Get informed, get healthy, get talking!

Healthy, happy children come from healthy, happy, well-prepared parents. After years working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health raising awareness about the high rates of infant mortality in the United States (we rank 40th in the world compared to other industrialized nations) I decided focusing on the health of mothers was the best strategy to address that problem. When it comes to women of color in the U.S., infant mortality is especially high, as are the rates for chronic disease.

HealthyYouNow.com grew from the realization that healthy women make for a healthier country. The website seeks to provide women with the information they need to discover and live their best health journeys from a holistic point of view. That means we view health as a culmination of wellness from a physical, nutritional, emotional, spiritual, and financial point of view. To be truly healthy is to have all of these elements in balance. One of the major factors in that balance for health is having the ability to plan your family—and for most women, that means having access to birth control.

Sex is natural and healthy.

Sex is a natural, wonderful, important part of being human, and there is no shame in having the desire and the gumption to do it when you’re ready. But, if you are having sex, ready to have sex, or even contemplating the idea, you need to be thinking about a birth control plan. Fifty percent of pregnancies are unplanned. While it is not the end of the world for many women who have unplanned pregnancies, a baby born to an unprepared mom and dad can have devastating effects on the physical, mental, and financial health of all parties involved.

Which brings us back to birth control…

The fact is most of us don’t feel comfortable telling people close to us about our plans to have sex—but talking to other women about their choices, whether or not those choices directly apply to you, can be incredibly helpful. The videos below are examples of what happens when a group of women get together in a safe environment and share their experiences. Each woman is unique, but by learning from one another, doing our own research, and talking with a health care provider, each of us can make the best decision for our body and our life.

HealthyYouNow partnered with Bedsider.org because we believe knowledge is power. We believe health is power—and that managing sexual health is ultimate power. We believe that powerful women produce powerful communities.

Be part of the conversation.

Bedsider provides valuable information on the different methods of birth control and how to use them. HealthyYouNow provides valuable information on the overall health of women. The key is to be responsible in managing all aspects of your life—including your sexual health. Hopefully these videos and this conversation will inspire you to start an open dialogue with people you trust.

Get informed, find out just how many options there are, find the right choice for your life…and join the conversation.

Birth Control, An Open Discussion

Finding the Birth Control Method That’s Right For You

Does Using Birth Control Lead to Sex?

Birth Control, Can You Name Every Method?

---

Tonya Lewis Lee is a national best-selling author, award-winning TV producer and the face of a national infant mortality campaign, “A Healthy Baby Begins with You,” sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She is also the founder of Healthy You Now. Lee lives in New York City with her husband and two children.