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 […]
They’re into you, but are they into your birth control? How to engage a partner in your method
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By: health
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November 11, 2011
You love your birth control. (We hope.) You love the person you’re sleeping with. (Or you like them enough to knock boots.) How about connecting those two things to make your sex life even better? Go For Peace of Mind Are either of you worried about accidentally getting pregnant? Using less reliable methods can be […]
Pill good news and bad news
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By: health
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October 31, 2011
There was good news and not-so-good news for the pill this week. First, the good news: a new study confirms that women who have ever taken the pill—even for just a few years—have long-lasting protection from ovarian cancer. Previous research has shown that the pill also protects against uterine cancer and that, contrary to popular […]
Attitude Adjustment
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By: health
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October 31, 2011
A recent study found that three-quarters of doctors (74%) are likely to prescribe extended-use oral contraceptives—the ones that let you go longer between periods. More than any other factor, the doctors who prescribed the extended-use contraceptives shared “a positive attitude toward skipping periods.” Doctors aren’t supposed to let their personal feelings influence how they treat […]
You, him, and Aunt Flow: Sex and your period
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By: health
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October 28, 2011
For most guys, choosing between period sex and no sex is a no brainer. They’re gonna choose period sex because having sex is always better than no sex. But what about the blood? The smell? The mess? Doesn’t matter. Our guy friends have reported back to us and they all said the same thing: Period […]
Happy Birthday Our Bodies, Ourselves!
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By: health
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October 5, 2011
Long before women could look to the Internet for advice, support, and information, a small group of feminist activists published a book that became a sort of Bible of sexual health. Our Bodies, Ourselves has just been published in its ninth edition and it’s no less relevant than the first, which turns 40 this year. […]
Minding the unplanned pregnancy gap
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By: health
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September 14, 2011
There are some things—acne, awkwardness, a curfew—it’s generally safe to look forward to outgrowing once your teenage years are behind you. One hazard that’s not so easily shed? Unplanned pregnancy. According to a report from the Guttmacher Institute , the proportion of US pregnancies that are unintended—already higher than other developed countries—rose slightly from 2001 […]
There’s STI good news and bad news
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By: health
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August 31, 2011
There’s STI good news: What if there was a shot that protected you against not just HPV but against every virus out there? We aren’t there yet, but some MIT researchers recently made a major leap toward developing one—they’ve invented an across-the-board virus-killer that’s proven safe and effective when tested in mice. It’s got a […]
Emergency Contraception 101 (because mishaps happen)
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By: health
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August 19, 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 ! You could be drunk and forgetful. You could be crazy in love, horny as hell, and out of birth control. You could be perfectly responsible, but the condom […]
Baby in one hand… birth control in the other
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By: health
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August 19, 2011
As if they didn’t have their hands full already, women who have just given birth have to be especially careful when choosing a contraceptive. The CDC has just updated it’s guidelines on which methods are safe for new moms to use, and when. While hormonal methods that don’t contain estrogen—the shot, the Mirena IUD, the […]