But this time, by the luck of the draw, I happened to get a check-up from someone that (gasp!) actually knew what they were talking about. I’m not saying you should listen to this doctor (nurse practitioner, if you want to get technical) instead of your own, but these are a few little known facts I picked up that I thought I would share.

Beware, as these tidbits may scare you away from sex for life (or at least for the night).

1. In order for your birth control to be 99.7% effective, you must take it every day within 30 minutes of the same time.
Apparently, the hormones that make you temporarily infertile only work for 24 straight hours. According to Susan (the nurse practitioner), you should be okay if you miss the time by 1 to 2 hours. If you miss more than that, however, you should use condoms for at least a week.

2. If you don’t take birth control at the same time every day, the effectiveness can be as low as 92%.
For all of you that have taken statistics, that means you have an 8% chance of getting preggers. Let me say that clearer: the chance of you having a small person come out of you in 9 months is 26 times higher if you don’t take your b.c. regularly. Noooo, thank you. (For more important facts about your pill, click here.)

3. Some STDs, especially HIV, have an incubation period of up to 6 months.
That means that even if you are negative for the disease today, you won’t be in the clear until you have another negative test 6 months from now. And that only applies if you haven’t engaged in any high-risk sexual activity. In short, make him wrap it up.

4. You can get HIV easier from oral-anal contact aka “rimming” (the grossest sex slang ever) than from any other form of oral sex.
This one was in a Safe Sex pamphlet that Susan so generously gave me. Not that I’m recommending that everybody run and try this one out, but just use that fact to put things into perspective. Or as a very handy excuse to say no if/when your partner ever puts in such a request.

5. Alcohol and drugs can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to infection.
Yes kids, that includes STDs and other icky things. I can also testify that being drunk makes having sex, especially enjoyable sex, just that much more difficult to maneuver. What’s more, according to my lovely pamphlet, alcohol and drugs can also impair your judgment and make you do things you may regret in the morning. Who knew?

The holiday seasons are all about eating too many dips, spending way too much money on frenemy gifts, and watching Elf on repeat. This year we’re prepared to take the stress and the frustration out of holiday gift giving by giving you the ultimate gift guides to buying the perfect presents for your favorite people (and we’re splitting into 3 different price ranges so you can choose the gift based on how much you actually like the person!).

So set this series as your favorite because all week we’re bringing you the best.

As many retailers start advertising Christmas before you’ve even begun planning your Halloween costume, it’s often hard to look past the consumerism of the holiday. Giving gifts is a nice gesture – you get to show the people you care about that you appreciate them and it can be fun trying to pick out something you know they’ll like. At the same time, Christmas is obviously big business – a lot of money is exchanged during the holiday season. Yes, you’ll probably continue to buy gifts (I know I do) even if you could just make donations in people’s names, or dispense the practice of gift-giving all together.

You can however, give gifts that both help out a cause, while still treating someone you care about to something nice.

When you’re out doing your Christmas shopping this year, look for gifts that continue to give (and I’m not talking as a re-gift). Some companies provide charitable gifts – a different approach than making a donation in someone’s name, you can give a gift that where proceeds go to a charity or a gift that helps fairly employ someone in a developing country. While giving donations for people is an amazing gift, I know there are times when you feel like you should be giving them something tangible instead.  We’ve found nine gifts at various price points to help you give a gift that keeps giving back! There are a lot of options out there, find something your gift receiver will like or a cause they support.

[Click on any photo below to start the gallery.]

Get even more gift giving inspiration in CollegeCandy’s Holiday Central!

This year, some of your most-loved (or love-to-hate) celebs are giving up their digital life until their fans donate 1 million dollars by “buying life.” But you don’t have to be a celebrity with 5 million Twitter followers to make a difference.

As you sit in your dorm room (or lecture hall – we know you’re reading this in class!), you might be questioning what you can possibly do to make a difference – after all you are only one person. But, if everyone takes action, then collectively we can make some major strides. Even from that teeny, tiny room you call home.

Print out and put a poster on your door
I’m sure a lot of people walk by your room each day and chances are if there’s something different up on your door, they might take a second to stop and think about what the poster means, and maybe even generate a conversation with you about the topic.

