The FDA weighs in on blood clots and birth control
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By: health
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December 14, 2011
We’ve written before about concerns that some brands of the pill (along with the patch ) carry a higher risk of blood clots than others. Last week, the FDA officially concluded that the benefits of the brands in question outweigh the drawbacks, but that their labels should be updated to warn of the higher blood […]
Some good news about birth control and heart health
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By: health
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December 14, 2011
With all the recent press about the pill and blood clots, you may be wondering if you should be worried about heart health while using birth control. Fear not, a new study shows that women using progestin-only methods—like the implant , the mini-pill, and the shot —were no more likely to have a heart attack […]
Double bragging
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By: health
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December 12, 2011
Does using two condoms at once lead to double trouble or extra protection? original post
Tis the season: The heaven and hell of office parties
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By: health
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December 9, 2011
We just read another article on how not to behave at holiday parties. The suggestions are always the same. Drink less. Don’t sneak off and have sex. Don’t wear anything that’ll shock Santa and get you on the naughty list. Don’t tell your boss—or anyone else—they’re a tool. Etc. etc. We kind of assume you […]
Breaking news: Plan B One-Step will stay right where it is
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By: health
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December 7, 2011
UPDATE: Plan B One-Step emergency contraception is now available over the counter without a prescription or age restrictions. Here’s what we know about it so far ! There’s been a lot of talk in recent days about an expected FDA decision to make Plan B One-Step, a popular form of emergency contraception (EC) , available […]
Late, late, for a very important pill?
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By: health
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December 3, 2011
First, the short answer: If you miss a pill, you should take the pill you missed as soon as you can. If you take the pill less than 24 hours after you were supposed to and it’s not the first week of a new pack, you don’t need a back-up method —just take the pill […]
Birth control spotlight: The patch
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By: health
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December 2, 2011
It sticks to you. It auto-magically sends hormones through your skin. It keeps you from getting pregnant. What else is there to know about the patch? Lots. Like it only comes in one color. (Hello, beige.) It doesn’t work well for women who weigh more than 198 lbs. And you have never, ever seen anything […]
How to deal: You’re just being nice, but they think you’re flirting
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By: health
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November 25, 2011
You do not have to be perky, cheery, flirty, or sweet for this to happen. You can be fabulously snarky, moody, or uninterested and a guy can still misread your politeness or a little kindness as being interested in him. That’s when things usually get super awkward, so here are a few tips to help […]
Blame it on the pill (again)
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By: health
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November 23, 2011
Another day, another study attempting to link the world’s ills to the birth control pill. Headlines are blaring news of a study, published in BMJ Open , that alleges that the pill may cause prostate cancer. In fact, as others have noted , what the study really shows is that rates of prostate cancer are […]
Birth control with benefits
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By: health
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November 23, 2011
When we hear “side effect” we tend to think of doom and gloom, but many birth control methods have positive side effects , too. Exhibit A: a new study of reproductive-age women in the U.S. shows that side benefits are part of the reason a lot of women use the pill. And by a lot […]