Savannah, 18, not right now
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
A few months after a bitter break up, Savannah is currently saying “not right now.” She tends to not have casual hook-ups and isn’t looking for a new relationship yet, so, really, it’s pretty easy for her to avoid having sex. She’ll soon move to a new city and she’s ready for the fresh start. […]
Angela, 22, fertility awareness methods
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
Angela, a stay-home mom of one, has been using fertility awareness since giving birth to her daughter. She’s been tracking her periods and learning when in her cycle she’s most fertile. Rather than using condoms (or another barrier method), Angela chooses to not have sex during her most fertile times. She feels closer to her […]
Emergency contraception: the back-up plan
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
As reliable as contraception is, there are times when birth control doesn’t work. Like every once in a while when we use a method incorrectly. Or on a rare occasion when a condom breaks. And sometimes—especially when partying—we forget to use anything at all. All of these times scream out: Emergency contraception NOW! Listen to […]
Alexandria, 21, the ring
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
Alexandria moved from the pill to the ring and has good things to say about the switch. She’s got shorter periods now and prefers dealing with birth control once a month instead of once a day. For the most part, once the ring is in, it’s in. A couple of times, though, it’s come out […]
Norelle, 22, not right now
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
Norelle used to have sex. Lots of it, in fact. But after being diagnosed with a UTI, a yeast infection, and a STI—all at once—she decided to make a change and not be so “out there with the guys.” Rather than trying to find the right person, though, Norelle decided to be the right person. […]
Veronica, 24, diaphragm
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Veronica has plans. To travel the world, rescue animals, and design clothing. Getting pregnant doesn’t fit in that plan. So she uses birth control every time. Veronica started with condoms , then added a diaphragm for back up. Knowing diaphragms do their best work with the help of spermicide , she always uses that, too. […]
Marisela, 29, spermicide
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Parents of four with one on the way, Marisela and her husband have been together since they were teens. They’ve always planned to have a big family, but they’ve also always used birth control when they weren’t trying to get pregnant. They started out using condoms and soon after added spermicide to the mix. It’s […]
Natalia, 27, sponge
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Natalia was on the pill , but then she lost her health insurance. She had to start paying $60 a month out of pocket and after a while, it was just too much. Natalia decided to switch to the sponge , a method she could get without a prescription. She likes that it’s easy to […]
Alexa, 29, sterilization
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Alexa, who had one child and knew she didn’t want to have more, grew tired of using temporary birth control methods. She was ready for a permanent solution and her doctor agreed that sterilization was a good choice for her. The procedure itself was relatively easy. The whole thing was done in about an hour […]
Rachel, 26, fertility awareness methods
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Rachel read an article about fertility awareness that described the method simply: it’s all about knowing your body. So she decided to do a little “getting to know you” of her own. After a year of tracking—and we’re talking about everything from hair greasiness and back pain to cervical mucus and basal body temperature—Rachel finally […]