Ask Lucy

Illustration of five laboratory vials of blood samples

September 21, 2018

Dear Lucy: I’m a new graduate student at MIT, and I’m gay. While I do have a boyfriend, I also have sex with other men actively. I want to go through STI testing, and I am also thinking of taking PrEP medicines to prevent HIV infection.

Are the STI tests and PrEP covered by student insurance? And which doctor should I see for the testing and prescription?—So Many Questions

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illustration of person spraying sunscreen on her hand

August 16, 2018

Lotion or spray; What’s the best way?

Dear Lucy: I found your recent question on sunscreen and SPF numbers very interesting. I particularly appreciated the reminder that we need to use a sufficient amount of sunscreen to get the full amount of protection—it’s something I know in theory but don’t always remember to do in practice. But what about spray-on sunscreen? Is it as effective as sunscreen lotions? Is there some metric for how much to use and guidelines for how to apply it properly? —Eat Spray Love

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Illustration of two containers of sunscreen, one with a label reading 'SPF 30' and one with a label reading 'SPF 75'

July 30, 2018

Burning question

Dear Lucy: I’m a redhead and get sunburns very easily. For that reason, I always buy the highest SPF sunscreen I can find. But is a higher number really better? SPF 100 costs much more than SPF 50. Do higher numbers really provide extra protection? Or at least enough extra protection to make them worth the much higher cost? —Better Red Than Dead?

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