legislator and executive director of Wyoming Equality, an advocacy group. “This was the year that changed,” she said.
Burlingame was referencing a new law that will prohibit transgender girls from competing in middle- and high-school girls sports events. Asserting it is about fairness and not restriction, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly for Senate File 133 – Student eligibility in interscholastic sports during the 2023 general session. And while Gov. Mark Gordon called it “overly draconian,” he let the bill become law without his signature. It is set to go into effect in July.
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Birth Control Across The Gender Spectrum
Wherever you fall on the gender spectrum—whether you’re transgender, cisgender, or gender nonconforming—you may have birth control needs. Being transgender or gender nonconforming means that you don’t identify as the gender you were assigned at birth. Being cisgender means that you do. And many folks lie somewhere along the spectrum or don’t identify as one gender in particular.
Like cisgender people, transgender and gender nonconforming people are sexually diverse and may be at risk for unplanned pregnancy. Individuals on the gender spectrum may or may not use hormone therapy or have surgery as part of their gender journey—and this may affect what type of birth control method they use. Regardless of where you lie on the spectrum, it’s a good idea to discuss your reproductive health needs with a provider.
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Do Nonbinary or Transgender Persons Need Annual Exams?
The answer is yes!
If you have a vulva, breasts or a uterus, a yearly exam is an important part of taking care of your health (no matter what your gender identity is).
Your provider will use a gender affirming approach to your exam, including asking your name and pronouns and what terminology you would like to refer to your body parts. You can even have a support person in the room with you!
Breast tissue health
Everyone has breast tissue. Even trans men who have had top surgery to create a male-contoured chest (masculinizing chest surgery) still have some breast tissue. While the risk is greatly reduced after that procedure, breast cancer still can develop
Pelvic health
You might be at risk of cancer of the cervix, ovaries or uterus if you have not had surgery to remove them. This is true whether or not you take testosterone. Testosterone therapy doesn't change your risk of these cancers
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Sexual health and transgender men: A guide
It is important for people of any gender identity to use protection during sexual activity to safeguard themselves and others. Good sexual health can ensure that people have a safe and enjoyable sex life.
Regular testing, access to treatment, and sexual healthcare can help prevent and address many sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and assist people with maintaining good sexual health.
This article looks at sexual health topics for transgender men, transmasculine people, and non-binary people assigned female at birth (AFAB).
Transmasculine is a term that refers to those who were AFAB, but identify with masculinity, or masculine identity.
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Sexual health for transgender women: A guide
Maintaining good sexual health and using protection can help people stay healthy and enjoy their sex lives while protecting themselves and others from risks.
Sexual health and using protection during sexual activity apply to people of all gender identities and can help protect against infections and unplanned pregnancies.
This article looks at sexual health for transgender women, transfeminine people, or non-binary people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
Transfeminine is a term that refers to those who were AMAB but identify with femininity or feminine identity.
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The warmer months are full of events that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Preparing for this season is a great opportunity to make sure that you stay healthy before, during, and after these celebrations
Stay Up to Date on Your Sexual Health Care
Visit your health care provider or find a health clinic to stay up to date with your sexual health care. Discuss the types of sex you have so that your provider can offer testing and prevention services, including vaccines, that are right for you.
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New cases of mpox have been reported in the United States this spring. Learn more about mpox and be sure to get your two-dose mpox vaccine. Unvaccinated people and people who have not received both doses who could benefit from vaccine may still be at risk. The best protection against mpox occurs 2 weeks after the second shot, so plan ahead. In the current outbreak, mpox is often transmitted through close, sustained physical contact, almost exclusively associated with sexual contact. If you have symptoms of mpox, visit a healthcare provider and get tested, even if you have been vaccinated.
Find your Local Title X Family Planning Clinic for your sexual health needs at
WYHC.ORG
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LGBTQ Health Care Resources in Wyoming | |
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Wyoming Equality’s Healthcare Access Survey made clear that the LGBTQ community faces significant barriers to accessing equitable healthcare.
In response, Wyoming Equality created the Wyoming Equality Healthcare Access Project (WEHAP).
WEHAP strives for a more equitable healthcare system in Wyoming by directly addressing the concerns of LGBTQ Wyomingites.
The aims of the project:
- Identify affirming providers within all regions of Wyoming.
- Provide educational materials and other resources to providers.
- Expand and serve a directory of affirming providers based on specialty, insurances accepted, and other issues.
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Casper PRIDE Guide's mission IS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY IN NATRONA COUNTY THROUGH RESOURCES, SUPPORT, AND EMPOWERMENT.
This collection provides LGBTQ+ supportive counseling, physicians, peer groups, tool kits, fact sheets and more for individuals, families, and others in Natrona County’s Queer community.