Do your research
Read up on World AIDS Day. The best protection is knowledge. Spread what you know by talking to friends, or the random person who stops by your room after seeing your poster.

Test your knowledge
AVERT has lots of games and quizzes for World AIDS Day. Try one out and pass it along to your friends.

Wear a red ribbon
You can pick one up from your local MAC store. If you pick up a Viva Glam product while you are there, every cent of the selling price will go towards the MAC AIDS Fund.

Practice safe sex
If you’re going to have sex, don’t do it until you’ve had a conversation with your partner about safe sex. If you’re unsure about their sexual history, or they don’t want to talk about it, don’t do it. Once you’ve had a talk about HIV and STDs then make sure you use a always use a condom.

Get tested
If you’re having sex, go get tested. If you don’t know where to go, text your zipcode to “KNOWIT” (566948) to find a testing centre near you.

Get connected
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re connected online. Tweet about it using #WAD2010, post a statistic as your status on Facebook, or post a picture on the Facing AIDS flickr page. Use your connection to spread awareness.

Go to an event
I know this time of year is really busy, but if you have time, check out a World AIDS Day event in your area. Grab your friends and get out there. What else is there to do on a Wednesday night anyway?

[The following post is courtesy of Vanessa Cullins, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs at Planned Parenthood. If anyone knows anything about the importance of testing and sexual health, it is Dr. Cullins.]

Here’s a disturbing tidbit:  A U.S. government study found that an average of 14 percent of college women become infected with a human papilloma virus (HPV) each year. At the end of a three-year study, 43 percent of college women were infected.  Why should you care?  Because in some cases HPV can lead to cancer. To avoid HPV infection, girls and women should be vaccinated with Gardasil, which prevents infection of the types of HPV that cause 70 percent of the cases of cervical cancer in the U.S.

Here’s another: An estimated 19 million Americans are infected with a new sexually transmitted disease (STD) each year and, by the age of 25, half of all sexually active young people will contract an STD. In fact, at least one in four teenage girls already has an STD.

STDs continue to pose a serious public health threat in this country, particularly to young women, who are more vulnerable to infection than men, due to biological factors.

Because many STDs do not cause any symptoms — and most doctors do not automatically test for STDs — many women and men may not even realize that they are infected and at risk of spreading the infection to their partners.

Yet, without treatment, STDs can lead to serious short- and long-term health consequences, including infertility. Some untreated STDs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, with the potential for other serious health problems. Others, like HIV, permanently jeopardize a person’s health and can kill.

STDs are preventable, treatable, and in some instances, curable. Women and men should minimize their STD risk by practicing safer sex. The use of condoms significantly reduces the risk of contracting an STD during vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Monogamy is better than latex but it only works if both partners are uninfected and both remain committed to monogamy — the problem with relying on monogamy is that one can only be sure of one’s own behavior.

Regular STD testing is critical. Health care authorities suggest that young, sexually active women and men be screened annually for the most dangerous and common sexually transmitted infections: HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, if rates of gonorrhea are high in your community. Your local Planned Parenthood health care provider can talk with you about STDs and help you get the testing or treatment you may need. Visit www.plannedparenthood.org to locate your nearest health center. Or visit http://gyt09.org to learn about the “Get Yourself Tested” campaign, a partnership between Planned Parenthood, MTV, and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Denial and embarrassment are the two most dangerous risks to your sexual health. Both can keep you from getting tests and treatment.  This is the real deal:  All sexually active people are at risk for getting STDs — no matter how faithful, how clean, or how cool you may be.  So don’t let denial or shame jeopardize your health.  Practice safer sex, and get checked out every year to make sure you can enjoy your sex life for many more years to come, in addition to ensuring that you and your partner can experience pregnancy when the time is right.

[The following post is courtesy of Vanessa Cullins, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs at Planned Parenthood. Upon speaking with Vanessa and asking for information on STDs we began discussing HIV/AIDS. Naively, I mentioned that college kids are safe and know to protect themselves against this deadly disease. Turns out, I was wrong, and thinking that way is incredibly dangerous.]

Once in a while, we get a variation of this question via e-mail: “I’m a woman in college, and I’m wondering if I still need to be worried about getting HIV. Isn’t it pretty much under control by now?”

