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Contraception

Related Topics:

• HRT / RU-486 / female sexuality / impotence / testosterone replacement

Online Sources:

• online prescriptions / drugstore.com
• The Today Sponge is back!
• Plan B (Levonorgestrel) is an emergency contraceptive that can be used to prevent pregnancy following unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive failure - eDrugstore.com

Alternative News:

• Vitamin B6 Supplementation Reduces Symptoms of Depression in College Women Taking Oral Contraceptives: A Randomized, Double-Blind Crossover Trial - J Diet Suppl 2022 Feb 2 - "Oral contraceptive (OC) users have a heightened risk of low plasma concentrations of vitamin B6, a cofactor in the tryptophan-serotonin pathway critical to mood regulation ... During the 12-week, randomized, double-blind crossover trial (4-week treatment periods [100 mg vitamin B6 daily or placebo] separated by a 4-week washout) participants (n = 8) maintained normal exercise and eating patterns and recorded tablet consumption daily. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used to assess mental health before and after each 4-week treatment period. Average dietary vitamin B6 intakes did not vary during the trial (1.2-1.4 mg/d), whereas vitamin B6 status rose significantly following the B6 supplementation period compared to the other three time points. BDI-II scores were reduced 20% by vitamin B6 supplementation in comparison to an 11% rise with placebo ingestion (p = 0.046). POMS scores were not significantly impacted by vitamin B6 supplementation. These preliminary data support a growing literature suggesting the benefits of B6 supplementation for reducing symptoms of depression in young women using OC" - See vitamin B6 at Amazon.com.
• Supplementation with Vitamin B6 Reduces Side Effects in Cambodian Women Using Oral Contraception - Nutrients. 2014 Aug 26;6(9):3353-3362 - "1011 women obtaining oral contraception through the public health system in rural Cambodia were allocated to either intervention or control groups, receiving either daily Vitamin B6 supplement or care as usual (without placebo). Results: The intervention participants (n = 577) reported fewer side effects in three categories: nausea/no appetite, headache, and depression compared with control group participants (n = 434)"
• Effect of contraceptive pill on the selenium and zinc status of healthy subjects - Contraception. 2009 Jul;80(1):40-3 - "Use of OCP resulted in a significant decrease in serum zinc levels (p</=.009, t=-3.666) and alteration of selenium levels but not significantly (p=.08, t=0.935)"
• Trends Of Vitamin B6 Status In US Population Sample Identified - Science Daily, 5/20/08 - "Across the study population, we noticed participants with inadequate vitamin B6 status even though they reported consuming more than the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin B6, which is less than 2 milligrams per day ... Three quarters of the women who reported using oral contraceptives, but not vitamin B6 supplements, were vitamin B6 deficient"

News & Research:

• Study finds key brain region smaller in birth control pill users - Science Daily, 12/4/19 - "We found a dramatic difference in the size of the brain structures between women who were taking oral contraceptives and those who were not"
• Long-term oral contraceptive users twice as likely to have serious eye disease - Science Daily, 11/18/13 - "females who had used oral contraceptives, no matter which kind, for longer than three years are 2.05 times more likely to also report that they have the diagnosis of glaucoma"
• Oral Contraceptive Use and Risk of Breast, Cervical, Colorectal, and Endometrial Cancers: A Systematic Review - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013 Sep 6 - "Breast cancer incidence was slightly but significantly increased in users (OR=1.08, CI 1.00-1.17); results show a higher risk associated with more recent use of OCs. Risk of cervical cancer was increased with duration of OC use in women with human papillomavirus infection; heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis. Colorectal cancer (OR=0.86, CI 0.79-0.95) and endometrial cancer incidences (OR=0.57, CI 0.43-0.77) were significantly reduced by OC use. Compared with never use, ever use of OCs is significantly associated with decreases in colorectal and endometrial cancers and increases in breast cancers. Although elevated breast cancer risk was small, relatively high incidence of breast cancers means that OCs may contribute to a substantial number of cases"
• Which Birth Control Pill Is Safest? - WebMD, 8/13/09
• Contraceptive Sponge Makes a Return to Pharmacy Shelves - NYTimes.com, 5/22/09 - "The Today Sponge is scheduled to go on sale by this weekend at 6,500 CVS and Longs Drug Stores, the distributor said" - If anyone forgot that episode, click here for the abbreviated YouTube version.  I'm sure DrugStore.com will have it soon.
