Some of you may remember my issues with the birth control pill, Yaz. After surviving a pulmonary embolism, I can now consider myself relatively healthy although doctors are not sure if I will have more complications in the future. Even though I've been off my medication for two and a half years, I am still dealing with what happened every day.
The government just overruled the FDA's decision to allow Plan B (the pill which, if taken 72 hours after sex can very significantly reduce the risk of pregnancy) to be sold on drugstores shelves to anyone of age.
More proof that birth control pills can be evil: Women who are on the drug tend to choose partners who are less attractive and worse in bed.
xoJane's "Health Editor," a term we're going to use very loosely, wrote a piece about why she prefers the Plan B method of birth control to all others. Why? Well, in her words, the Pill will make her "fat," make her "spot," and according to her, will not prevent her from getting preggers because she's in that teeny-tiny minority who got knocked up on it.
Despite what you may have learned in high school sex ed class, the rhythm method may actually be quite an effective form of birth control.
It's hard to imagine the words "free" and "birth control" being in the same sentence, especially to the women who have spent years paying upwards of $30 for their montly pills. Yet, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which deals exclusively with women's and reproductive issues, has released a new report that suggests birth control could soon be free and accessible for all American women.
Scientists at Columbia University are tinkering away at the first male birth control pill. It hasn't been approved by the FDA, but once it is, the thing could be on the market pretty quickly. Check out this poll at The Frisky and sound off on whether you'd trust your dude to take the male contraceptive.
When it comes to birth control, newer isn't always better. Third generation contraceptive pills, developed in the 1980s, put women at greater risk for developing health complications than those who use older varieties.
In this day and age, it seems like every one of my friends is on the birth control pill. However, unlike most girls, most of my friends went on the pill to have sex at the end of high school, and simply stayed on it to enter college. And while most people know the basics of birth control, few people ever bother to read the fine print. So here are some of the most important things that you should know (i.e. all the stuff that’s on that little packet of info you throw out every month):
They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but two French aristocrats-turned-designers have decided that you can judge a condom by its packaging. Last month, H.R.H. Prince Charles Emmanuel de Bourbon-Parme and Count Gil de Bizemontm founders of the Original Condom Company, announced a line of luxury condoms packaged in cases resembling high-end jewelry boxes.
In mid-August, a brand spanking new 5-day contraceptive pill called ella was passed by the FDA. Proven to prevent pregnancy for up to five days after unprotected sex, Europeans have enjoyed the drug since May 2009 and us Americans will be able to purchase it later this year. So what exactly is ella, and should we all stock up?
