#Live Right At Night … Safe Status Updates

Happy Friday ladies. It’s spring in the city and that means you are going to be meeting up with friends (and lovers) and hanging out on the town. It probably also means you may post more status updates and photos using social media reflecting your minute-by-minute fun and fabulous times. We all know social media can help us and streamline our busy lives (and show them off) but with all the information we can access out there it can also be dangerous! People can access your information and location more than ever and for those who are single and dating this can prove to be even more dangerous.  So ladies, before you send your updates here’s a few things to be aware of:

• Twitter location – people can see your location if you don’t turn off the “Location Finder” box on Twitter, and let’s be real: you don’t necessarily need people to know exactly where you are tweeting from every second of the day.

• FourSquare – Some of you even post when you are at home (i.e. Casa de Lindsay) – think about this before you do this, does everyone need to know when and where you are when you’re at home?

• Facebook – Be sure you don’t have too much personal and location information on your page, and make sure you regularly check your privacy settings (they often open up without you knowing it)

• Websites – Some women work from home and put their home address on their website – another No No – keep you personal life private!

We all remember traditional ways of saying safe, but sometimes the newer and more modern ways are forgotten! Have a fabulous Friday and wonderful weekend.

Smooches,

Dr. V

Live Right at Night … Drink Right in the Daylight

Hello sun goddesses, it seems (almost) all over the country that spring has sprung and summer is on its way!  But before you whip out your fabulous shades and lean back in a chair while having a cocktail at a sidewalk café wait a minute!  Be careful as you order a diet soda mixed with that cocktail that you don’t want to end up sun drunk.

Researchers have shown that diet drinks like diet soda coupled with alcohol versus the full-bodied, full-calorie soda mixed with alcohol may actually cause you to get drunk faster. Whaaattt? I know crazy right? What’s a girl to do, I mean hello calories count even when you drink them through a straw. Now I’m not saying you should start ordering a rum and regular Coke. But it’s important to understand how your drink choices can impact your blood alcohol level. Sugar (aka carbohydrates) slows down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Diet soda drinks don’t have sugar so there’s no slowing of alcohol absorption and therefore, you can get drunk faster compared to enjoying a cocktail with regular soda. Drinking diet soda versus regular soda with alcohol can lead up to an 18% difference in breath alcohol content. Which means yes, ladies those two drinks may sneak up on you faster. Couple the a few sugar free cocktails with a sun filled café and OMG – you could be drunk at happy hour before the sun sets.

So as the days get longer, the sun shines brighter, and you partake in more adult beverages be mindful of your alcohol intake. There’s nothing wrong with having a few cocktails with friends, but if you are going to partake in “diet” cocktails then perhaps think about having a glass of water between those drinks; extending the amount of time between drinks; or even grabbing a bite to eat while drinking to put some food and carbs in your stomach to help slow the absorption of alcohol in your system and ensure you stay safe and sober.

Wishing you a fabulous weekend and enjoy the sun!

Smooches,

Dr. V

#Live Right at Night …….. Condoms2go

It feels like the weekdays are flying by, and again it’s the weekend. Many people say Friday night is “date night.” In keeping with the Friday “date night,” theme this week let’s talk about the ladies carrying condoms. Yep, that’s right ladies can carry condoms when on the go too! Now it’s been known for ages that guys carry condoms in their wallets. I bet if you talk to one of your friends right now, he may have a dusty looking condom packet, perhaps torn at the edges (now that’s an entirely other item to discuss), and possibly even expired in his wallet. Yet it’s there ready to be used at any moment.  Now, most people “expect” the man to have a condom, and we don’t pass judgment on him for having one readily available. Some would say that if he does carry a condom that he’s prepared and responsible. Now what if we flip the script and it’s a woman carrying a condom in her purse. Usually a woman’s purse is larger and roomier so the likelihood that the condom will be raggedy and beat-up is lower, but for some reason some people have a double standard as it relates to a woman carrying condoms. A woman who totes condoms in her purse may not be viewed as a good “Boy,” ahem, “Girl Scout,” she’s viewed as promiscuous, easy and not marriage material.

Why does this double standard exist?

There are women who aren’t in relationships who are on birth control pills for pregnancy prevention and they aren’t considered a “slut.” So why does carrying a condom for pregnancy and STD prevention insinuate a women is a floosy?  Perhaps she’s not even carrying it for herself.  She may be the designated condom carrier for her girl or guy friends when they all go out, similar to a designated driver.

A woman with Magnums in her Alexander McQueen evening bag may be smart, sensible, and believe in safe sex.  She knows sometimes things happen and it’s better to be prepared and have safe sex every time, and she believes in respecting herself and also her partner’s sexual health. Or is she just hedonistic, on the prowl and searching for casual stranger sex, and down for anything? And absolutely not the kind of woman you would introduce to your mom let alone marry?

Think about this .. is it better to be the girl who doesn’t have a condom with her, has unprotected and ends up at the pharmacy buying the Morning After pill, so she isn’t viewed as  a “hussy” who carries condoms. But, instead puts herself at increased risk of pregnancy and STDs.

Tell me your thoughts. What’s your opinion? Log your vote on the poll below:

☐ She’s a woman of loose morals .. RUN fella run!!

☐ She’s a planner and a keeper (at least for the night) ..