Sex Edition: Planned Parenthood helps provide services to the sexually active

Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania is offering a “Get-A-Test” package for… Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania is offering a “Get-A-Test” package for Valentine’s Day.

The “Romantic Couple’s Get-A-Test Package,” which includes one male and one female condom, lip balm, a nail file, candy hearts and coupons for $10 off STD testing for you and your partner. The gift packages are available for the uninsured and insured alike.

Adults ages 19 to 29 are the least commonly insured people in the country, accounting for 30 percent of the uninsured population, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The local chapter of Planned Parenthood has many services available for the uninsured college student, including a gynecological exam and Pap test, birth control, STD screening, pregnancy testing, abortion services, the HPV vaccination, services for males and counseling services. A security guard stands at the door giving out free condoms almost every day. If he’s not there, the workers at the main desk hand them out.

Rebecca Cavanaugh, Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania’s vice president of public affairs, said the region’s centers provide services for about 37,500 people every year, regardless of income.

One option, the SelectPlan for Women, which pays for all or most of a participant’s gynecological care, is available for women ages 18 to 44 who have limited or no health care, aren’t pregnant and are residents of Pennsylvania. If interested, bring a birth certificate, photo identification and pay stub (if applicable) with you to the center and a financial adviser can assist you in filling out the proper paperwork, Cavanaugh said.

Nearly all forms of birth control are available through the region’s Planned Parenthood centers, including the Depo Provera shot, NuvaRing, the Intra-Uterine Device and pills. Women can also purchase Plan B at the Downtown center. Cavanaugh said companies released a generic version of Plan B, called levonorgestrel. It costs $20. Plan B, or emergency contraception, is a pregnancy-preventive measure which can be taken after having unprotected sex. It is most effective within five days. An appointment is not necessary — women older than 17 can pick it up at the main desk.

The Gardasil shot, which protects against the Human Papillomavirus, is also available. Merck, the drug company that makes Gardasil, is offering free shots for women who make $21,660 a year or less. Gardasil protects against four of the main types of HPV, which cause cervical cancer in women and genital warts.

In October 2009, the Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil for men. Cavanaugh said there is a “lag time for changing guidelines. We should have it available in two months or so.”

If you are single this Valentine’s Day, Planned Parenthood has something planned for you and your single friends as well. The fourth annual ‘Love of Friends’ benefit is described on the website www.loveoffriends.com as “a fun way to spend Valentine’s Day regardless of your romantic inclinations or relationship status.” On Sunday Feb. 14, the event will be held at the Hunt Armory in Shadyside at 324 Emerson St. Cover at the door is $14 and includes open bar. There will be art, local music and food.

Cavanaugh said, “This is a great time for young professionals, progressives and a chance to network. 400 people attended last year.”