Birth Control News and Research

RSS

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.

29 Mar 2016

Simple tool for inserting intrauterine device may offer low-cost option for long-term contraception

A simple tool designed for inserting an intrauterine device may offer women in the developing world a convenient, low-cost option for long-term contraception.

24 Mar 2016

Women taking birth control pill less likely to suffer serious knee injuries

Researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have found that women who take the birth control pill, which lessen and stabilize estrogen levels, were less likely to suffer serious knee injuries. The findings are currently available in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.

21 Mar 2016

Researchers aim to design a better male contraceptive pill

Women can choose from a wide selection of birth control methods, including numerous oral contraceptives, but there's never been an analogous pill for men. That's not for lack of trying: For many years, scientists have attempted to formulate a male pill. Finally, a group of researchers has taken a step toward that goal by tweaking some experimental compounds that show promise.

14 Mar 2016

Alcohol worst of all drugs that affect fetal health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set off a firestorm of controversy this month when they suggested that women stop drinking alcohol if they are trying to get pregnant, or could get pregnant. Some people took this advice as the CDC prioritizing hypothetical, yet-to-be-conceived children over real women, which has brought up a number of issues from female autonomy to access to birth control—but how clear is the science about what causes fetal alcohol syndrome and related fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

9 Mar 2016

FDA takes actions to help women, doctors better understand potential problems associated with Essure

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today actions to provide important information about the risks of using Essure and to help women and their doctors be better informed of the potential complications associated with implantable forms of sterilization.

1 Mar 2016

Young men’s attitude toward risky sex, pregnancy can predict fatherhood patterns

A new Northwestern Medicine study has found an adolescent male's attitude toward risky sex, pregnancy and birth control can predict whether or not he will end up living with his future offspring.

17 Feb 2016

Researchers sequence genetic blueprint of Lyme-disease-spreading tick

Researchers have sequenced the genetic blueprint of one of the most prolific pathogen-transmitting agents on the planet - the Lyme-disease-spreading tick (Ixodes scapularis) that bites humans. The findings could lead to advances in not only disrupting the tick's capacity to spread diseases but also in eradicating the pest.

10 Feb 2016

Smartphone app helps increase contraceptive use among married rural women in India

A smartphone app containing motivational videos developed to help married rural women in India better understand contraceptive choices led to a dramatic increase in the number of women using modern family planning methods in just a few months, new Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) research suggests.

29 Jan 2016

Migraines heat up as women near menopause

Migraine headaches heat up as women approach menopause, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Cincinnati, Montefiore Headache Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Vedanta Research.

21 Jan 2016

Estrogen may protect women against flu

The female sex hormone estrogen has anti-viral effects against the influenza A virus, commonly known as the flu, a new study in American Journal of Physiology—Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology reports.

13 Jan 2016

Women suffering from blood clots can safely take hormone replacement therapy with anticoagulants

New research published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), is the first to demonstrate that women on blood thinners can take estrogen-containing contraception or hormone replacement therapy without an increased risk of blood clots or uterine bleeding.

23 Dec 2015