Birth Control

When it comes to our hormones, it’s pretty much a lifelong balancing act keeping them at optimum levels so that all our bodily processes can function as normal. It’s no secret that shifting hormones can wreak all sorts of havoc during puberty, but walking this precarious tightrope can become especially challenging as we get older and our hormones become ever more volatile, particularly during stages such as pregnancy and the menopause.  

You’re laughing hysterically one minute and woefully weeping the next. No, you’re not crazy; it’s just likely that you’re going through a case of the menopause, and feeling like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster may be the new normal as you go through this significant life change.  

In the U.S., nearly two-thirds of women of reproductive age regularly use birth control to avoid accidental pregnancy. Next to condoms and sterilization, hormonal birth control pills (also available as patches, vaginal rings, and injections) are the main option. On any given day, roughly 10 million American women use birth control pills. Many women start taking the pill as teenagers and continue using them for years or even over a decade.

Spotting and breakthrough bleeding (which is more severe than spotting and even can look like a normal period for a day or two) is a common phenomenon when initially using birth control and shouldn’t alarm you. 

Breakthrough bleeding refers to any unscheduled bleeding that occurs even though you are using active birth control pills (or patches and rings). If the bleeding is light, there’s no reason to be worried. Breakthrough bleeding is quite common, especially during the first six months of using birth control, as your body is still adapting to the hormonal changes. It’s just an initial side effect of hormone-based contraceptives — in fact, it’s their most often seen side effect.

The pill is used daily by millions of women to protect against pregnancy. When it's used correctly, the pill is over 99% effective. This means that less than 1 in 100 women will get pregnant over the course of a year as a result of using the pill. There are factors that can affect this, however. 

Condoms serve more than one purpose. It protects both sexual partners from sexually transmitted diseases as well as unwanted pregnancies. Condoms are 98% effective in preventing pregnancies. Condoms are not considered 100% effective as they do break or split during intercourse. This can leave sexual partners at risk of pregnancies and contracting STIs. 

When young women start becoming sexually active they may not want to have children right away. There are many reasons why a woman may wish to postpone motherhood until a later stage of her life. That’s always an individual choice. Of course, pregnancies are best avoided with sexual abstinence, but if you aren’t ready to live without sex, you’ll need to use some form of birth control. Otherwise, you’ll always be at risk of accidentally getting pregnant. 

The menstrual cup is a reusable alternative to tampons and pads that’s convenient to use and less of a burden on the environment than disposable single-use hygiene products. One 2019 study showed that menstrual cups can be used for up to 10 years if maintained well. It’s not just that you are doing the environment a favor, but you’ll also save a tremendous amount of money.

When trying birth control for the first time, it’s recommended that you see your regular doctor or gynecologist to talk through the many options there are — everything from vaginal rings and patches to the more old-fashioned contraceptive pills. Of course, condoms are one of the safest choices, as they also protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STI). They also are widely available and easy to buy. Once you are in a long-term relationship and feel safe enough to stop using condoms but think it’s still too early to have kids, there are a lot of reliable contraceptives on the market. And you aren’t alone: a 2013 study showed that 77% of U.S. women of reproductive age were using some form of contraception.

Accidents happen. No matter what you do, sometimes broken condoms and unprotected sex do happen but try not to panic. The morning-after pill, as the name suggests, is designed to be taken after unprotected sex or when other contraception fails In this article, we tackle the common myths associated with the morning after pill.

It is always good to be prepared. Sometimes we can find ourselves in a situation we never planned for, and this can cause us unnecessary levels of fear and panic. Unwanted pregnancy is one of these situations. As much as we try and practice safe sex, accidents do happen. But there are measures we can take to ensure we are well equipped to handle it. In addition to getting the pill when this occurs, we can also get the morning-after pill beforehand and keep it on standby in our medicine cabinet for when it’s needed. So here’s what you need to know about getting the morning-after pill in advance. 

The morning-after pill is a form or emergency contraception. There are 2 types: one contains levonorgestrel and ulipristal acetate. Levonorgestrel has a brand name Plan B and ulipristal acetate has the brand name, Ella.

