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Women often excluded from type 2 diabetes drug trials

While women who are pregnant, or breastfeeding or who may become pregnant are often excluded from clinical trials for type 2 diabetes drugs, the exclusion is frequently not based on the risk of fetal harm, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers and may be contributing to the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials and an incomplete understanding of the effects of drugs on women who become pregnant unexpectedly.

6 May 2016

Mozambique women who use modern contraceptives more likely to undergo HIV testing

Women in sub-Saharan Africa who use modern contraceptives are more likely to be tested for HIV than those who do not, according to a study published April 25, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Katherine Center from the University of Arizona and colleagues.

27 Apr 2016

Hormonal contraception may increase susceptibility of women to genital infection

Women account for approximately half of all individuals living with HIV worldwide, and researchers wanted to identify the risk factors that increase susceptibility of women to genital infection.

20 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

Scientists identify RingoA protein as key regulator of meiosis

Published today in Nature Communications, a study by scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine headed by ICREA researcher Angel R. Nebreda has reported that the protein RingoA is a key regulator of meiosis--the cell division process that gives rise to ovules and sperm for sexual reproduction in mammals.

31 Mar 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

UC Berkeley biologists discover potential target for unisex contraceptives

UC Berkeley biologists have discovered the switch that triggers the power kick sperm use to penetrate and fertilize a human egg, uncovering a possible source of male infertility but also a potential target for contraceptives that work in both men and women.

26 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

Oral contraceptives increase rare stroke risk in obese women

Researchers have found that obese women taking oral contraceptives have an increased risk of cerebral venous thrombosis and should be educated about this risk accordingly.

16 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

New research reveals European women's attitudes towards sexual behaviours, emergency contraceptive pill

New research released on International Women’s Day, reveals more than three in four European women (77%) are aware of the morning after pill as an option for managing the risk of an unplanned pregnancy after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure.

8 Mar 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

Mylan announces U.S. launch of generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo Tablets

Mylan N.V. today announced the U.S. launch of Norgestimate and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets USP, 0.18 mg/0.025 mg, 0.215 mg/0.025 mg, and 0.25 mg/0.025 mg, which is the generic version of Janssen's Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo Tablets.

5 Jan 2016

Bridion injection approved to reverse effects of neuromuscular blocking drugs used during certain types of surgery

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Bridion (sugammadex) injection to reverse the effects of neuromuscular blockade induced by rocuronium bromide and vecuronium bromide, which are used during certain types of surgery in adults.

16 Dec 2015

Incorporating postpartum contraceptive services across the continuum of reproductive healthcare

Approximately one-quarter of inter-birth intervals in low- and middle-income countries are less than 24 months in length, exposing infants to risks of prematurity, low birthweight, and death. Increased evidence of these health risks has emerged in the past few decades and, after a period of neglect, interest in postpartum family planning has followed, supported by organizations like WHO and USAID.

13 Dec 2015

Progesterone supplements fail to improve birth rate among women with a history of miscarriage

A new study has shown that taking progesterone supplements during the first trimester of pregnancy does not improve the chances of maintaining pregnancy among women who have a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage.

26 Nov 2015

Women with moderate-to-severe PMS at increased risk of developing high blood pressure in later life

In the first prospective study to consider premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as a possible sentinel for future risk of hypertension, epidemiologist Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson and colleagues in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Harvard School of Public Health report that women with moderate-to-severe PMS had a 40 percent higher risk of developing high blood pressure over the following 20 years compared to women experiencing few menstrual symptoms.

25 Nov 2015

Ovarian cancer patients with a history of oral contraceptive use have better outcomes

Patients who develop ovarian cancer appear to have better outcomes if they have a history of oral contraceptive use, according to a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published in the current issue of the journal BMC Cancer.

12 Nov 2015