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LGBTQ+ Youth Deserve to Feel Affirmed Within All of Their Identities—AND Receive Care and Education That Matches the Affirmation.
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So far in 2023, lawmakers in 46 states have introduced more than 650 anti-LGBTQ bills, according to a report by the Movement Advancement Project, or MAP, a think tank that researches LGBTQ issues and laws.
Young people, particularly those who are transgender, are being targeted, MAP's research shows: More than 160 anti-LGBTQ school-specific bills were unveiled in state legislatures in just the first two months of the year.
Right now, LGBTQ+ people across the country need affirming, science-based services and education that protect their safety and well-being.
That's why for Pride this year, the ETR team is proud to share this free research and resources bundle that you can use to guide your work in your school, clinic, and community and advance LGBTQ+ health equity.
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Researchers find comprehensive sex education reduces homophobia, transphobia
Can a school-based sexual health education program that effectively reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy and STIs also decrease homophobia and transphobia?
That question drove a collaborative effort by researchers conducting a randomized controlled trial of an inclusive comprehensive sex education program – High School FLASH. The study evaluated not just the impact on students’ sexual behaviors and related outcomes but also on their homophobic and transphobic beliefs (Coyle et al., 2021).
With funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, researchers evaluated High School FLASH in 20 schools in two U.S. regions.
The FLASH program strategy. FLASH uses a very systematic process to imbue the whole curriculum to be inclusive. In addition to creating a lesson focusing specifically on sexual orientation and gender identity, all of the FLASH lessons:
- Provide visibility, depicting young people with a variety of sexual orientations and genders and in diverse contexts (e.g., sexually active, abstinent, partnered, single)
- Normalize a wide range of identities
- Portray LGBTQ young people in a variety of situations, including caring, satisfying, healthy relationships
- Use a nuanced approach to inclusive language, striking a strategic balance between broad inclusion (e.g., the use of neutral language such as “partner” that allows a single sentence or concept to be relevant to a large group) and visibility of specific identities (using specific language such as “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”)
- Ensure relevance of content to all. For example, the birth control lesson in High School FLASH starts with the statement “this lesson is for everybody—people who are having vaginal sex now or who will in the future, and teens of all sexual orientations and genders. Even if someone won’t ever need birth control, learning about it now will help them act as health educators for their friends and families on this important topic. Additional inclusivity strategies included in the development of FLASH: a) instructing teachers to use a specially designed protocol to affirm identities in class discussions, when answering questions, along all domains of identity (e.g., sexual orientation, gender, ability, religion, race, ethnicity); b) testing of all curricular messaging with a diverse group of young people, with LGBTQ youth purposefully overrepresented; c) content adjustments according to feedback and re-testing until acceptability was reached; and d) multiple piloting efforts of lessons in public school classrooms to gauge understandability.
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June is Men's Health Month | |
June is National Men’s Health Month! This month is all about encouraging the men in your life (including you, men out there!) to take care of their bodies by eating right, exercising, and working to prevent disease.
While supporting adult males during this month, it is also a great time to also help young men and their caregivers improve their understanding of health and development, as well as of specific diseases and conditions, to empower young men around the world to take an active role in their health and health care.
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Partnership for Male Youth
The Partnership for Male Youth channel features videos relating to the health of adolescent and young adult (AYA) males, age 10 to 26. The intended audience for these videos is health care providers, parents, caregivers and AYA males themselves.
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Young Men Have Sexual Health Questions Too!
Young men have questions, and the internet may not always have the best answers (enter unrealistic sex/relationships via porn and lack of digital and media literacy skills "I saw it on the internet....").
Have no fear!
Welcome to Young Men's Health, a website for teen guys and young men featuring up-to-date health information. Here, you can find answers to your questions, health guides, & more!
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What Men Can Do to Ensure Their Sexual Health Is Strong
Sexual health is an essential part of every man's life. As well as protecting yourself from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and diseases (STDs) or preventing unwanted pregnancies, sexual health is about having safer, satisfying sex and a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and relationships.
Understanding how to look after your sexual health benefits both you and your partner.
The best place to start is by getting to know your body and your reproductive system, and what's normal and what's not normal. This way, you can quickly identify any problems and seek medical support to address them.
There are multiple aspects to men's sexual health, including physical health and mental health. Lifestyle factors influence all of these elements, either in a positive or negative way.
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Male Attendance at Title X Family Planning Clinics
Recommended services for men include education and counseling on a range of issues related to preventing or achieving pregnancy, including, but not limited to, preconception health, infertility, contraception, and STD and HIV care (3). Preconception health, infertility, and STD and HIV services are included as family planning services because they improve the overall health of women and men and can influence their ability to conceive or have a healthy birth outcome (3).
