Sexy thoughts
-
By: health
-
December 14, 2011
Ever wonder where the claim that “men think about sex every seven seconds” came from? It’s so widely known that Snopes has debunked it —and we can assure you it’s not based on scientific research. A new study from an Ohio State University shows that the real number is more like every 4,275 seconds, or […]
The FDA weighs in on blood clots and birth control
-
By: health
-
December 14, 2011
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 […]
Some good news about birth control and heart health
-
By: health
-
December 14, 2011
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.
-
By: health
-
December 14, 2011
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 […]
Blame it on the pill (again)
-
By: health
-
November 23, 2011
Another day, another study attempting to link the world’s ills to the birth control pill. Headlines are blaring news of a study, published in BMJ Open , that alleges that the pill may cause prostate cancer. In fact, as others have noted , what the study really shows is that rates of prostate cancer are […]
Pap smear every year? Not so much.
-
By: health
-
November 23, 2011
A government-backed panel released new recommendations for women of reproductive age to get a pap smear every 3 years rather than annually. The recommendations are still in draft form and accepting public comment, but given that cancer patient advocacy groups like the American Cancer Society have voiced their support for the recommendations, they may not […]
DIY Depo
-
By: health
-
November 23, 2011
If you love the shot (a.k.a. Depo) as a method but hate going to see your provider every three months, you may be in luck. A new study shows that women can administer their own shot in the comfort and privacy of their own home. Fifty women were trained by a nurse to do their […]
The pill messes with memory? Forget about it!
-
By: health
-
November 8, 2011
Sure, we know remembering to take your birth control every day can be hard. But some recent headlines are saying that birth control pills actually alter women’s memory… Really? The short answer is that—in spite of the headlines—we still don’t know. Memory and hormones: Is there a connection? The real story on hormones and memory […]
Pill good news and bad news
-
By: health
-
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 […]
Is solo sex linked to safer sex in teens?
-
By: health
-
October 5, 2011
New evidence suggests that teens who masturbate (which includes, surprise!, most of them) may also be more likely to use condoms when they have sex. At least, the ones willing to talk about it say they do. The study relied on a small number of teens who had to have permission from their parents to […]