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PARIS — A set of proposed international sex education guidelines aimed at reducing H.I.V. infections among young people has provoked criticism from conservative groups that say the program would be too explicit for young children and promote access to legal abortion as a right.
The guidelines, scheduled to be released by Unesco in a new draft next week, would be distributed to education ministries, school systems and teachers around the world to help guide teachers in what to teach young people about their bodies, sex, relationships and sexually transmitted diseases. They would address four different age groups.
"In the absence of a vaccine for AIDS, education is the only vaccine we have," said Mark Richmond, Unesco's global coordinator for H.I.V. and AIDS and the director of the division that coordinates educational priorities. "Only 40 percent of young people aged 15 to 24 have accurate knowledge" of how the disease is transmitted, he said, even though that age group "accounts for 45 percent of all new cases."
But the conservative criticism has already caused one of the key participating and donor agencies, the United Nations Population Fund, to pull back from the project and ask that its name be edited out of the published material, United Nations officials said.
A Population Fund official, reached in New York, said Tuesday that the fund wanted changes to the text. "Discussions are ongoing to make the publication more effective and adaptable by countries, so it may better serve countries as guidelines for use in national educational systems," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the matter.Continue reading the main story
A draft issued in June has been attacked by conservative and religious groups, mainly in the United States, for recommending discussions of homosexuality, describing sexual abstinence as "only one of a range of choices available to young people" to prevent disease and unwanted pregnancy, and suggesting a discussion of masturbation with children as young as 5.
"If you ever have a situation where kids need to be taught earlier than their adolescence, this is not the way to do it," said Colin Mason of the Population Research Institute, an anti-abortion organization based in Virginia. "It's very graphic and encourages practices like masturbation, which conservative Christians and others feel are wrong."
The diversity of views around the world on these issues renders any universal approach "culturally insensitive," Mr. Mason said. "We think it's a kind of one-size-fits-all approach that's damaging to cultures, religions and to children," he said.
The barrage of criticism has put Unesco, the United Nations agency charged with advancing education and culture worldwide, on the defensive. The agency has removed the June draft of the guidelines from its Web site, and delayed the release of the final document.
"Unfortunately, the way the guidelines have been presented by certain media has provoked some fairly aggressive reactions, mainly in the form of virulent comment on conservative American Web sites, but also via some very nasty e-mails directed at the two co-authors as well as certain Unesco staff," said Sue Williams, the spokeswoman for the agency, which is based in Paris.
A team of experts at Unesco has been working on the guidelines for two years, drawing on more than 80 studies of sex education, at a cost of about $350,000. Coordinated with other United Nations agencies, like the World Health Organization and Unicef, the project is intended to help member countries improve sex education and sexual health, reduce H.I.V. and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as illegal abortions, especially in the developing world.
According to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, each year there are at least 111 million new cases of sexually transmitted disease among people ages 10 to 24; 10 percent of births are to teenage mothers; and up to 4.4 million women 15 to 19 seek abortions.
"The main effort is to try to empower young people with knowledge that could actually save their lives," said Mr. Richmond, the Unesco H.I.V./AIDS coordinator. "We want to give them the opportunity for more informed choices than currently exist."
But for some conservative and religious groups, the guidelines are too detailed and too uniform in their recommendations across different cultures, and they remove responsibility from parents.
The guidelines suggest, for example, that teachers begin discussing masturbation with children ages 5 to 8, with a more extensive discussion for those ages 9 to 12.
Michelle Turner, founder of the Maryland-based Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, says children that age should be learning "the proper name of certain parts of their bodies" but "certainly not about masturbation."
"I'm really concerned about what they want to teach 5- to 8-year-olds, and I have concerns about their position on abortion and the way they want to present it to youth," she said. "Where are parents' rights? It's not up to the government to teach these things."
But one of the guidelines' authors, Nanette Ecker, former director of international education and training at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, said that given the extent of sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, sex education has to start early in order to "provide young people with the specific information and skills they need to navigate safely from childhood to adulthood."
