One big step closer to preventing HIV
The journal Science chose an international HIV prevention trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (part of the National Institutes of Health) as the 2011 Breakthrough of the Year. The study, which included 1,763 heterosexual couples from a number of different countries, treated the HIV positive member of each couple […]
The HPV vaccine won’t make you wildly promiscuous
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new study about women across the U.S. who used the HPV vaccine, a.k.a. Gardasil, between 2006 and 2008, which found that participants’ sexual behavior was about the same regardless of whether or not they’d had the vaccine. The study did find a few differences in […]
The Obama Administration makes it official!
We shared this via tumblr last week, but for those who somehow missed the big news, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has decided to include almost all employers in the new health reform ruling that requires them to cover birth control in their health insurance plans without co-pays or deductibles. If you’re […]
SILCS: It’s not your mama’s diaphragm (not her spermicide, either)
Update: The Caya diaphragm, a.k.a. SILCS, is now available in the U.S. — In the 1960s, more than 10% of married women in the U.S. used a diaphragm for birth control—today, fewer than 1% do. The drop could be because so many other birth control options have been introduced since then, including the implant , […]
Birth control spotlight: Hit me with your best shot
It lasts for three awesome months of sex per shot. Has a 94% effective rate in preventing pregnancy. There’s nothing you have to remember to take daily or weekly. These are just a few of the reason why we’re fans of Depo-Provera . Yes, it’s a shot and shots aren’t exactly fun to get, but […]
Some good news about birth control and heart health
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 […]
Know what’s risky? Pregnancy.
A new study from the Harbor UCLA Medical Center asked women from all walks of life to rate the risks of pregnancy versus birth control. The 246 women of all ages, education levels, and family sizes knew about some risks, but didn’t know which were more likely to occur. About half of the participants knew […]
The FDA weighs in on blood clots and birth control
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 […]
Birth control spotlight: The patch
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 […]
Birth control with benefits
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 […]