• Oral Contraceptives Impair Muscle Gains In Young Women - Science Daily, 4/17/09
• Birth Control Pill Yasmin Goes Generic - WebMD, 6/24/08
• Certain Oral Contraceptives May Pose Health Risks, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 3/10/08
• Contraceptive Pill: Cancer Protection - WebMD, 1/24/08 - "Each five-year interval of oral contraceptive use cuts a woman's ovarian cancer risk by up to 29%. The longer a woman uses the pill, the lower her risk of ovarian cancer"
• Decrease in Cancer Risk for Pill Users - WebMD, 9/11/07 - "researchers found a 12% decreased risk of any cancer in oral contraceptive users compared with women who never used birth control pills"
• FDA Approves Contraceptive for Continuous Use - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/07
• New Oral Contraceptive May End Periods - WebMD, 12/13/06
• Morning-After Pill Is Over the Counter - WebMD, 8/24/06
• FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Access for Plan B for Women 18 and Older - Doctor's Guide, 8/24/06
• Higher-Dose Copper IUDs Provide Better Pregnancy Protection - Doctor's Guide, 7/22/06
• FDA OKs New Implantable Contraceptive - WebMD, 7/18/06
• Wyeth Receives Approvable Letter From the FDA for Lybrel - Doctor's Guide, 6/29/06
• FDA OKs New Birth Control Pill - WebMD, 5/26/06
• FDA Approves Seasonique(TM) Extended-Cycle Oral Contraceptive - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/06
• New Oral Contraceptive Available in the United States - Doctor's Guide, 4/19/06
• Contraception: Treat it With Options - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/06
• FDA Approves YAZ(R), the First Oral Contraceptive to Offer Drospirenone in a 24-Day, Active-Pill Regimen - Doctor's Guide, 3/17/06
• FDA Approves New Oral Contraceptive Loestrin 24 Fe (norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol tablets, USP and ferrous fumarate tablets) - Doctor's Guide, 2/20/06
• Birth Control Patch May Up Clot Risk - WebMD, 2/17/06
• Less Sexual Desire After the Pill? - WebMD, 1/3/06 - "some birth control pills can lower a woman's free-testosterone level ... Those who had used oral contraceptives had four times higher SHBG levels than those who had never used this birth control method"
• Research Shows Added Calcium Benefits Women on the Pill - Doctor's Guide, 8/18/05
• Low-Dose Oral Contraceptives May Increase Risk for Heart Attack or Stroke - Doctor's Guide, 7/7/05
• Hormones May Remain Altered One Year After Oral Contraceptive Discontinuation - Doctor's Guide, 5/27/05
• Halting Oral Contraceptives: Effects Linger - WebMD, 5/19/05
• On the Pill? Extra Weight Ups Pregnancy Risk - WebMD, 12/29/04
• Hypertension: On The Pill? Tell Your Dentist - Science Daily, 12/23/04
• Oral Contraceptives Associated with Reduced Cardiovascular and Cancer Risks - Doctor's Guide, 10/21/04 - "there was an 8% risk reduction for any cardiovascular disease ... women reporting contraceptive use had significantly reduced risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer (odds ratios of 0.81 and 0.82, respectively). There was no association between oral contraceptive use and risk of breast, cervix, colon or bladder cancer"
• Birth Control Pill vs. the Vaginal Ring - WebMD, 9/8/04
• A Better Birth Control Pill? - Dr. Weil, 11/11/03
• New Contraceptive Methods Offer Many Options for Women - Doctor's Guide, 10/12/03
• Postmenopausal Former Oral Contraceptives Users May Have Lower Rates of Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/2/03