Conservative groups have also criticized the draft guidelines for discussions of condom use, sexually transmitted diseases and the assertion that "legal abortion performed under sterile conditions by medically trained personnel is safe." The guidelines suggest discussing "access to safe abortion and post-abortion care" and the "use and misuse of emergency contraception" with those ages 12 to 15. The guidelines recommend that "the right to and access to safe abortion" should also be discussed.
Unesco has responded to the onslaught of criticism by issuing a news release about the guidelines before their release, defending them as "evidence-informed and rights-based."
The guidelines themselves argue that sex education helps to delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners and unprotected sex. In fact, a whole section is devoted to justifying why they have been written and trying to answer the concerns of parents and religious leaders.
"The document is not a curriculum," Mr. Richmond said. "It focuses on the why and what issues that require attention in strategies to introduce or strengthen sexuality education."
The final document was scheduled to be released at a conference in Birmingham, England, on Monday. Now the agency says that it will present a new draft then, and that it hopes to produce the final guidelines by the end of the year.Continue reading the main story


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In the wake of Microsoft's first wave of layoffs, Seattle thrift stores are seeing a significant rise in Microsoft-related, wearable propaganda. And some of this stuff is downright hilarious.
Among the basic advertisements for hardware and software we find a few hints here an there about Microsoft's internal culture and the mindset of their employees. The best, by far, is the shirt that features the message "Think your iPhone is cool? Let me show you a thing or two about Windows Mobile." Hmm...yes. Windows Mobile. Cool.
No matter where your loyalties lie, you have to admit that even the most die hard Microsoft fan would move quickly to eliminate any reminder of the employer that left them high and dry. Then again, there are always exceptions to the rule. Hit the link to check out the rest of the shirts spotted in the $2 bargain bin. [Tech Flash via Boing Boing Gadgets]

subset: commoncrawl


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"Joy to the world, the Lord
is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing." -- "Joy to the World," words by English hymn writer Isaac Watts, based on Psalm 98.
It may be difficult this
Christmas to think about joy and glad tidings. The horrific tragedy in Connecticut still fresh in our minds, it is impossible to comprehend why 26 innocent lives were ended so senselessly. It's heartbreaking to know so many families will not feel the joy of the season, will not have memories to treasure.
But it is to faith that we can turn, to get us through the holiday, and the future. For Christians, the event of Christmas provides strength at such times.
"And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.'" -- Luke 2:10-11
Every December, Christians rejoice in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, who is worshipped as the son of God and their Savior, sent to Earth to save us from our sins, to live among us as love incarnate.
The Bible tells us the angels trumpeted his arrival to the shepherds, and heavenly signs called the Magi, who came in wonder of the son of God.
During Christmastime, candles are lit, carols are sung, families are gathered and gifts are exchanged. It is a time of peace marked by the sense of wonder that for Christians, this Christ Child was born as a sign of God's love.
While our hearts are breaking for the families in Connecticut -- and for any family dealing with a loss -- during this holiday season, Christians celebrate the light of God's gift that can guide through the difficult days ahead and give us the feeling of being wrapped in His arms and loved.
Merry Christmas and wishes for a blessed New Year.


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Hi There!
Today I want to share with you a super adorable
little ladybug birthday party.
The DIY Momma put a lot of effort and creativity into
making this first birthday
extra special!
And Sally Seymore Photography was there
to capture the perfect day.
~Enjoy the pictures~
::Here is the desert table::
::Some pretty party stuff::
::The smash cake::
made by the Mom!
::Handmade party boxes::
::Customised drink and party favor labels::
::The Birthday girl!::
::Big sister and cousins::


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For Theresa Nevett Crawford and her mother, Susan Nevett, family recipes always call for a smidge of this and a pinch of that.
For Theresa Nevett Crawford and her mother, Susan Nevett, family recipes always call for a smidge of this and a pinch of that.