The decision to have sex for the first time shouldn’t be taken lightly. You should really want yourself, not because someone else expects you to or because it’s socially cool. You also need to be 100% comfortable with your partner. For Americans teenagers, the average age for having first sex is about 17 and by the time they graduate from high school more than 50% had first sexual experiences. For some, it may be a bit earlier, for some a bit later. That doesn’t matter, as long as you are comfortable with it and enjoy it.

On any given day, roughly 60% of American women of reproductive age (technically defined as 12 to 51) use some form of birth control, ranging from conscious abstinence and condoms to vaginal rings and sterilization. Still, about 50% of annual pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned.

This question not only applies to pills but also birth control patches and vaginal rings, since they all are based on the same hormonal treatment approach: they all raise estrogen and progestin levels in the woman’s body. They only differ in how they deliver the hormones, i.e., orally, through the skin, and through the vagina. 

Vaginal rings are one of many birth control options and, just like the pill and contraceptive patches, it’s based on two hormones, namely estrogen and a progestin (ethinylestradiol and etonogestrel, to be precise). As the name already says, it’s a rubber ring that’s inserted into the vagina. It’s most famous brand version is Nuvaring, but it’s also available generically in some countries. Like almost all contraceptive medication, it’s only available through a doctor’s prescription.    

A birth control patch (often also called a contraceptive patch) is a patch that is applied externally to the skin and releases hormones (estrogen and a form of progestogen called progestin) in order to prevent you from getting pregnant. Two big U.S. FDA approved brands in the domestic market are Xulane and Twirla, and they are available upon prescription, just like all other regular birth control medications.

While there are no definitive answers as to how the coronavirus affects the mother and child during pregnancy, pregnancy can be a time where individuals are more vulnerable and susceptible to viral respiratory infections as the body is naturally undergoing changes due to the pregnancy.   

When breastfeeding is used as a method of birth control, it is referred to as the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM). LAM can be used as soon as the baby is born. It can feel a little unfamiliar in the beginning, however, most hospitals have people who can help you. 

An internal condoms looks and feels like a traditional condom, but it’s a bit larger than the latter. This is because, rather than being pulled over the man’s penis, an internal condom (also known as female condom or FC2) is placed inside the woman’s vagina or inside the anus (applicable to both women and men in this case). There’s an external ring at the open end of the condom that prevents it from slipping inside the vagina or anus during sex.

The Caya diaphragm is a contraceptive device that protects you against becoming pregnant by accident. It doesn’t protect against sexual transmitted diseases, though. The Caya diaphragm is made out of nylon and silicone, two skin-friendly materials that won’t cause any rashes and the like. There’s no latex used in the product. The diaphragm is placed inside the vagina before sexual intercourse together with spermicide gel. This gel includes a substance, usually nonoxynol-9, which kills male sperm cells.  

As the name already implies, an internal condom is a safer sex and contraceptive device that works just like a regular condom but is applied internally inside the vagina. It sometimes also has been called an FC2 or “female condom,” and it’s an alternative to normal condoms for use on the penis. The internal condom is U.S. FDA approved and considered to be just as effective as a traditional condom. It can also be put inside the anus and thus help make anal sex safer. Internal condoms aren’t a particularly new idea — the old Greeks some 3,000 years ago used to make them out of goat bladder.

The morning after pill is an emergency contraceptive. This means it is designed to be used on a one-off basis, when you have forgotten to use other forms of birth control or your contraceptives have not been effective i.e. torn condom. Due to the high levels of hormones, it’s not something you should be taking regularly; so, if you are planning to use it as your default contraceptive while engaging in regular intercourse, then you might want to rethink your strategy.

It is possible to take the morning after pill twice in one week, but it is not recommended for regular use. The morning after pill contains a very high dose of hormones. If taken occasionally, the hormones should not be in your body long enough to cause any harmful effects. However, if taken regularly, the high hormone levels, could cause negative effects on your body. The exact effects of long-term use of the morning after pill, have not yet been clarified, so if you need to take the morning after pill more than twice a month, it is recommended that you use a more suitable method of contraception.

Vaginal rings are transparent plastic rings that are placed in the vagina where they release two types of hormones – estrogen and progesterone. They are 99% effective in preventing pregnancy if used correctly. They do not protect from sexually transmitted diseases. Most vaginal rings need to be replaced every month with a new one. Annovera is different because it can be re-used for an entire year.