HIV/AIDS is definitely still a threat — especially among young people and women. Today, women account for more than one-quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses, and women of color are especially affected by HIV infection and AIDS. The growing complacency about this deadly disease is alarming.  You cannot tell from looking at someone whether that person is infected with HIV or any other sexually transmitted disease (STD). That is why all sexually active people need to protect themselves against HIV.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than 56,000 women and men are infected with HIV every year. And the American College Health Association has found that the rate of HIV infection among college students is about the same as it is for the general public. It seems that a lot of people — especially women — aren’t getting the message.

So what’s a girl to do?

First, get tested regularly. Know your status and the status of your partners. Planned Parenthood Federation of America has partnered with MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation to launch the GYT — Get Yourself Tested — campaign. Visit http://gyt09.org to get information you can rely on about STDs, including HIV, and find your nearest testing location.

Second, plan your safer-sex strategy. Condoms used correctly and consistently are the best protection against HIV and other STDs, including HPV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Condoms reduce the risk of HIV infection substantially.  In fact, aside from abstinence and other forms of intimacy that result in no contact with another person’s genitals, condoms are the best protection against HIV.  Some studies show that about one out of two college students used a condom the last time they had sex. That’s good. But it also means that one of two didn’t.  And that’s not good — that’s a whole lot of people playing Russian roulette with contracting HIV/AIDS.

Having a good safer-sex strategy means knowing your risks and deciding which ones you are willing to take.  Here’s a step-by-step walk-through of some of your options:

•    Use a latex or female condom during vaginal, oral, and anal sex.
•    If you are not using a condom, it’s safer to have oral sex than vaginal or anal sex.
•    Rubbing against your partner, whether clothed or naked, is safer than sexual intercourse. Rubbing against your partner clothed is even safer.
•    If you and your partner are engaged in mutual fondling, it is safer to wash your hands before touching your own genitals.
•    Masturbating alone or together — or having phone sex or cybersex — is the safest sex option.

But the most important safer-sex strategy of all is to assume that all potential partners may be infected — and then take precautions.  The reality is that people will lie in order to have sex.  Another reality is that many people with HIV don’t know it!  Given these odds, you can’t rely on anyone else to protect you.

Remember: all sexually active people are at risk, and we need to protect ourselves.

Then I found out that two of the eight girls living in my house (25%) had contracted an STD. These two girls weren’t promscuous – one was a virgin! – and the other was always safe. And that was when I realized just how serious STDs were for all women on college campuses.

The problem with STDs is that people don’t talk about them. We all think that by practicing safe sex – using a condom – we are safe from everything and because we have this false sense of safety, many of us never get tested. And that is why 1 in 4 college students currently have an STD.

April is STD Awareness Month and in conjuction with that, we at CollegeCandy decided to stop regular posting and turn today into STD Awareness Day. We have teamed with with many experts in the field – doctors, nurses, STD specialists, etc. – to bring you the information you need to protect yourself and start a necessary dialogue on a serious issue.

We urge you to learn a little bit and make an appointment to get tested!

Below are some pretty serious and scary facts about STDs that we never knew. Chances are, you don’t know about them either and that is dangerous. Knowledge is power and when it comes to STDs, it is the power to protect youself:

• Sexually transmitted diseases are among the most common infectious diseases in the U.S. today, especially among our youth. The CDC estimates there are approximately 19 million new cases of STDs each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.

• Women are 6-7 times more likely to acquire Herpes than men are.

• Over 80% of women will be exposed to HPV.

• Many women have STDs without ever knowing it — 70% of women with chlamydia and up to 50% with gonorrhea never get symptoms.

• It’s possible to get infected, recover, and never find out, but even these invisible infections could cause infertility: about 30 to 40% of women with untreated chlamydia get pelvic inflammatory disease which sometimes causes fertility issues later in life.

• A person who has never had a symptom can have an STD, and is therefore still able to transmit STDs.

• Younger people are more vulnerable to chlamydia and HPV (the two most common STDs in the US) than older people.

• 20% of all Americans over age 12 test positive for genital herpes virus in their blood.

