Oral HPV: Another reason to brush and floss
-
By: health
-
April 14, 2015
As if having sweet-smelling breath weren’t reason enough to brush and floss every day, there’s a study showing that people with good oral hygiene are less likely to have human papillomavirus (HPV) living in their mouths. In the study, about 7% of people with good brushing and flossing habits had measurable levels of HPV in […]
The HPV vaccine, new and improved
-
By: health
-
March 9, 2015
In December of 2014, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) called Gardasil 9. Sound familiar? Gardasil 9 is the beefed up version of the original Gardasil shot , which protected against four strains of HPV. Gardasil 9 protects against—you guessed it—nine types of HPV. Young […]
4 apps for tracking your fertility
-
By: health
-
February 10, 2015
Practicing “Fertility Awareness” means more than just scoping out your fertile phases. It involves mapping out your entire cycle, including your fertile phases, your sorta fertile phases, and your not-so-fertile phases (every flavor of fertile, all phases). Following your cycle closely over time can grow fertility awareness into fertility knowledge. Identifying patterns in and across […]
Before you stop using condoms…
-
By: health
-
January 16, 2015
Condoms are great—they’re available in almost any drug store or clinic and they protect against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). More than half of U.S. couples use a condom when they have sex for the first time, and over 93% have used condoms at some point. The number of couples relying on condoms tends […]
Swaddle this: How to plan for a baby
-
By: health
-
November 21, 2014
We talk a lot about preventing pregnancy, but not today. This Friday we want to help you figure out what to do when you know you are ready to have a baby. (Well, maybe one birth control reference won’t hurt. Here’s where you can find the most effective methods available .) Okay. On with the […]
Help is on the way: How to manage PMS and period pain
-
By: health
-
August 22, 2014
Bloating. Breakouts. Cramps. Back aches. Mood swings. They all suck. Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to make PMS and period pain suck less. Practice yoga. This natural approach can calm you down and soothe aches. The Art of Living and Chatelaine demonstrate a bunch of moves that can help, while Yoga […]
A quickie guide to female reproductive anatomy
-
By: health
-
July 25, 2014
Female reproductive anatomy couldn’t be boring if it tried. For example, the clitoris has over 8,000 sensory nerve endings. (Most say the penis has less.) When those clitoral nerves are stimulated they can affect 15,000 other nerve endings across the whole pelvic region. Can you say, “ Hello, orgasm .” You probably already know a […]
Is birth control info missing from chronic condition care?
-
By: health
-
July 2, 2014
There are a bunch of common health conditions —like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, and obesity—that affect U.S. women under age 45. Women who have chronic health conditions like these are more likely to visit a health care provider regularly than those who don’t, yet they may also be more likely to have accidental pregnancies […]
He’s smart and funny, but is he vaccinated for HPV?
-
By: health
-
June 25, 2014
The bad news: Some strains of the super-common STI human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause genital warts and cervical cancer . The good news: There’s a vaccine that protects against the most common of these strains and it is recommended for both girls and guys. Among young women who’ve gotten the vaccine, there has been a […]