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Andrew, 25, IUD
Andrew might not know what IUD stands for, but he knows what he likes about it: he and his girlfriend get to enjoy the highest level of effectiveness, no hormones (she uses the copper kind of IUD), and they can have spontaneous sex whenever the mood hits. She did have to go into the doctor […]
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 […]
The emergency contraceptive that keeps going… and going…
I’ve written before about our best-laid plans for having protected sex gone awry … It’s pretty common. For anyone who finds herself worried about becoming pregnant the morning after, there are multiple options . The one I want to tell you about today is perhaps the best-kept secret of emergency contraception: the non-hormonal copper intrauterine […]
How to get a prescription filled
We love that you’re taking charge of your life and getting a prescription filled, but we know it can be a little confusing your first time. Here are the basics: Your health care provider (doctor, nurse, or clinic counselor) will give you a slip of paper (the prescription or script) that includes your name, the […]
Whoops! Birth control you can use after sex
There are lots of reasons the best laid plans for using birth control don’t work out: I completely forgot to take my pill (!)… I just didn’t have enough money to pay for the ring this month… The condom broke… We’d had some drinks and got carried away… Something like this happens to most of […]
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 […]
The contraception learning curve
Not everybody’s doing it: about half of U.S. women younger than 20 are sexually active. But among women who are having sex, younger women are more likely to experience an unintended pregnancy. What’s the deal? First let’s look at the numbers. A new report shows that, compared to older women, sexually active women aged 15-19 […]
Birth control and infertility: Does using birth control hurt my chances of getting pregnant later?
Women under 30 years old are incredibly fertile—their ability to get pregnant is at its peak. In the U.S., about three in four sexually active women under 30 are using some type of birth control. But many of them ask me, does using birth control now hurt my chances of getting pregnant in the future? […]