Title X sites also connect men with broader primary care services, through referral or direct provision of services.
These recommendations can be used by providers to offer family planning services to men, thereby improving their access to sexual and reproductive health care (3,4). Family planning services are embedded within a broader framework of services, such that providers assess the client’s need for related preventive services even when the primary reason for their visit relates to preventing or achieving pregnancy (3).
The recommendations are also designed to optimize opportunities to provide men with reproductive health services by converting a standalone visit (e.g., a complaint related to an STD) to a more comprehensive family planning visit that also addresses issues related to unintended pregnancy prevention (e.g., sexual risk, reproductive health planning, and contraception) (3,4). This approach is especially important for serving the family planning needs of men, who might not otherwise receive these services (4).
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What Are Some Sexual Health Problems That Can Affect Men?
Most people experience sexual health problems at some point in their lives. Some sexual health problems that can affect males include persistent difficulties with erections and ejaculation or a lack of sexual desire.
These problems can occur for various reasons, such as underlying medical conditions, medications, mental health issues, or relationship problems.
After addressing any underlying causes, doctors can easily treat most sexual health problems.
This article looks at the types of sexual health problems males may experience, treatments, and tips to help prevent them.
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How Black Women Are Empowering One Another To Talk Sexual Health
For Black patients, the fear of being stereotyped and misjudged is heightened due to decades of mistreatment, discrimination and gross negligence. According to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Undefeated, 1 in 5 Black adults said they were treated unfairly when receiving health care for themselves or a family member. The report further showed that Black patients felt they were disbelieved and denied the medical care they desired.
Given their lived experiences as Black women, the founders of Kimbritive know firsthand how intimidating a doctor’s appointment can be. Kimberly Huggins, now a licensed social worker, said she remembers a pivotal moment in her teenage years in Brooklyn, New York, that steered her toward where she would be in her late 20s.
“I remember being maybe 14 or 15 and I went to my pediatrician for a physical. I didn’t know what gonorrhea was, so I asked,” she said.
She remembers her doctor responding: “Don’t worry about that. Only nasty girls get gonorrhea.”
Her co-founder, Brittany Brathwaite, who now works in reproductive justice advocacy, said she remembers being a teenager and stopping at a mobile HIV testing unit, which had been giving out MetroCards as an incentive to be tested. “After I got my results, I didn’t have HIV,” she recalled. “But I was terrified and angry because I’m like, ‘How can I be living this life not having access to this information and education?’”
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UpSpoken
It’s time we see and celebrate Black women standing together as a community of empowered individuals who unapologetically and boldly take up space. A community of women who refuse to have our sexuality defined for us. A community of women who aren’t afraid to speak up for what we need and for what we want in our lives. A community of women whose strength grows when we celebrate each other, speak our truths and put forward our needs as a priority.
With that, we welcome you to Upspoken—a place where Black women can come together with our varied and common perspectives, experiences, strengths, vulnerabilities and successes in an effort to embrace and prioritize our needs when it comes to love, sex and our relationships. A place where we can build community, grow power, amplify our voices and leverage our collective strength. A place where we can swap stories, connect, and learn from each other. A place that is for us, by us.
So…Come on in, kick up your feet (like you aren’t in your mama’s front room) and share all the things you would never share in mixed company, because this space is yours.
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Check out Royal Tea while you're on the website too!
A tea kettle is whistling on a hot stove with the call of our...
ancestors to preserve our legacy,
sexual health experts to protect our bodies, and inner wisdom to support our wellbeing.
This table has been set for Black women of all ages and backgrounds to sip on the hottest tips for sexual empowerment.
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National Kissing Day June 22 | |
Did You Know...?
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The scientific study of kissing is called “philematology” (philos in ancient Greek = earthly love).
- Simple kisses use as few as 2 muscles and burn only 2 to 3 calories, whereas passionate kissing can involve as many as 23 to 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles. The act of kissing consumes between 5 and 26 calories per minute. One website reported that the exercise involved in kissing helps prevent facial wrinkles!!
- As many as 10 million to 1 billion bacteria representing 278 different species may be exchanged during an active kiss, with 95% of these organisms classified as nonpathogenic for individuals who are immunologically competent.
- The lips are 100 to 200 times more sensitive than the fingertips.
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Although kissing is considered to be low-risk when compared to intercourse and oral sex, it’s possible for kissing to transmit CMV, herpes, and syphilis. CMV can be present in saliva, and herpes and syphilis can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, particularly at times when sores are present.
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WYOMING HEALTH COUNCIL
111 S. Durbin, Suite 200
Casper, WY 82601
Call Us: (307) 439-2033
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