Contraceptive News and Research

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Providing no cost birth control can reduce unintended pregnancies, abortion rates in women

Providing birth control to women at no cost substantially reduced unplanned pregnancies and cut abortion rates by 62 percent to 78 percent over the national rate, a new study shows.

5 Oct 2012

Improved access to contraceptives helps women plan families

In the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, Gary Darmstadt, Monica Kerrigan, and Wendy Prosser of the foundation discuss a new partnership announced on Wednesday at the U.N. to improve access to contraceptive implants for women in the developing world.

29 Sep 2012

New partnership to provide access to contraceptives for more than 27M women

A new partnership announced today at the United Nations will make a safe, effective, long-acting, reversible method of contraception available to more than 27 million women in the world's poorest nations.

28 Sep 2012

Blogs recognize World Contraception Day

The following blog posts were published in recognition of World Contraception Day, observed annually on September 26.

28 Sep 2012

Texas budget cutting causes closure of 50 clinics offering family planning services

Cuts to Texas' budget have caused more than 50 clinics that provide family planning services to close, a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports.

28 Sep 2012

Story describes need for male version of oral contraceptive pills

When will men have their own birth control pill? Scientists have been predicting the debut of a male pill within 5 years for the last 30 years. The factors accounting for that delay - and new optimism that a male pill will emerge within a decade - are the topic of a story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News. C&EN is the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

27 Sep 2012

Gates blog series on World Contraception Day

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog continues its series, published in partnership with Women Deliver, to recognize World Contraception Day, observed annually on September 26.

21 Sep 2012

Challenges, solutions to sexual health education in South Africa

"South Africa faces significant challenges when it comes to sexual health, and with the high prevalence of rape, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases and infections, schools need to implement strong and informative programs on sexuality and contraceptive use," Jos Dirkx, founder of Girls & Football SA, writes in this post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

20 Sep 2012

Oral contraceptive use can lead to increased pain during intercourse among young women

According to the Guttmacher Institute, over ten million women in the US use oral contraceptives. Although birth control pills are an effective way to prevent pregnancy, keep acne at bay, and treat menstrual pain or irregularity, there may be some health concerns that are undisclosed to patients. A recent study suggests that oral contraceptive use can lead to increased pain during intercourse, with decreased libido and spontaneous arousability as well as diminished frequency of sexual intercourse and orgasm in young women.

19 Sep 2012

Blog examines access to contraceptive information, services among young people

In this post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, published in partnership with Women Deliver as part of a series on youth perspectives to recognize World Contraception Day, observed annually on September 26, youth activist Cecilia Garcia Ruiz writes, "For six years we've worked to shine a spotlight on these key issues, but some people still disregard the importance of providing universal access to quality contraceptive services and information to prevent unplanned pregnancies, especially among young people."

15 Sep 2012

Mo. lawmakers override veto of bill that would allow employers to refuse to cover abortion, contraceptive services

Missouri lawmakers voted Wednesday to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto and allow employers to refuse to provide health insurance coverage for birth control if doing so violates their religious convictions. But almost immediately after the vote, a Kansas City firefighter and the Greater Kansas City Coalition of Labor Union Women filed a lawsuit asking a judge to throw the new law out.

14 Sep 2012

Roughly two in five women in the U.S. do not use any form of birth control: Survey

Roughly two in five women in the United States do not use any form of birth control and many underestimate their risk for pregnancy, according to a recent survey about contraceptive practices in the United States.

13 Sep 2012

JQ1 compound dramatically prevents sperm production in mice

Attention men: The day may be coming soon when you can take your own birth control pill with no side effects, according to a study done by a group of scientists that includes a Texas A&M University researcher.

6 Sep 2012

Party platforms reveal two very different visions for the nation

The Democratic platform, which was released Tuesday, includes many health care policy references, but it is light on specifics about what health initiatives would come during a second Obama term.

6 Sep 2012

Antibiotics: facts and fictions: an interview with Dr Philippa Binns, clinical adviser at NPS MedicineWise

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections or diseases caused by bacteria, such as some respiratory tract infections (including pneumonia and whooping cough), urinary tract infections, skin infections and infected wounds.

6 Sep 2012

Key facts about polycystic ovary syndrome

September marks Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) awareness month and with this condition affecting millions of women in the world, there are some key facts about the condition to highlight that can affect a women's fertility when suffering with the disorder.

6 Sep 2012

NY Cardinal offers closing prayer for religious liberty

As the convention ended, the closing prayer was provided by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who is feuding with the Obama administration over the health law's mandate that most employers provide contraceptive coverage.

1 Sep 2012

FAST-MI highlights young women at risk for heart disease

An analysis of four French registries has shown a dramatic drop in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction mortality from 1995 to 2010, accompanied by a significant change in patient characteristics.

29 Aug 2012

Positive results from Spinifex’s EMA401 Phase 2 trial on postherpetic neuralgia

Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, an Australian pain drug development company, today announces positive headline results from the Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead product, EMA401, in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a painful condition that develops in some patients following herpes zoster (shingles) and where existing therapy does not relieve pain in all individuals.

28 Aug 2012

Children with obesity face increased risk for gallstones

Children who are overweight or obese face an increased risk for gallstones, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition.

26 Aug 2012