CAKE Byte 51.0: CAKE.Late

Okay, okay,... so we know we have been a few days late - 5 to be exact. But guaranteed, every CAKE.Girl can sympathize with us. Your cycle seems to have shifted, your roommate's hormones are running havoc on your own, the condom may have slipped, your partner pulled out a moment too..., your period is a few days late and now you are thinking the inevitable -- could you be pregnant? CAKE has been asking ourselves this all weekend....however, it's just that the summer air does crazy things to our cycle. That, or our anniversary party is getting us way too excited. More details forthcoming.

So, did you miss us - were you worried?

All joking aside, according to President Bush, the ideal preventative measure to ensure that you never experience that queasy, late, "oh no, am I pregnant!?" feeling is to give up sex all together- that is, until you are married. That's right, no hanky panky until marriage. Oops, I guess CAKE missed out on THAT lesson in sex education. Now, that is not to say that abstinence is not an OPTION ... hey, don't do it until you feel you are ready. But in reality, how many of you CAKE.Girls and boys have been practicing abstinence? Can you really call abstinence a "safe sex" practice when it's not sex at all? CAKE endorses a holistic approach to sexuality education, one that considers options for all people and above all stresses an educated and informed choice.

On Friday, David Satcher, the Clinton-appointed Surgeon General issued the long awaited report -- A Call to Action -- recommending that sexuality education should go beyond the current federally sanctioned abstinence-only programs. Not surprisingly, the Bush administration came out against Satcher's mandate and reiterated the need for abstinence-only, or rather "denial" based programs. The Bush Administration has distanced themselves from the report proving once again how out of touch his administration really is. Meanwhile Satcher's report seemed to please scientists and health professionals who work on the ground to promote sexual health and prevent STDs and teenage pregnancy.

Are we missing something here? How is the federal government in a complete state of denial when it comes to sex. A little common sense goes a long way. Abstinence-only programs do not work, have never worked, WILL never work, and are inherently problematic, myopic, and completely ignore the realities of people's sexual lives. If we want to prevent the spread of HIV and STDs, and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, sexuality education needs a comprehensive, realistic approach.

Above all, Satcher urges "communities today to provide young people with thorough and medically accurate sex education" giving us reinforcement to continue the CAKE mission -- hey we are a community of young people, right. Talking about sex discourages young people from having unprotected sex and promotes responsible behavior. However, wasn't it Jocelyn Elders who was fired for uttering the word "masturbation" as a safer sex alternative??? Amazing that in this day and age, professionals who stand up for young people's rights and lives are punished for their advocacy.

Meanwhile, here in NY, the recent UN conference on AIDS finally put forth an international call to action, stating that comprehensive sexuality education and prevention are absolutely integral to combating the world's worst sexuality transmitted infection. Well - that only took 20 odd years to get across! The major causes of HIV transmission are poverty and minimal access to health care. Why do the conservatives in the U.S. insist on blocking the proven strategies to fight against it? Maybe they are not getting laid...??? We thought sex was supposedly a pleasurable act...

Please don't use it against us -- we promise never to be late again, we are choosing abstinence. Of course that would mean no more CAKE.Bytes......Oh well, we guess that's not an option.

Question of the Week:

Everyone has a losing their virginity story. Tell us what it was like when you lost yours
Submit your answer and read answers from last week's question at the CAKE.REPORT .

Love,
CAKE