• Women who have sex with women are at risk for many of the same STDs as women who have sex with men. Women may transmit bacterial and parasitic infections of the vagina to other women and there is also evidence of HIV transmission. In theory, women who have sex with women may also transmit HPV and may transmit oral herpes to the genitals.

• Even if you’ve been tested for STDs and told you’re disease-free, you may still be at risk: STD testing practices vary by doctor, and doctors often choose which STDs to test for based on the patient’s sexual history. Therefore, it’s important to be honest with your doctor when getting tested.

• CDC estimates that there are approximately 2.8 million new cases of chlamydia in the United States each year, and more than half of new cases remain undiagnosed and unreported.

• Most syphilis cases occur in persons 20 to 39 years of age.  In 2006, The incidence of syphilis was highest in women 20 to 24 years of age and in men 35 to 39 years of age.

• Having syphilis (or most other curable STDs) once does not protect a person from getting it again. Following successful treatment, people can still be susceptible to re-infection.

• Gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints. This condition can be life threatening.

• Having nearly any STD can increase your risk of contracting HIV.

• Most people get genital herpes by having sex (or merely contact) with someone who is shedding the herpes virus, either during an outbreak or during a period with no symptoms. People who do not know they have herpes play an important role in transmission.

• More than 100 different types of HPV exist, most of which are harmless. About 30 types are spread through sexual contact and are classified as either low risk or high risk.

• Symptoms to STDs, such as the genital warts associated with HPV, may appear within several weeks after sexual relations with an infected person, take months to appear, or they may never appear. This makes it hard to know exactly when or from whom you got the virus.

For years, circumcision was performed not only because of certain religious beliefs, but also the idea that circumcision was more hygienic and lowered health risks.  Then, in 1999, the American Medical Association claimed it was medically unnecessary.

However, this may not be as true as once believed.  A new study has found that male circumcision can actually lower guys’ risk of getting certain STDs.  The study states that circumcision lowers the risk of HPV (human papillomavirus) by 35 percent and herpes by 28 percent.  Furthermore, the study confirmed a previous study that said circumcision lowers AIDS risk by 60 percent.

Based on the study’s findings, the researchers who conducted it believe that circumcision should be used to reduce sexually transmitted infections.  Luckily for us, 79% of men in the U.S. have had that taken care of, as opposed to 30% worldwide.

However, just because the results of this study show that STD risks can be lowered by circumcision, it’s important to understand that there is still a risk of getting STDs from any sort of unprotected sexual activity.  So even if your man is circumcised, wrap it up!

Fact is we connect to others by learning about them. And everyone has something to share (even if it’s a secret love for The Food Network). So to give you yet another reason to procrastinate, we started ‘The Five Questions We Ask Everyone’ (and five just for that one person) because we know whether we’re schmoozing with an A- list celeb or your local bartender, you’ll be equally entertained.

We watch America’s Next Top Model (and all subsequent marathons) for 3 reasons:
1. The crazy chicks.
2. The crazy judges.
3. Nigel Barker.

He’s hot, talented and has the sexiest accent on earth. And he agreed to talk to us! We tried to sit down with Nigel in person (sans shirt), but the guy is just too busy taking pictures of models in exotic locations (we spoke to him from Canada) and doing good deeds around the world (he works for tons of awesome organizations). So we just imagined him sans shirt while we picked his brain on the phone. Nigel told us a bit about himself, gave us some much needed photo advice and lured us in to ANTM’s 13th season, which is airing now. We didn’t think it was possible, but after getting to know the guy we love him even more.

Swoon.

1.  What is one of your craziest, most ridiculous college memories?
It’s one of those things that was quite a long time ago (laughs). I can tell you one thing that I remember that has haunted me ever since. I went to an English boarding school and we put on the musical Grease and I played Danny, who’s the lead. The reason why it was particularly funny is because it was an all male cast and my Olivia Newton Jon was played by another guy. It was sort of the amorous scenario where I was holding my love interest in my hands but it’s actually some sort of bearded rugby head trying to sing back to me in this sort of soft falsetto. When you look at how serious people were, that’s one of my most excruciating and more ridiculous college moments.