Today, the pair's new party and baking supplies store in Powell -- called Smidge and Pinch -- offers a bit of everything.
The store sells cookie cutters, cupcake liners, paper straws, party balloons, sprinkles, cake toppers and everything else a cook could want for a colorful and memorable birthday party, wedding or special event.
The store is open Tuesday through Sunday at 343 W. Olentangy St. in Powell, next to the Lattes and Lollipops cafe.
Other stores sell party and baking supplies, but Crawford and Nevett said a big selection sets Smidge and Pinch apart.
"The selection you won't find anywhere," Nevett said. "Before you go looking online, you can walk right into our store and find a huge variety."
That means cookie cutters in countless shapes, from dinosaurs and palm trees to shooting stars; cupcake liners in polka dots, zebra stripes, floral designs and more; vintage plastic straws in every color and pattern; plus balloons, candles, confetti and everything in between.
The store also offers items with local appeal, such as sprinkles in the colors of all three Olentangy high schools and a range of Ohio State Buckeyes-themed products.
Crawford and Nevett said they're eager to help shoppers find exactly what they need to bring their ideas to life.
"If you have a vision, we can make it happen," Crawford said, "and there's something for every price range and budget."
Nevett said she hopes the store's wide variety will spark creative projects.
"Our store is filled with unique finds," she said. "You might find something you didn't even know you were looking for."
She said anyone who likes websites such as Pinterest and Etsy that feature do-it-yourself projects will particularly enjoy the store.
Smidge and Pinch opened its doors this fall, but it has been years in the making.
The mother-daughter team started out selling makeup online and got the idea to sell cupcake liners after Crawford had trouble finding pig-themed supplies for her daughter's birthday party.
Nevett, who lives in Dublin, decided to leave her job with Hallmark last year and joined her daughter to create the store as a retirement venture.
They moved their small business out of the basement of Crawford's Powell home and expanded.
Looking ahead, the duo envisions Smidge and Pinch as a community meeting place in addition to a retail store. They already have plans for three cookie-decorating classes in December and children's cupcake-decorating classes in 2013.
Nevett said they might soon host book clubs and other community groups as well.


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Scrambling for fix on student loans
Congress returns to Washington this week groping for a way to retroactively fix a high-profile doubling of some federal student loan rates.
The rate for new subsidized loans shot up from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1 after divisions among Senate Democrats made finding a solution untenable. Now with the bright lights of the immigration bill off the upper chamber, student loan rates take center stage.
Story Continued Below
In the days since the missed deadline, Washington's political apparatus has been a muddle of messaging. House Republicans are blasting Senate Democrats for not passing a bill as the lower chamber has done, albeit one that President Barack Obama has threatened to veto. And lawmakers from both parties are now using the #DontDoubleMyRate hashtag on Twitter, first popularized by Obama at the height of last year's presidential campaign.
Senate leaders concede that the optics aren't great. A Democratic leadership aide called the situation "awkward," adding: "We need to get it resolved."
One reason why Congress was able to leave the issue of skyrocketing rates for July is that it affects only new loans in the subsidized program, which make up about a quarter of the federal student loan program according to the Congressional Budget Office. Most students won't sign off on those new loans for a few weeks, when the fall semester starts in colleges, which gives lawmakers some breathing room.
The White House says it trusts a solution is coming.
"We are confident they will get there and that the solution will include retroactive protection for students who borrow after July 1 so that their student loan rates don't double," said spokesman Matt Lehrich.
The Senate will quickly focus on getting the issue off its plate, especially since there is no clear legislative priority list yet post-immigration bill. Leaders are mulling putting forward bipartisan energy efficiency and pharmaceutical safety bills, a defense reauthorization or perhaps an appropriations bill.
How exactly that happens remains as "clear as mud," as one aide put it. The Senate is angling for a vote on a proposal sponsored by 42 Democrats that would extend for a year the rate of 3.4 percent for those subsidized loans. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said he thought Republicans might sign on to another one-year extension after doing so last year.
