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