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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1997)
fall 1997 Large, medium, small or does one size fit all? I saw something a few years ago at a safer sex presentation that I still remember to this day. One of the presenters did a demonstration where she took a condom, stretched it over ner neaa, mew it up, took it ott, tied it like a balloon and said, “If his penis is bigger than this, you may want to reconsider having sex with him!” More recently, I have heard stories about men who refuse wearing con doms because they claim that they don’t fit well. So, having the image of the condom on the girl’s head, I wanted to find out whether larger condoms are based on reality or just an ego booster tor men. I decided to ask around the Health Center. I found out that some men do find normal condoms too tight, and whether it is just psychological or not, this can result in a loss of erection. On the other hand, at the phar macy I was told that the average condom stretches big enough to fit over the average penis. So, why the bigger sizes? I got a smile that seemed to confirm my suspicion that they are purely ego boosters. After all, the difference between the smallest condoms (181 x 52 mm) and the -i largest (.214 x 56mmJ is only 4mm! Nonetheless, bigger sizes may be more comfortable for some, and if larg er condoms encourage practicing safer sex, then all power to the more endowed! Thus, if the size of the condom is preventing you from practicing safer sex, have no fear. Larger sizes, such as I Trojan Magnum and Trojan Enz Large, | are available at most drug stores. Remember, it’s a matter of protecting your health as well as your pride. So, don’t have sex with out them! If you are interested in more information on sexually transmitted infections, safer sex or other health issues, come visit the Peer Health Education Office in the Health Center, or call 346-4456. — Marika Wolfe Pharmacy stocks herbal alternatives If there’s one thing that’s cool about Eugene, is its openness to progres sive ideas. This is true for the University Health Center as well. The Health Center’s pharmacy now carries a variety of herbal medicines, from acidophilus to zinc lozenges and echinecia as well as tradi tional “Western” medicines. This is the result of many student requests the pharmacy has received. In fact, Heather Wilson, one of four registered pharmacists at the Health Center, attended a seminar in botanical medicine certified by the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education. The pharmacy also has a subscrip tion to a well-known review of natural products that includes detailed infor mation on the history, botany, chem istry, pharmacology, and toxicology of numerous natural products. After speaking with Heather, I could see she was excited about botan ical medicine and that her goal is to learn more. “There’s a science to it,” she says, though with some caution. t : / That’s because the FDA does not regulate any of these products, and it is dif ficult to standardize quality. For example, the 1995 “Consumer Reports” tested 10 brands of ginseng and found surprising results. One national brand claimed to contain 100 mg. of ginseng, but tests showed it contained just 3 mg. of ginsenocides, the active ingredient in ginseng. The pharmacy’s solution has been to purchase herbal products only from reputable sources. Another problem is that evidence supporting the benefits of herbal meds is often purely anecdotal. Of course, it is hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years’ worth of anecdotes that have led some scientists to believe in the possible validity of some of these products. The pharmacy is an excellent source of information about herbal medicine — and more traditional med icine — and you can check out the list of the natural products they carry. One other very important thing: You’ll notice that their prices are usu ally cheaper than retail store prices. Call the pharmacy at 346-4454 — Terri Samson FALL '97 Smoking Cessation Wednesdays, 3:00-4:00 p.m. October 22-December 3 Health Center Medical Library Quit smoking this term and Celebrate the Great American Smokeout! This 7 week workshop is open to those who want to quit and those who have already quit. Identify triggers to smoke, learn to overcome urges, adopt alterna tive behaviors, and address fears about possible weight gain. Relaxation Series Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m. October 7-December 2 Health Center Medical Library Give yourself a break at this relaxation drop-in series. Learn about and experi ence a variety of techniques such as progressive relaxation, yoga and medi tation. Easy Vegetarian Gourmet Cooking Mondays, 4:00-5:30 p.m. October 20-November 3 Health Center Cafeteria Learn about and prepare quick and healthy meals, which feature some of the best recipes from Moosewood Cookbook series. Come ready to cook and dine. Weight Management Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m. October 23-November 20 Health Center Cafeteria Increase energy, motivation and enthu siasm for life! Heighten self-confidence and learn habits for becoming physical ly and mentally fit including nutrition, cooking and exercise tips. Call 345-4456 to register or stop by the Health Education Office on the first floor of the Health Center. UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTER I We're a matter of degrees^ Health Center hours: Mon., and Wed.-Sat.: 8am to 6pm Tuesday: 9am to 6pm Sunday: 10am to 6pm Phone... Appointments:.... 346-2770 Dental:. 346-4432 Pharmacy:. 346-4454 Physical Therapy:. . 346-4401 Insurance:. 346-3702 Urgent Care:. 346-2770. Women's Clinic:.. . 346-4449 Health Education: . 346-4456 Peer Health:. 346-4456 General:. 346-4441 On-line: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/uoshc/ w men
