The FDA is allowing women over-the-counter access to one brand of one form of birth control pill. But the agency should follow the advice of medical experts and let women exercise their right to self-medicate with all hormonal contraceptives.
contraception
An FDA expert panel just recommended unanimously that one type of birth control pill should be sold over the counter. Drs. Jeffrey Singer and Josh Bloom argue in their opinion piece in Reason Magazine that the FDA should not only approve the so-called "mini-pill" but allow other types of oral contraceptives to be sold OTC as well – something that is permitted in 100 countries around the world.
In April, American scientists will begin testing a new contraceptive gel — for men. A combination of two synthetic hormones, it's been found to be effective in shutting down sperm production in preliminary testing. So perhaps soon men will have another option besides condoms and vasectomies. Guys, welcome to the world of modern contraception!
With all of the products that can be custom-made these days, why not condoms? Given the rampant fit-and-feel complaints of many men, will these new offerings actually reverse the declining trend of consistent condom use?
One very sure means of contraception is vasectomy — a minor surgical operation that blocks the transfer of sperm from a man's testes to his urethra (and thus to his partner) by interrupting the tube leading from the testis. One concern has been that somehow this procedure might increase the risk of prostate cancer. But now a meta analysis has found that the risk is virtually non-existent.
When the House of Representatives says it will "defund" Planned Parenthood, it sounds simple. But it's not – because lawmakers will have to enact new rules about who gets paid via Title X and Medicaid. That would mean that many women (and some men, too) wouldn't have access to a wide variety of both contraceptive, and general, health care.
We didn't think that questioning the efficacy of contraception was still a thing. So we took a look at the data, just to be sure. And as we suspected, the facts show that the most-widely used forms of birth control don't just work, but when used properly they are incredibly effective.
The burden of contraception rests heavily on a woman’s shoulders. Male options have been limited to the pull-out method, condoms and the dreaded “V’ word – vasectomy. But according to a recent study, injectable male contraception proved to be highly effective and comparable in efficacy to female contraceptives. So why not continue the research?
Some men would give their right testicle to have access to contraception that doesn't involve pleasure-killing condoms or cringe-inducing surgical snips. Biology, unfortunately, has made targeting contraception at the female reproductive system far easier than targeting the male reproductive system.
With the heartbreaking photo of a Syrian child rescued from a bombed house making its way around the internet -- as well as our nonstop election circus -- it's time for some good news for a change. The CDC reports that pregnancy in teens aged 15-19 has fallen by 46 percent from 2007 to 2015.
In MMWR, its weekly report, the CDC presented somewhat encouraging statistics about the use of long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) hormonal implants and IUDs by teens between 2005 and 2013.