But that 2012 fix for rate doubling was rolled into a massive package with a transportation bill and flood insurance. Republicans are almost unanimously opposed to a stand-alone short-term fix in the one-year extension because it contains "permanent tax increases" — the closure of a loophole for inherited retirement accounts.
A vote on the one-year fix is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday and expected to fail, although a deal could be struck before then. Harkin remains open to using a different revenue source for a one-year extension if Republicans can find another way to pay for it, an aide said.


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From Farm to Corner Store
Fresh, local farm produce may soon be available at the last place you'd expect to find it: your local convenience store.
In Washington state, the health department and Thurston County are using a $10,000 stimulus grant to put healthier foods on the shelves of convenience stores. Their first step was to label healthier products more clearly. But their second, more innovative idea was to bring produce from local farms to the Lucky 7 Food Store, a convenience store close to Olympia's low-income housing.
Two organic farms signed on to the project. Today, cilantro, spinach, chard, and snap peas keep cool in Lucky 7's refrigerator. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday, fresh produce such as zucchini, strawberries, and beets are for sale at a stall in the store's parking lot.
"Organic food has been thought of as a luxury item," said Jennifer Belknap, co-owner of Rising River, one of the participating farms. Belknap hopes to change that idea by reducing the prices of the food she sells at the Lucky 7. The other participating farmer, Ann Vandeman of Olympia's Left Foot Organics, sells all her produce in packages priced at $2.25 to offer Lucky 7 shoppers a bargain.
While the local-farm-to-convenience-store arrangement is rare, governments and community organizations across the country are working to bring healthy foods to convenience stores in low-income neighborhoods. The Healthy Corner Stores Network (HCSN) is a nonprofit that helps people improve convenience stores in their communities.
Laurel MacMillan, co-convenor of HCSN, says collaboration between community organizations and convenience stores is working with what you already have. "Getting a grocery store in a food desert is ideal," she said, "but improving the quality of food in stores that are already there has a more immediate effect."
Lily Hicks wrote this article for New Livelihoods, the Fall 2011 issue of YES! Magazine. Lily is an editorial intern with YES!


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Columbia to Hold XMRV Press Conference Sep 18
The findings of a study of virus involvement in ME/CFS patient samples, led by Columbia University 'virus hunter' Ian Lipkin, MD, will be streamed live starting at 10:30 AM Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 18, according to Columbia's Center for Infection and Immunity (CII). The live press conference will be found on the CII website (www.cii.columbia.edu). See the full press release regarding the press conference at http://cii.columbia.edu/blog.htm?cid=tM5E7V.
Canadian Pain & Medication Use Statistics
According to a news release published by the Sacramento Bee (SacBee.com), a study titled "The Canadian Pain Management Report" reportedly found that 90% of Canadians had purchased pain treatments or medications in the past year alone. The study, based on a survey posted on the Angus Reid Forum and commissioned by a bio-medical research company focused on development of transdermally delivered pain medications, also reports that "though Canada may be a pain-ridden country, 74% of Canadians avoid taking pain pills due to concerns such as adverse side effects."
Platelet Rich Plasma as Treatment for Body Pain
Re: "Cutting-edge option for chronic pain"
According to this news report, sports stars like Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez, who might once have received cortisone injections, are receiving a "revolutionary" treatment for joint and other body pains that the usual icing and anti-inflammatories haven't helped. It's called platelet-rich plasma – platelets taken from a small amount of their own blood and injected back into the painful area. And in fact its effect is the opposite of an anti-inflammatory: it heightens the body's local inflammatory response in a way that speeds tissue building and healing, and requires the patient to avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications well before the treatment. Broader studies of the therapy that might encourage insurance coverage are suggested.
Parvovirus Linked to ME/CFS with Joint Pain
Re: "Different ME/CFS symptoms linked to activity of HHV-6/HHV-7 vs parvovirus B19: Clue to subsets?"