2. What are the 5 things you can’t live without?
Without sounding extremely cheesy, straight off the bat I’d say my wife, my son and my daughter. But obviously, other than them, I could never live without good wine, Guinness, cheese and almonds.

3. What’s your motto or life advice that you life by?
“If you compare yourself with others you may become vain or bitter for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievement as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.” It’s weird considering what I do, that I’m a judge in a talent show. It’s important to realize what you do and even if you’re cleaning bathrooms, it’s still important.

4. You said you like to sing, so what is one of your favorite songs?
The stuff I used to sing would make you laugh if you knew. I actually was a backup singer and went on tour with Barry Manilow. But I’m afraid I’m a rocker at heart and I’d have to say Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven. That’s almost as cheesy as Barry Manilow these days when they play it so much on the radio but I still love it.

5. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I try to live day by day and see what’s happening and obviously as a photographer and someone in the creative industry you’re constantly changing and moving. I’m moving more into film work and I would love to be directing motion pictures by that point.

5 Questions Just for Nigel:

1. How did you get involved with America’s Next Top Model?
I knew Tyra Banks and I had worked with her before. It wasn’t like other shows where they are put together by production companies or networks that are looking for celebrities and stars to fill roles. The difference with Top Model is everyone that went on the show knew each other, we were all in the industry, we all worked together, and we were friends. I was asked to do a photo shoot initially as one of the photographers and I got a callback right before I was going to do my shoot saying “Listen, we saw your footage and we like you, would you be interested in having a more permanent role?”

2. What do you think is the hardest part about being in the beauty and fashion industry.
I don’t think there is anything really difficult, I think we are very, very lucky. It isn’t a hard industry; I find my job extremely easy. I definitely work hard and get tired but who doesn’t? If I’m going to look around at people and say, “Oh goodness, I have a hard life” who am I trying to kid? I take my hat off to people who really save lives and do difficult things. I think for us, we really have an easy job and for me it’s a means to an end – it’s something that helps me with the things that are more important.

3. You say “more important things.” What do you mean?
I’m a spokesperson for the Humane Society in the United States, the Protect Seals campaign spokesperson. I also work on the Protect Sharks Campaign and I’m a spokesperson and Wish Granter for the Make a Wish Foundation. I shoot the national ad campaign as well as grant wishes. I think I’m up to 24 wishes I’ve granted now. I also just got back from Africa because I’m a spokesperson for the Elizabeth Glacier Pediatric AIDS foundation. We shot a documentary and a series of photographs for an exhibition in Tanzania reporting on the state of the country’s pediatric AIDS programs and how they’re advancing.

4:  ANTM has been around for a long time. What can we expect this season -  anything different, anything new?
It’s always something different and there’s always something new. That being said, it’s the old classic recipe. We don’t change that up too much. It’s like your favorite food; you don’t want it to change too much. But what we do have is fresh ingredients and those are the girls. This season happens to have a particularly rowdy bunch of girls, which is always fun. That being said, some things happen during judging and photo shoots that have either never happened before or when they have happened have been so scandalous we questioned whether to put them on TV or not. This season was full of those moments. I don’t know what it was, if there was something in the water or if it was something with this group of girls. It was one of those great seasons that only comes along every three or four seasons for us.

5. Do you have any advice as to how to ensure good pictures every time?
There isn’t a golden bullet for these things. There’s all kinds of boring advice as well as fun advice; The boring advice is if you know you are going to have a photo shoot, for example it’s picture day at school or it’s Christmas and you know you are going to be taking pictures, try not to drink beforehand. Try to drink plenty of water, try and get a good night’s sleep.

People have a tendency to model in candid pictures and a candid picture should be just that. If you are the model try and forget the camera as much as possible, even if it means looking at your friends and squeezing and tickling each other so that you actually get off the subject for that moment and you’re going to get a much more natural and memorable shot.

After reading about one CollegeCandy writer’s scary STD experience, I realized that I had not been tested in over 4 years. Before I was having actual sex. It’s not like I never thought about it; it’s just that I never considered myself someone who needed to be tested. Doesn’t make much sense when I say it out loud, but in my head I kept thinking of my former, not sexually active, self, and never thought that I was at risk.