• FDA Approves Seasonale (Levonorgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol) Extended-Cycle Oral Contraceptive - Doctor's Guide, 9/8/03
• Oral Contraceptives and Depression - Medscape, 8/7/03
• IUDs Most Cost-Effective Birth Control - WebMD, 7/29/03
• Oral Contraceptive Use and Risk of Death Restricted to Smokers - Doctor's Guide, 7/24/03
• Birth Control Pill Safe for Most Women - WebMD, 7/17/03
• Menstrual Cycle Proves More Complex - WebMD, 7/10/03
• Low-Dose Birth Control Pill May Have Less Stroke Risk For Young Women - Doctor's Guide, 6/13/03
• Is it true that taking the birth control pill will cause cervical cancer? - Dr. Weil, 5/13/03
• Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO (Norgestimate/Ethinyl Estradiol) Shows No Effect on Body Weight Up to 13 Weeks - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/03
• Even the Best Contraceptive Methods Can Fail - WebMD, 4/29/03
• Birth Control Pill Linked to Heart Disease Protein - WebMD, 4/11/03 - "young women who took birth control pills had twice as much C-reactive protein in their blood as a similar group of women who did not use birth control pills ... It is possible that oral contraceptive use promotes inflammation" - See my inflammation page for ways to reduce it.
• Length Of Oral Contraceptive Use Raises Cervical Cancer Risks - Doctor's Guide, 4/3/04
• Best Condoms Still Latex, More Get Pregnant Using Polyurethane - WebMD, 3/21/03
• Continuous Birth Control Pills Can Make Periods Obsolete - WebMD, 3/12/03
• Birth Control Sponge Returns - WebMD, 3/6/03
• Sponge contraceptive on sale again - USA Today, 3/4/03
• Treating PMS With the Pill - WebMD, 2/27/03 - "The two-year-old pill, known by the trade name Yasmin, is the first to use the progestin drospirenone, which is believed to have diuretic properties because it is similar in structure to a water pill called spironolactone ... Prior to taking the contraceptive 30% of the women reported that PMS affected their daily activities, but that figure dropped to 16% for those on the pill. The number of women reporting that PMS affected their general well-being also dropped, from 35% prior to taking the birth control pill to 21% while on it"
• Bleeding Similar After Immediate Versus Conventional Start Of Contraceptives - Doctor's Guide, 2/19/03
• The Pill Still Safe After 35 - WebMD, 1/6/03
• Young Women Need Careful Counselling On Tubal Ligation - Doctor's Guide, 12/31/02
• After Long Hiatus, New Contraceptives Emerge - NY Times, 12/10/02
• FDA Approves Sterilization Method - Intelihealth, 11/5/02
• Low-Dose Contraceptives Influence Lacrimal Fluid Peroxidase - Doctor's Guide, 11/4/02
• Young Military Women Unaware of Amenorrhoeic Effects of Oral Contraceptives - Doctor's Guide, 10/23/02
• Oral Contraceptive Can Boost Enalapril's Antihypertensive Effects In Postmenopausal Women - Doctor's Guide, 9/30/02
• Birth Control Pills May Aid Fertility - WebMD, 9/27/02
• Pill, Weight Gain Not Linked - Intelihealth, 9/23/02
• Study Shows Oral Contraceptive Use By Young Women Does not Contribute to Weight Gain - Doctor's Guide, 9/12/02
• Bone Loss In Depo-Provera Users Largely Reversible - Doctor's Guide, 9/6/02
• Contraceptive Vaginal Ring Effective, Well-Tolerated, Convenient - Medscape, 9/6/02
• Depo-Provera Linked to Heart Problems - WebMD, 9/4/02
• New Overview Adds More Evidence For Safety Of Third Generation Oral Contraceptives - Doctor's Guide, 8/30/02
