Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Are you our new Sex Educator?

We're bringing in a new Sex Educator (the lovely folks who work the floor and provide education and customer service for our amazing customers)!

The right person for this position will be available to work 10-15 hours a week and must be available weekends, including Friday and Sunday days. People who are not available to work these specific hours will not be considered. Pay is $12.50 an hour with an increase to $13 an hour after completion of a probationary period of around 6 weeks.

Please submit a cover letter and resume to jacq@sugartheshop.com by Monday, April 4th at noon. After applications are reviewed, several folks will be selected for interviews

In the cover letter include the ways in which your experience is relevant to the position and why you want to work at Sugar. Although in many cases, our ideal candidate has previous sex education experience, we're willing to teach the right person. Tell us why you're right for the job! Look over the required skills - do you have everything on the list?




Please confirm in the cover letter that you are available to work both weekend and weekday evenings.

No calls please - email only.

Sugar is committed to a diverse work force and welcomes applications from people of all ethnicities, sexual orientations and genders.

We're looking forward to meeting you!





Sex Educator
The Sex Educator is responsible for answering customers’ questions, using active listening skills to determine the customer’s concerns and needs, providing customers with the information they require to make the purchases that are best for them and/or providing customers with referrals to other community organizations, stores or healthcare providers if Sugar is not able to meet their needs.  In addition, SEs process sales in the POS system, stock the store and maintain information in the Inventory Control system, ensure that the store is clean and tidy at all times, fulfillment of customer orders for shipping and perform other duties as assigned.  These duties may include:  store decoration, workshop instruction and/or special events.
Required skills:
-       A passion for Sugar’s mission
-       Computer literacy
-       Excellent customer service
-       Able to accurately work with money
-       Able to lift 50 pounds
-       Able to work evenings and weekends
-       Comfort with and acceptance of diverse sexualities
-       Cultural competency with diverse communities
-       Knowledge and understanding of queer and gender issues
-       Commitment to a team environment
-       A mind that is open to new things and ways of solving problems
Preferred:
Previous experience in sexuality education, counseling and/or retail.
Sugar will provide Sex Educators with:
$12.50 an hour – eligible for increase after successful completion
A commitment to a systems oriented work place.
A work place that is respectful and supportive.

Mission

Sugar is a lesbian owned, multi-gender operated, for profit, mission driven sex toy store.  By providing education and toys in a shame free, sex positive, fun environment we help people of all genders and orientations experience their own unique sexuality with shameless joy and passion. 

Vision

A world in which healthy sexuality is respected and celebrated in all of its diversity.

Values

Sugar believes that sex between consenting adults is sacred, powerful and fun and should be celebrated and honored.  By providing quality education and toys in a sex positive, fun atmosphere, we will help foster healthy sexuality.  In order to provide our customers with impeccable customer service we strive to create a work environment that is healthy and supportive of each and every member of the Sugar team.  

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The new STI in town...

There’s a new STI!

Well. Not really.

It’s called mycoplasma genitalium[1] (it really needs a better agent – that’s a terrible name). And it was first identified around 1981.

What’s actually new is that scientists have figured out that it’s spread through skin to skin sexual contact. A study in England found that around 1% of the population that they tested was positive for MG. Most folks had no symptoms at all. Scientists in multiple studies are also starting to identify MG’s role in Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and in urethritis.

What the hell are those conditions? Good question.

PID is a serious disease that occurs in people with uteruses. It’s an infection inside the pelvis. It usually starts with when someone contracts a sexually transmitted infection, does not get treatment (often because there are no symptoms) and the infection spreads to the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. The infection can cause fever, intense abdominal pain and possible issues with fertility. It appears that a sizeable minority of cases of PID are linked to MG. PID is treatable, however, the earlier it’s diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.

Urethritis is an inflammation or infection in the urethra in the penis. It usually has symptoms, including: pain with sex, pain with urination and or discharge from the urethra (where the pee comes out). Like PID, it’s treatable.

Why does it matter that some folks with PID or urethritis are infected with MG? Because MG may not respond to the antibiotics usually used to treat those conditions. It often responds to azithromycin (more commonly known as the Z pack). In the cases where a Z Pack doesn’t  kill the bacteria, a newer drug called Moxiloxacin seems to work. Because it’s a great idea to get rid of PID or urethritis quickly, experts are recommending that clinicians test for MG when treating these conditions so that they use the right drugs.

So what does this mean for the rest of us? Well, not a lot. Humans who have sex with other humans sometimes share disease with each other. We have ways to prevent and/or reduce the chances of that. Using condoms seems to reduce (but not eliminate) the transmission of MG. Engaging in the kinds of sex that don’t involve rubbing skin against each other seems like it would also work (mutual masturbation, skype sex, using sex toys - but not sharing them, etc).

And, getting tested also seems like a good idea. But, that may be a little tricky. Although there are tests for MG, there’s still not a testing standard. So ask your clinician and see what your options are. If you get diagnosed with PID or urethritis, demand a test.

Because you, your health and your sexuality are worth it.




[1] Much of the data in this post was sourced from the CDC Emerging Issues STI Treatment Guidelines 2015 http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/emerging.htm