There’s no place like home (to GYT)
We admit it—getting to your health care provider once a year can be tough, especially when juggling work, school, social and love lives. But that’s the current recommendation for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing: once a year for all sexually active women under age 26. But what if you could GYT for two of the […]
Period pain? Birth control can help!
Having a painful period can mess up your day, or week—or weeks! Every woman’s period is different and the same woman’s periods are often different over time. So how do you know if the pain you have with your period is normal? And what can you do to make your periods less painful? My periods […]
It’s official: the HPV vaccine is making a difference
In an article last year , we said it was still too soon to tell whether Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against 4 common strains of HPV (human papillomavirus), would make a difference in HPV rates on a large scale. Just a year later, a new study has shown that among 14- to 19-year-old women, […]
Taking medication? Stay on top of birth control
Medication can be a great tool for improving health—but some medicines that are wonderful for you can cause problems for a developing pregnancy. So if you use certain types of medication, it’s extra important to use birth control carefully and consistently. If you’ve decided you’re ready to get pregnant, make sure to talk to a […]
Think you’re a sex fiend? Let’s find out
If you really love sex, have a high sex drive, or find yourself in the throes of a Big O as often as possible, good for you! A satisfying sex life is a beautiful thing. It even has the power to keep you feeling young, happy, and healthy . But what’s the difference between I-love-sex […]
IUDs, STIs, and PID: What’s the deal?
There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about the relationship between these three very important acronyms related to women’s health: intrauterine devices (IUDs) , sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and a serious infection called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) . Some health care providers with out-of-date information refuse to give young women or women without children […]
The facts of life: Fertility edition
We hear so much about infertility these days, it’s easy to assume it’ll be hard to get pregnant. But for most of us using Bedsider—who are typically under age 30— getting pregnant might be way easier than we think . So here are three fertility facts to keep in mind. You really are at your […]
4 STI myths that get in the way of a healthy sex life
Safer sex— comprehensive safer sex, that is —includes more than just using barriers consistently and correctly. You also need to talk about risk in advance of any sexual activity. That’s where most people get stuck. As soon as someone utters the letters S-T-I (short for sexually transmitted infection) in sequence, people run for the hills. […]
Too close 4 comfort
Have you convinced yourself you don’t need birth control every time you have sex? Think the whole I’m-pregnant thing won’t happen to you? If you’re having sex and not using birth control, you’re basically trying to get pregnant. (And the odds are good you WILL get pregnant, so find a method and use it consistently.) […]
