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Hello, Skyla! Getting to know the newest IUD
Update: Skyla is no longer the new kid on the block. Two more hormonal IUDs, LILETTA and Kyleena , are now available as well. Let’s hear it for choices! — Birth control has many wonderful qualities—but being one-size-fits-all isn’t one of them. So when a new birth control option becomes available—especially one that’s long-acting and […]
5 myths about the IUD, busted
After years in unofficial exile, the IUD is finally making a much-deserved comeback in the U.S. The device got a bad reputation mostly due to health problems women experienced using the creepy-looking Dalkon Shield , a poorly designed model of the IUD that’s been off the market for decades. Fortunately, medical providers and researchers , […]
What’s in a birth control label?
Any prescription birth control method you buy in the United States comes with a square of delicately thin paper, folded until it won’t fold any more, covered in teeny-tiny print. It’s called a “package insert” or a “label”—and it may be telling you lies. First, some history… It wasn’t so long ago that there was […]
Starting the pill: How about now?
Sometimes old ideas die hard. One good example is the old idea that you have to start taking the pill on a Sunday, or start it five days after your period begins. Research has shown that this is just plain wrong. Out with the old… In the old days, health care providers often advised women […]
Getting pregnant: Yes you can!
As a doctor, one of the things that most surprises me is the number of women who don’t use birth control because they think they can’t get pregnant. Risk can be tricky to understand and we all want to believe that things like car wrecks and debilitating diseases never happen to us or to the […]
Side effect spotlight: What’s up with spotting?
For many of us, periods can be an annoyance. But when they’re unpredictable and unruly, they can become a huge burden. Some birth control methods help deal with irregular periods, making cycles more regular or making periods lighter or non-existent . But some birth control can cause unpredictable spotting or bleeding, particularly when you first […]
Long-acting just got longer
The Mirena IUD is one of the longest lasting reversible methods we have available, and it could have an even longer lifespan than we thought. Recent research out of Europe suggests that Mirena—approved for five years of use in the U.S.—may actually work to prevent pregnancy for up to eight years. But whether its maker […]
Baby in one hand… birth control in the other
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 […]
IUDs are A-OK: Doctors say the best new birth control has been here all along
UPDATE: Since this article went live, several more IUDs have hit the market. Learn all about the IUDs available in the U.S. as of 2017 . — If you’ve been skipping right over the IUD when exploring your birth control options , you aren’t alone. The mere sight of that homely acronym (an umbrella term […]
All about prescription birth control
The IUD , the implant , and sterilization . To get the most effective birth control methods—an IUD, the implant, or, if you’re looking for something permanent, sterilization—you have to visit a health care provider. (BTW, we can help you find one here .) Visiting a provider might seem like a pain, but for women […]
