Danielle, 20, the pill and not right now
Lighter periods. Fewer periods . No pain. Going on the pill has definitely changed Danielle’s life. Before the pill, Danielle’s periods were so bad that sometimes she couldn’t get out of bed on the first day of her cycle. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen now that she’s on the pill. And she’s fine not having sex […]
Will over-the-counter birth control pills ever happen?
In recent years there have been plenty of headlines about the birth control pill becoming available over the counter. There has even been a proposal about it in Congress . But what does all of this actually mean for women who use the pill ? First, a definition. What exactly does “over the counter” mean, […]
Yay! Pharmacists in California can prescribe birth control too now
Back in January 2016 we wrote that Oregon had made some hormonal birth control methods available directly from pharmacists and that a similar law was about to go into effect in California. Well, Californians, the wait is over —pharmacists in your state will now be able to prescribe birth control! The laws in the two […]
How to get birth control delivered right to your door
Life is too busy to wait in line for your birth control. Good news—you can skip the pharmacy and order birth control pills , the patch , the shot , and the ring online! For a while now, you’ve been able to shop online for non-prescription methods (like condoms and emergency contraception ). Now several […]
Combined hormonal versus progestin-only birth control
Three of the most common forms of birth control—the pill, the ring, and the patch—all work the same way. They’re all considered “combined” hormonal methods, meaning they contain two kinds of hormones: estrogen and progestin. Other hormonal methods—the shot, the implant, hormonal IUDs, and the progestin-only pill (a.k.a. minipill)—contain only one kind of hormone—a progestin. […]
It’s official! Oregon pharmacists can prescribe birth control
Update: California has joined Oregon in making birth control available directly through a pharmacy visit! Here are the details. — Oregon made our hearts go boom again this week. They’re the first state to make the pill and the patch available directly from a pharmacist —no doctor’s visit needed. One stop shop On January 1, […]
How I dumped the pill and met the IUD
By Lena Chen. Slightly amended from the original version published on November 4, 2009, on SexReally.com. Two weeks ago, I ended my longest and most tumultuous relationship to date. Four years and hundreds of dollars after my first prescription, I decided that I had swallowed my final birth control pill. I tossed out my last […]
Why you probably shouldn’t worry about the pill and strokes
Strokes are rare among young people—so rare that few studies collect information about people under age 45 who have one. A new study looked at data from 24 studies of young women to learn more about these rare occurrences and found a link between strokes and certain kinds of birth control pills. Here’s why we […]
Which birth control method will help reduce my cramps?
Most women who use hormonal birth control–the pill, the ring, the shot, the patch, the implant, or a hormonal IUD–will have less painful periods than those who don’t. This is because these methods of birth control make the lining of the uterus thinner. There’s less tissue in the uterus to shed, so periods are lighter. […]
Is it safe to lose blood by spotting a lot?
Spotting, which can happen with a bunch of different methods, doesn’t make you lose that much blood, even though it might seem like it. We have a Provider Perspective article about it if you want to learn more. Still not working? You may have more luck on a pill with a slightly higher dose of […]