But last week I called my doctor and made an appointment. And every day for the past 7, I have picked up the phone to call my doctor back and cancel. What if I have something? What if I have something serious? What do I do? Do I call all of my previous partners? I mean, it’s been 4 years! Who knows where I got something from and who I passed it onto. And, as embarassing as this is to say, there is one partner in particular in there whose name I do not even know…

But I did not cancel. I acted like the adult that I am and I went to my gyno to get tested.

When I went into the office a nurse took me to my room and asked me why I was there. As I walked past older women, moms and very pregnant women, I was embarassed. “I’m here to get an STD test.” She took my blood pressure (which was higher than normal), made me pee in a cup, told me to undress from the waist down, and left the room. Because getting tested for STDs wasn’t enough – I also had to show my very unkempt bikini line to the doc and her assistant.

My doctor came in. “Is there a specific reason you think you need to get tested?” I explained how I read a very scary article (on a very fabulous website!). She looked impressed. And then she got down to business.

“How many sexual partners have you had?”

“Um. 7.” I waited for her to pass judgement.

“Great! Insurance companies do not cover STD testing for anyone who has had less than 5 partners, so good work on those last two.”

Yes, that was an actual conversation. Apparently insurance companies reward the promiscuous; financially, it does not make sense for them to cover all STD testing because they think women with less than 5 partners have a lower chance of being infected. I know I’m just a college student, but doesn’t it take just one partner to get something? Perhaps this is why STDs are spreading so much? Just a thought…

Anyways, the doctor had to go downtown to take some swabs for HPV and gonorrhea, then she took blood for the rest: HIV, syphillis, chlamydia, etc. She asked me if I wanted to get tested for Herpes, explaining that 1 in 4 people have it and the test would not differentiate between genital (and more serious) Herpes, or just a canker sore in my mouth.

“Yes!” I thought to myself. “She’s giving me an out from finding out if I have Herpes!” But I did not let my wussy side take over. I need to know everything. How would I feel if someone passed something onto me that they very well could have prevented?

At the end of my appointment my doctor told me that she thinks I am all clean before she handed me a lollipop (yes, for real). My results will be in on Friday and I am freaking out. But at the same time I feel really good about going. This is something that I needed to do and something that we all need to do. There is a reason STDs affect so many people and it’s because people are spreading them unknowingly.

Knowing is scary, but as sexually active adults, it is our responsibility to know.

But this time, by the luck of the draw, I happened to get a check-up from someone that (gasp!) actually knew what they were talking about. Now I’m not saying you should listen to this doctor (nurse practitioner if you want to get technical) instead of your own, but these are a few little known facts I picked up that I thought I would share. Beware, as these tidbits may scare you away from sex for life (or at least for the night).

1. In order for your birth control to be 99.7% effective, you must take it every day within 30 minutes of the same time.

Apparently, the hormones that make you temporarily infertile only work for 24 straight hours. According to Susan (the nurse practitioner), you should be okay if you miss the time by 1 to 2 hours. If you miss more than that, however, you should use condoms for at least a week.

2. If you don’t take birth control at the same time every day, the effectiveness can be as low as 92%.

For all of you that have taken statistics, that means you have an 8% chance of getting preggers. Let me say that clearer: the chance of you having a small person come out of you in 9 months is 26 times higher if you don’t take your b.c. regularly. Noooo thank you.

3. Some STDs, especially HIV, have an incubation period of up to 6 months.

That means that even if you are negative for the disease today, you won’t be in the clear until you have another negative test 6 months from now. And that only applies if you haven’t engaged in any high-risk sexual activity. In short, make him wrap it up.

4. You can get HIV easier from oral-anal contact aka “rimming” (the grossest sex slang ever) than from any other form of oral sex.

This one was in a Safe Sex pamphlet that Susan so generously gave me. Not that I’m recommending that everybody run and try this one out, but just use that fact to put things into perspective.

5. Alcohol and drugs can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to infection.

Yes kids, that includes STDs and other icky things. I can also testify that being drunk makes having sex, especially enjoyable sex, just that much more difficult to maneuver. What’s more, according to my lovely pamphlet, alcohol and drugs can also impair your judgment and make you do things you may regret in the morning. Who knew?