• New, Low Dose Formulation of Nation's #1 Prescribed Birth Control Pill Approved by FDA - Doctor's Guide, 8/23/02
• Oral Contraceptive Use Helps Prevent Goitre Development - Doctor's Guide, 8/1/02
• Spermicide Coated Condoms Increases Urinary Tract Infection Rates Among Women - Doctor's Guide, 7/29/02
• Back-Up Contraception No Longer Required for Women Using Norplant(R) System - Doctor's Guide, 7/26/02
• Antiepileptic Drug Levetiracetam Does Not Interfere With OCP - Medscape, 7/22/02
• Most Women Prefer Having Fewer Periods - WebMD, 6/21/02
• Few Regrets After Sterilization - WebMD, 6/19/02
• Contraceptives Don't Protect Against Leading Cause of Infertility - WebMD, 5/31/02
• Weight Adds to Pill's Failure Risk - WebMD, 5/10/02
• New Birth Control Pill Means Fewer Periods - WebMD, 5/9/02
• Essure Microinsert Sterilization Device 99.9 percent Effective at One year - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/02
• First Birth Control Patch, ORTHO EVRA Now Available by Prescription - Doctor's Guide, 4/30/02
• The Pill Linked to Cervical Cancer - WebMD, 3/26/02
• Oral Contraceptives may Increase Risk of Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 3/25/02
• The Pill May Increase Breast Cancer - WebMD, 3/23/02
• New Birth Control Pills, Same Old Stroke Risk - WebMD, 2/7/02
• Study: IUDs not prevalent due to doctors - USA Today, 1/31/02
• Hormone In Contraceptive Fights Cancer - Intelihealth, 1/2/02 - "Progestin is the ingredient in oral contraceptive pills that provides the highest level of protection against ovarian cancer ... the cancer risk was cut by about 50 percent in all women taking pills containing the hormones estrogen and progestin ... However, women who took pills containing high levels of progestin reduced their risk of ovarian cancer by an additional 50 percent"
• Studies Suggest Tiny Coil Might Work As First Non-Surgical Method Of Sterilization - Intelihealth, 12/4/01
• FDA Approves Birth Control Patch, Ortho Evra (Norelgestromin/Ethinyl Estradiol) - Doctor's Guide, 11/21/01
• FDA Approves First Skin Patch Contraceptive - WebMD, 11/20/01
• More Choices The Newest Thing In Contraception - Intelihealth, 11/9/01
• Does The Pill Affect Libido By Blunting A Woman's Sense Of Smell? - Intelihealth, 10/26/01
• Femhrt And Estrostep (Norethindrone Acetate/Ethinyl Estradiol) Combat Osteoporosis And Acne - Doctor's Guide, 10/23/01
• Birth Control Patch, Ortho Evra (Norelgestromin/Estradiol), Demonstrates Efficacy and Convenience - Doctor's Guide, 10/22/01
• Bone Mineral Density Lower in Women Who Take Oral Contraceptives - Doctor's Guide, 10/15/01
• Estrogen Replacement Therapy Helps Avoid Bone Thinning Due to Injectable Contraceptive - Doctor's Guide, 10/14/01
• FDA Approves New Form Of Birth Control - Intelihealth, 10/3/01
• Study Discounts Link Between IUD Birth-Control Devices And Infertility - Intelihealth, 8/23/01
• Adverse Sexual, Emotional Side Effects of Birth Control Pills May Lead To Discontinuation - Doctor's Guide, 7/24/01
• The Pill: Is Newer Better? - WebMD, 7/20/01
• New Study Supports View That Third Generation Pill Increases Risk Of Blood Clots - Intelihealth, 7/20/01
• The Today Sponge Coming (Back) Soon - WebMD, 7/13/01
