When I think about the ads for birth control or safer sex methods, Trojan brand condom commercials are the first things that come to mind. Whether it’s a frantic couple running into a gas station looking for some more of those new condoms that made sex feel like “ecstasy” or a pig turning into a charming super model with the presence of a condom, Trojan dominates the ad market. But as a recent CNN article points out, this is all about to change.

According to the article “the Ad Council recently began offering 33,000 media outlets -digital, TV, radio, outdoor and print-the opportunity to run for free a series of short ads encouraging 20-somethings to use birth control.” These new ads use humor to promote knowledge about birth control, but they don’t just focus on decked out condoms. Instead these ads target young women by promoting Web sites like Bedsider.org, which help visitors “compare 15 kinds of contraception, locate the closest place to acquire various methods, set up regular birth control reminder and watch videos of real women sharing birth control experiences.” While these commercials and sites are geared toward young adults, they still reach many teens and provide an invaluable resource about birth control for people of all ages.

I think this new focus on informing the female (and male) population about all forms of birth control and safer sex methods is a good change from a condom centered market. It’s great that teens hear about condoms and know that they are easy to acquire, but teens have so many other amazing hormonal birth control options that should also be considered. Why place all the emphasis on getting a new condom that glows in the dark when you can just as easily protect yourself with birth control pills or the patch.

—Sam Dercon, 17, Staff Writer

Apple’s App Store has a host of health apps, including a sexual health information app and NYC’s Free Condom app. Newest to the scene is the free iCondom app, which is a collaboration of MTV’s Staying Alive campaign and iCondom. The app allows you to upload the location of the nearest condom dispenser or retailer via GPS. As more people upload the location of condom dispensers or retailers, the iCondom app hopes to create the world’s largest condom distribution map.

Whether this app will help people practice safer sex or just be one more useless app remains to be seen. Although the app seems like a good idea in theory, one wonders how popular it will be since there seem to be similar apps out there. The app may prove to be a great help in those tricky situations when you are without a condom, don’t know the area very well and don’t have the time to go on a hunt for one.

You can support iCondom by adding new dispenser locations, which can be done directly from the app. Visit MyiCondom.com to download the app.

—Rachel Baron, 18, Contributor

When I say hormonal birth control, you say? The Pill, most likely. Someone trying not to be predictable might even say the Patch (Ortho Evra) or the Shot (Depo-Provera). For most, intrauterine devices (IUDs) would be at the bottom of the list, even though they’re incredibly effective. (IUDs are small birth control devices inserted in the uterus that require only one insertion by a health care provider to prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years. In recent years, they have started being recommended for younger women.)

A reason for IUDs lack of popularity most likely dates back to the 1970s, when an IUD called The Dalkon Shield hit the market. The Shield caused so much tragedy for the many women who suffered from pelvic inflammatory disease, spontaneous abortions and infertility as a result of using it. For a longer look at the device’s history and notoriety, check out this article in Wired that goes over it in depth.

Today IUDs are much more safe, sterile and effective, but they have still spent more than 40 years overcoming the stigma of their crude predecessors. Today’s IUDs, such as Mirena, can be expensive, but can last for up to five years. Another IUD, Paraguard, can last up to 10 years, which means that the per-month breakdown cost is cheaper than most birth control pills. And, while the Pill is about 92-percent effective with typical use, IUDs are 99-percent effective with typical and perfect use. IUDs, unlike the Pill, aren’t something you can forget because of your big exam on Tuesday. Once an IUD is in, it’s in.

IUDs are steadily gaining popularity as younger generations learn more about these highly effective, long-acting birth control methods.

—Taylor McCabe, 19, Contributor

Hormonal birth control, like the Pill or the Patch, can be an expensive precaution to take. Teenage girls and adult women around the country pay $160 to $600 per year for hormonal contraception. This is money that could be spent on schoolbooks or groceries.

Well, this financial burden for many girls and women will soon be a thing of the past. Starting August 2012, health insurance companies will be required by the Affordable Care Act to do away with co-pays for government-approved preventive-care measures for women.

That means that starting a year from now, hormonal birth control methods will be free each month, as long as you have health insurance. Other preventive-care services will be free as well: screening for the human papillomavirus (HPV) in women over 30 and counseling for HIV and STDs. The only limitation on this is that the contraception must be prescribed by a physician, which means that emergency contraception pills (also known as the “morning after pill”) that are sold over the counter will not qualify and neither will condoms. However, the new emergency contraception pill ella™ is still prescription-only, as are most oral contraceptives, which means they will be covered

This decision is controversial, because many religious groups say that birth control is against their beliefs. In response to these concerns, religious institutions are allowed to decide privately what their health insurance will cover.

Sexual health advocates are calling this new decision a victory for women, as it will now put hormonal contraception within the financial reach of more women than ever before. Planned Parenthood was so excited about the news that they danced—Bollywood style.

—Taylor McCabe, 19, Contributor

The debate over defunding Planned Parenthood hasn’t cooled much in the month after my March blog post. Since then, House Republicans and Democrats have continued to struggle to resolve the dispute, and it was one of the major conflicts that almost led to a federal “shutdown” on April 8th, which would have left 800,000 federal employees and over a million troops without pay until the budget was resolved. In the end, the House passed the budget just hours before the shutdown deadline.

After narrowly avoiding a shutdown and the Senate voting down a new measure to deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood, it’s fair to say that we might all appreciate some lighter coverage on this issue. Among the many voices weighing in on the debate is at least one anchorman able to provide some humor: comedian Stephen Colbert. His funny take on the controversy, besides giving viewers a good laugh, offers more insight on the situation than many of the men and women on Capitol Hill. Jump to the 1:35 mark:

—Meg Gibbon, 19, Contributor