Birth Control News and Research

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Hormonal contraceptives linked to more sex in committed relationships

Sex is quite wonderful when the goal is to have children. But sex can also serve as a "glue" in a committed relationship.

8 Dec 2016

Concerns about weight gain may affect contraception choices

Concerns about weight gain may be driving contraception choices, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

17 Nov 2016

Men can take contraceptives to prevent pregnancy in female partners, study shows

Men can take birth control shots to prevent pregnancy in their female partners, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

27 Oct 2016

Many gay and bisexual men unaware that PrEP medication may reduce HIV risk

Only four in 10 gay and bisexual men in Baltimore without HIV are aware that pre-exposure prophylaxis medication (PrEP) may significantly reduce their risk of contracting the virus, even those who had recently visited a doctor or been tested for a sexually transmitted disease, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

5 Oct 2016

Training during first two weeks of menstrual cycle can have more effect on muscular strength

Research at Umeå University provides new insights into when during the menstrual cycle it is advantageous to periodise your strength training.

21 Sep 2016

Female sex hormone appears to stave off worst effects of influenza infection

In mouse studies, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found that progesterone - a female sex hormone contained in most forms of hormone-based birth control - appears to stave off the worst effects of influenza infection and, in an unexpected finding, help damaged lung cells to heal more quickly.

15 Sep 2016

Women using contraception containing estrogen may have high vitamin D levels, study shows

Women risk having their vitamin D levels fall when they stop using birth control pills or other contraceptives containing estrogen, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

4 Aug 2016

UTA researchers find how changing estrogen levels make women more vulnerable to cocaine addiction

Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are studying how fluctuating estrogen levels make females increasingly sensitive to the rewarding effects of cocaine and ultimately, vulnerable to cocaine addiction.

2 Aug 2016

Early and late menopause linked to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Women who begin menopause before age 46 or after 55 have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study of more than 124,000 women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative, a large national trial aimed at preventing disease in postmenopausal women.

27 Jul 2016

UCLA urologist debunks 5 common myths about vasectomies

Men can be very concerned about what happens during, and after, a vasectomy - specifically how it will affect them personally. Dr. Jesse Mills, a clinical professor of urology and director of The Men's Clinic at UCLA, says the many myths surrounding the procedure can make men rethink what is often a smart choice for them.

20 Jul 2016

Maternal pregabalin exposure linked to major birth defect risk

First trimester exposure to pregabalin may be associated with an increased risk of major birth defects, an observational study suggests.

19 May 2016

Taking pregabalin drug during pregnancy could lead to major birth defects

A drug commonly used to treat pain, epilepsy, anxiety and other brain health disorders may be associated with an increased risk of major birth defects, according to a study published in the May 18, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 May 2016

Boehringer Ingelheim presents new data on OFEV® (nintedanib) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)

New analyses presented at the American Thoracic Society’s 2016 annual conference (ATS 2016) further add to the efficacy and safety profile of OFEV® (nintedanib) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

16 May 2016

Reasons for life-threatening blood clots in elite athletes

Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., a professor of medicine and director of the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Program at the University of Vermont, provides commentary on the causes of life-threatening blood clots in elite athletes.

6 May 2016

Derivatives of female sex hormones can influence natural melanin production, study suggests

When skin cells responsible for pigmentation are exposed to estrogen or progesterone, the cells respond by adjusting their melanin production, resulting in either skin darkening or lightening. Although pregnant women often experience alterations in skin pigmentation, the reason for the changes has long puzzled physicians.

27 Apr 2016

Researchers reach milestone in developing non-hormonal approach to male contraception

Researchers studying strategies to develop a non-hormonal approach to male contraception have reached an important milestone in their work, discovering a way to produce a key enzyme found only in sperm in sufficient quantities that they can begin designing drugs to stop the sperm from swimming to the egg.

13 Apr 2016

Certain types of hormonal contraceptives may increase risk of seizures in women with epilepsy

Could certain types of hormonal contraceptives cause an increase in seizures in women with epilepsy? A recent Texas A&M Health Science Center study suggests that ethinyl estradiol, the primary component of oral contraceptives, could be detrimental to the epileptic brain.

30 Mar 2016

Oregon's new birth control law could improve access to all forms of contraception

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, University of Minnesota School of Public Health and George Mason University applaud Oregon's new birth control law which allows women age 18 or older to obtain some methods of hormonal contraception directly from pharmacies, without having to visit a prescribing clinician, yet note how the law could go even further to improve access to all forms of contraception, according to a viewpoint article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association today.

29 Mar 2016

Fertility goes down when cost of achieving social status goes up

Competition for social status may be an important driver of lower fertility in the modern world, suggests a new study published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.