If you’re worried about pregnancy after unprotected sex, the morning-after or emergency contraceptive pill is available in pharmacies across the country. The emergency pill can be taken up to 120 hours after sex. It comes in two doses and the second dose must be taken 12 hours after the first dose.  

Feeling sick or nauseous can be very distressing. If you can’t keep any food down, you may be worried about vomiting after taking your birth control pill. But what are the risks of getting pregnant if you’re sick?

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is marked by physical and psychological symptoms and usually occurs a week before menstruation. A majority of women (90%) get PMS at some point in their lives. Although only 5% to 8% suffer severe PMS. Common symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, mood swings, breast tenderness, poor concentration, and headaches. Unsurprisingly, these symptoms can be a great source of distress for many women and significantly interfere with their lives. 

You want to have control over your birth control. And understanding how much your choice of pill, diaphragm, sponge, patch or condom will set you back, allows you to find the contraceptive method that’s right for you. Let’s take a closer look.

The contraceptive pill is a popular method for women to avoid pregnancy. If used correctly, the pill is 99% safe in preventing pregnancy. The pill is the most commonly used oral contraceptive and 25% of U.S. women between the ages of 15 to 44 are currently using it.

Spotting or intermenstrual bleeding is defined as light bleeding during the times when you’re not menstruating. It is completely normal among women who are taking the pill. One study of women taking a combined contraceptive pill found that 24% of them experienced spotting in the first three months, decreasing to 4% thereafter.

Endometriosis is a condition that affects around 11% of American women of reproductive age. The condition is associated with menstrual cramps and pain predominantly located in the abdomen. Patients may also experience pain during intercourse, when moving their bowels or during urination. Other symptoms can include bleeding or spotting between menstruation, digestive issues such as bloating, constipation and fatigue. In some cases, endometriosis can lead to fertility problems.

When it comes to birth control, the available options can seem endless and confusing at times. There’s the contraceptive pill, the patch, the intrauterine device, diaphragms, condoms, and femidoms. Wait! What are femidoms and how do they work?

Roughly half of women in the UK said they experienced menstruation issues, according to a government survey. Meanwhile, a Dutch survey found that among 43,000 girls and women, 85% had cramps and 77% complained about mood swings during their periods.

An estimated 11 million women in the U.S. are using the contraceptive pill, making it one of the most prescribed medications in the country. The National Survey of Family Growth among 12,279 women between 2006 and 2010 found that 88% of sexually active women between the ages 15 to 44 had previously used a hormonal contraceptive such as the pill, the patch or the intrauterine device.  

Ever wondered whether you can boost the pregnancy preventing powers of your regular contraceptive method? Perhaps you have wished for protection to actually be fun? If so, using spermicide may be an option for you.

Hormonal methods of birth control (contraception) contain female hormones in the form of either estrogen and progestin, or progestin only. They are a safe and reliable way to prevent pregnancy for most women and include an implant, an intrauterine device (IUD), injections, pills, a vaginal ring, and a skin patch.  IUD or coil is a small, often T-shaped birth control device that is inserted into a woman's uterus to prevent pregnancy.

Men are more limited than women when it comes to contraceptive methods. This is due to a combination of reasons. Traditionally the focus of pregnancy has been that it is a women’s issue and responsibility has been shifted to women in this regard, furthermore research takes several years and is riddled with ethical and technical challenges. Nevertheless, new developments are being made and a male pill may be on the horizon.  

It is estimated that around 40% of women in the United States experience some form of sexual dysfunction at some point in their lives, including reduced sex drive (libido). Since the introduction of birth control pills in the 1960s, the potential impact of birth control on the female sex drive remains debatable. If you feel confused about whether or not your birth control is impacting your love life, don’t worry: it is confusing. You will find some guidance here on what birth control is and what experts say about contraception and the libido.  

If you’ve been considering the IUD (or Intrauterine device), it’s vital to get the facts and decide which version best suits your needs. In this article, we break down some of the key differences between the types of IUD available for women and discuss their relative strengths and weaknesses.

The simple answer is no; birth control does not usually cause weight gain. But don’t stop here, keep reading. In this article, we’ll debunk the myth behind birth control and weight gain while giving you a better understanding of what you’re putting into your body.