Contraceptive News and Research

RSS

Researcher receives grant to determine reduction of unintended pregnancies by reproductive life planning

A Penn State College of Medicine researcher has received a three-year, $1.7 million grant to help determine if the number of unintended pregnancies can be reduced through reproductive life planning.

31 Oct 2013

New understanding of sperm capacitation may improve IVF success rates

Two new papers from reproductive biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with international partners, report advances in understanding the basic processes of sperm capacitation that may one day improve success rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF) by providing a shortcut to bypass problems, and may eventually lead to a male contraceptive.

29 Oct 2013

IPM receives US$40M from USAID to advance new HIV prevention tools for women

The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) announced today that it has received two competitive five-year awards with a combined US$40 million ceiling from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

23 Oct 2013

Results of Phase 3 clinical trial of contraceptive vaginal ring presented by Population Council

Today, the Population Council presented findings from a Phase 3 clinical trial that was designed to demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of the Council's investigational one-year contraceptive vaginal ring (CVR).

16 Oct 2013

Federal appeals court mulls whether businesses can be exempt from birth control Mandate

The court is considering a case in which two brothers who own businesses in Ohio say the requirement to cover the cost of contraceptives to their employees would violate their Roman Catholic beliefs.

26 Sep 2013

Ten health care innovations could save lives of mothers and children

Ten health care innovations, if brought to scale immediately in low-resource countries, could have the potential to save the lives of some 1.2 million mothers and children in 2015.

26 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 25, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about projected health insurance premium costs on the health law's new online marketplaces, as well as news from Capitol Hill and a joint appearance by President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton to talk about the overhaul.

25 Sep 2013

Quartette tablets now available in U.S. for prevention of pregnancy

Teva Women's Health, a U.S. subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., today announced that the recently approved Quartette (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol) tablets are now available via prescription in the U.S. for the prevention of pregnancy.

24 Sep 2013

Supreme Court may hear challenge to Obamacare's contraception rules

Some companies object to the health law's requirement that contraception services for women be provided free as part of a preventive care package.

21 Sep 2013

First Edition: September 20, 2013

Today's headlines include the latest on the Capitol Hill hijinx surrounding efforts to defund the health law and avert a government shutdown.

20 Sep 2013

Revised Medicaid sterilization policy supports minority women at risk for unintended pregnancies

A revised Medicaid sterilization policy that removes logistical barriers, including a mandatory 30-day waiting period, could potentially honor women's reproductive decisions, reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and save $215 million in public health costs each year, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

13 Sep 2013

Federal appeals court rejects company's contraception coverage challenge

The court's divided decision makes it more likely the Supreme Court will have to decide if companies making a secular product have to provide contraception coverage to their employees -- a major tenet of the 2010 health care law.

30 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 29, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the White House's strategy for building support for the health law.

29 Jul 2013

Federal judge grants Hobby Lobby a temporary injunction against health law's birth control coverage requirement

A federal judge has temporarily exempted Hobby Lobby Stores Inc from a requirement in the 2010 healthcare law that it offer workers insurance coverage for birth control, which the retailer said violated its religious beliefs. The preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton in Oklahoma City, where Hobby Lobby is based, covers the arts and crafts chain and its affiliated Mardel Christian bookstore chain (Stempel, 7/19).

23 Jul 2013

Study shows 90% of East Asian adolescents in BC are not sexually active

A new study by University of British Columbia researchers shows that although 90 per cent of East Asian adolescents in British Columbia are not sexually active, those who are may engage in high-risk sexual behaviours.

17 Jul 2013

Semi-quantitative pregnancy tests: an interview with Dr. Paul Blumenthal, Stanford University School of Medicine

Regular pregnancy tests work a little bit like a simple light switch that you have on your wall. It’s either on or off. When it’s on, that means the test is positive; if it’s off, obviously, it’s negative.

12 Jul 2013

Catholic hospital group says it is satisfied with administration's contraceptive compromise

The Catholic Health Association, which has sided with the administration before on the law, said the plan will allow employees to get birth control coverage without the hospitals paying for it.

11 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: Employer mandate: Suspension of the law or bump in the road?

Columnists and editorial boards examine the implications of the postponed employer mandate deadline. In a nutshell, the administration could not figure out how to make sure that businesses with more than 50 full-time employees are providing a minimum level of health insurance.

10 Jul 2013

Employers worry they'll pay bill for those exempt from contraceptive mandate

Businesses are concerned that non-religious employers will end up covering the bill for religious groups that refuse to pay for contraception for their employees. Meanwhile, church leaders continue their push to broaden the exemption from the contraception coverage rule.

4 Jul 2013

Contraceptive exemption for religious groups finalized

The rule, issued under the health care law, attempts to quell the controversy by balancing the interests of women with the concerns of the Roman Catholic Church and other employers with religious objections to providing coverage for contraceptives.

2 Jul 2013