• FDA Approves Yasmin (Drospirenone/Ethinyl Estradiol), Oral Contraceptive Containing Drospirenone - Doctor's Guide, 5/14/01 - "Women who participated in clinical studies tolerated Yasmin very well, with only six percent discontinuing use due to side effects. The most common reasons women gave for discontinuing use were emotional liability, headache, nausea, dysmenorrhea, intermenstrual bleeding and depression"
• FDA Approves New Birth Control Pill, Yasmin May Also Work for Severe PMS - WebMD, 5/15/01 - "the women "had marked changes in their responses to the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire." After six months, the women said they felt better and had less water retention than before they took the pill, she said"
• Getting Examined to Get the Pill, Is it necessary? Study suggests full exam not needed for women to get - WebMD, 5/1/01
• ACOG Officials Push For Greater Use Of Emergency Contraceptive Pills - Doctor's Guide, 5/1/01
• Contraceptive Norplant (Levonorgestrel) As Safe And Effective As IUDs And Sterilization - Doctor's Guide, 4/2/01
• Could a Pill Protect Like a Condom? - WebMD, 3/2/01
• Contraceptive Mirena (Levonorgestrel) Now Available In US - Doctor's Guide, 2/15/01
• FDA Approves Mirena (Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine System) Contraceptive - Doctor's Guide, 12/7/00
• Getting tubes tied doesn't change menstruation - CNN, 12/7/00
• New birth control device wins nod from FDA - CNN, 12/7/00
• Study Finds No Link Between Having 'Tubes Tied' and Problem Periods - WebMD, 12/6/00
• Oral Contraceptive Use Does Not Affect Bone Mass - Doctor's Guide, 11/28/00
• The Return of the Sponge: Women Are Still Waiting - WebMD, 10/19/00
• FDA Approves Country's First Once-a-Month Birth Control Option - WebMD, 10/6/00 - "The FDA has approved a contraceptive shot named Lunelle, a once-a-month birth control option that is the first of its kind in the United States"
• Newer, Low-Dose Oral Contraceptives As Protective Against Ovarian Cancer As Older, High-Dose Pills - Doctor's Guide, 7/24/00
• The New Generation of Birth Control Pills - WebMD, 7/13/00
• The Sponge to Make a Comeback - WebMD, 7/12/00
• Mircette 20 mg As Effective As Higher Dose Contraceptive Pills - Doctor's Guide, 3/13/00
• No Link Between Vasectomy And Prostate Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 12/30/99
• Seven-Day Contraceptive Patch Effective And Has Few Side Effects - Doctor's Guide, 12/29/99
• FDA Approves Contraception Drug - Intelihealth, 7/30/99
• FDA Approves Plan B Emergency Contraceptive - Doctor's Guide, 7/29/99
• Preven Emergency Contraceptive Kit Approved by the FDA - Doctor's Guide, 9/2/98
• Progestin-Only Contraceptives May Increase Risk Of Type II Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/11/98
• Mircette, Low-Dose Oral Contraceptive, Available In U.S. - Doctor's Guide, 7/24/98
• New Low-Dose Oral Contraceptive, Minesse, Shown To Reduce Side Effects - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/98
• Oral Contraceptive, Mircette, Receives FDA Approval - Doctor's Guide, 4/23/98
• Women Who Miss Two Birth-Control Pills Risk Pregnancy - Doctor's Guide, 12/9/97
• FDA Clears Alesse, New Low-Dose Oral Contraceptive - Doctor's Guide, 3/31/97
• New Study Reveals Dangerous Contraception Myths - Doctor's Guide, 11/22/96
• Levonorgestrel May Be Better Emergency-Contraceptive Pill - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/96
• The Pill Does Not Increase Long-Term Risk of Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 9/24/96
• Protectaid Contraceptive Sponge with F-5 Gel(r) Effective for Contraception - Doctor's Guide, 2/13/96