There is a ton of news coverage of laws pertaining to women’s sexual health right now, and it’s not looking too good for women who want not only access to contraception and basic health rights, but also to accurate information about their bodies. Feministe gives a good run-down of the various states that have passed, or are trying to pass, laws that would make it illegal for women to get abortions after 20 weeks (even if the fetus is dead), or that would list all doctors in the state who perform abortions (despite the fact that such doctors are often targeted by violent protesters and sometimes killed), and so on. Women are compared to livestock that sometimes have to carry non-viable fetuses to term, or they are called sluts for wanting access to birth control. Politicians in Kansas and Arizona are trying to pass bills that would allow doctors to withhold medical information from pregnant women that might affect their decisions on whether to bring a fetus to term. How a doctor might reconcile this with the Hippocratic Oath boggles my mind, as it certainly harms pregnant women to not know the full extent of what is happening with their bodies. Continue Reading →
Contraception
Recent posts
Religious Women Use Birth Control Too
A recent study finds that contraceptive use is normal among religious women in the U.S., even Catholics. The statistics show that most women in the contemporary U.S., regardless of religion, make use of some form of birth control at some point in their lives. It’s worth considering this information when assessing issues such as federally-funded access to birth control, as well as stereotypes about religious folks as homogeneously anti-choice. Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
Emergency Contraception… Anywhere!
This peer-reviewed website offers information about where one can obtain emergency contraception anywhere in the U.S., and even around the world. In addition to containing really thorough information about the various kinds of emergency contraception available, the website displays some personal stories from women who speak about their experiences with emergency contraception. This looks like a great resource, so pass along the link! Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
In Testing: New Birth Control Method For Men
Many men are disappointed with their lack of contraception options: between the barrier method and vasectomy lie few other choices. A new method (RISUG) is being tested, which entail a one-time reversible injection that prevents sperm from penetrating the egg. The procedure would take five minutes and be effective for at least ten years. Check out the petition at MaleContraceptives.org to keep up with developments or get involved. Continue Reading →
Birth Control Gel
Hormonal birth control comes in many forms: pills, rings, patches, and shots. And now scientists are researching a possible gel containing hormones that would be absorbed when a woman rubbed it on her skin. So far, the sample size has been small with just 18 women, but the results have been good. However, I’m already feeling a bit skeptical as all the articles I’ve read have pretty much touted this form of birth control to be a wonder drug. There have been no allergic reactions to the gel, none of the women in the study have become pregnant, and there seem to be none of the common side effects associated with other hormonal birth control methods such as weight gain, lower sex drive, and acne. Continue Reading →
Breastfeeding as Birth Control
While this may be common knowledge among those who have beautiful milk-filled breasts, I was surprised recently when breastfeeding was mentioned in one of my workshops as a method of birth control. After going to the trusty internet, I was amazed at what I found – for 6 months after birth, breastfeeding will be almost as effective as the pill at preventing pregnancy. Breastfeeding.com has the whole story, but here are the basics: Continue Reading →
Scented Condoms, Without The Yummy Flavor
It’s unusual for someone I know to come up with something in the contraceptive world that I haven’t heard of, so when my best friend sent me a picture of what appeared to be scented condoms I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the internet was not particularly forthcoming with information about the particular condoms in the photo. So I’m still not precisely sure if these are scented and flavored or merely scented. For other brands of condoms, it seems that scented condoms also have a flavoring of some sort and are typically brightly colored. It also seems that tropical fruit scents and flavors are more common than other scents though I have seen references to coffee scented and durian scented ones. Continue Reading →
Do Antibiotics Decrease The Effectiveness of Birth Control Pills?
The other day, a friend of mine asked me if the story that antibiotics interfere with birth control was true. I had to admit to her that I had heard the story but had no solid information to back it up. So, as any good nerd would, I decided to do some research to find out. The internet being the internet, I found quite a bit of anecdotal evidence to support the story. However, eventually I managed to find some new information. Continue Reading →
Big News: FDA Approves 5 Day Emergency Contraceptive “ella”
Yesterday evening, the NY Times reported that the FDA has approved the drug “ella” in the United States. Ella is an emergency contraceptive pill that has a longer window of effectiveness than Plan B and its generics, which are most effective within 3 days following unprotected sex. Ella is highly effective at preventing pregnancy – largely by delaying ovulation – for up to 5 days following unprotected sex. Continue Reading →
Q&A: Can birth control lower your sex drive?
Help! Birth control is killing my sex drive. What are my options? Though many women don’t have the experience of birth control dampening their libido, some do. Hormonal birth control (such as the birth control pill, patch, shot and ring) all have the potential to dampen a woman’s sex drive. Fortunately, there are other options. Continue Reading →