This research found active HHV-6/HHV-7 and/or human parvovirus in 65% of ME/CFS patients. There was a definite relationship between parvo and cases with multi-joint pain. Post-exertion malaise.was associated with HHV-6/7 infection.
Book Bashes Psychological Explanations for Physical Illness
Apparently the first printing of this new book by Angela Kennedy nearly sold out in the first week. In Authors of Our Own Misfortune: The problems with psychogenic explanations for physical illnesses,
Angela explains the serious and very widespread harm the "it's all in your head" diagnosis is doing every day, and demonstrates why "such explanations are almost always fatally flawed, both scientifically and logically" – subject to a mix of confusing concepts and "moralistic and ideological assumptions about people and their illnesses."
Could GcMAF Be the Beginning of Autism's End?
Researchers are saying GcMAF is helping children with autism. The majority of (80%) patients have high levels of nagalase – a marker of viral activity. GcMAF activates the macrophage cells that gobble up viruses in the body. It also works 2.5 times faster in the presence of vitamin D, so healthy levels of D are beneficial. See "GcMAF – the beginning of the end of autism?".
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"Homesick" MCS Documentary Needs Your Photo
Filmmaker Susan Abod is finishing up her documentary "Homesick," about life with chemical sensitivity and the search for safe housing. She is looking for people around the world to share photos of themselves in safer housing – whether that is a room, a trailer, or tent – to be used in a collage at the end of the film. You can view an 8 minute video clip and read more about the project on the Homesick website: http://Homesick-video.com.
Unexpected Source of Bacteria May Help Explain Rosacea
Skin mites are ubiquitous unseen co-inhabitants of our world, feasting on dead skin cells in the majority of humans, with a special liking for the facial hair follicles. Now Evidence is mounting that rosacia (which affects 3% of the population) might be the immune system's reaction to bacteria they carry. If that possibility pans out, new treatments may be on the way. Read more here .
Coffee Helped Computer Workers with Chronic Shoulder/Neck Pain
A Norwegian study involving people with chronic shoulder and neck pain found that the subjects who had coffee before performing computer work for 90 minutes had "significantly lower pain increase" in their neck, shoulders, forearms and wrists than those who did not drink coffee. They consider several possible mechanisms by which coffee might slow/reduce the onset of muscle pain in this activity – and the potentially broader implications. (See "Coffee intake and development of pain during computer work.")
What Fibro Feels Like – Video
This awareness & understanding-building video ("My Fibromyalgia Journey: What it Feels Like") relates the sensations a fibromyalgia patient experiences to sensations others may have felt at some time – while explaining what FM involves (including often feeling like an outsider looking in at a normal life, and often feeling 'invisible').
Win Organizations Money in the Chase Giving Contest
The Chase Community Giving contest has a lot of money ($5 million) to give as grants to the 196 charities in their eligible nominated organizations list that get the most votes by September 18. If you are a registered Facebook member you can vote for two of the listed charities. (Chase customers get two more votes.) To get started go to the contest Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/ChaseCommunityGiving/app_162065369655?cv=2), click "allow application" so that you can vote, and search for organizations either by typing key words in the search box (e.g., fibromyalgia or ME/CFS) or scrolling down to browse the alphabetical listing or listing by category.
Action for ME Launches Fundraising Drive
The British charity Action for ME has launched a major fundraising drive – the Time for Action Appeal – aimed at helping it "end the ignorance, injustice and neglect faced by the UK's 250,000 people with M.E. once and for all." The challenge, writes Chief Executive Sir Peter Spencer, is that "demand for our services still greatly outweighs our capacity to deliver." Read more about the appeal and about Action for ME's services on behalf of ME patients here.
The New PANDORA – at Home in Michigan
CFS Solutions of West Michigan has brought the formerly Florida-based NeuroEndocrineImmune patient advocacy organization, PANDORA, on board in Michigan and has adopted the PANDORA name and its broader disease focus. Read about the new organization's melded leadership (with Lori Chapo-Kroger at the helm), websites, and plans here