Birth Control News and Research

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Pharmaceutical reproductive rights in the United States

The battle over reproductive rights in the United States has taken another turn with some pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills on the grounds that dispensing the medications violates their moral or religious beliefs.

29 Mar 2005

Doctors may in future be able to prevent many cases of deep-vein thrombosis

Doctors may in future be able to prevent many cases of deep-vein thrombosis, commonly referred to as DVT, a disease of the circulation that causes potentially fatal blood clots. It occurs most often in people who have not been able to exercise normally.

9 Mar 2005

Natural mentoring relationships positively impact teens

Natural mentoring relationships positively impact teens, but these relationships do not meet all the needs of at-risk youth, according to a study by University of Illinois at Chicago researchers. The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

2 Mar 2005

Parents happy to be informed about their child requesting prescribed contraceptives

Most parents surveyed felt laws requiring parental notification of minors requesting prescribed contraceptives were a good idea, while almost half viewed a minor’s right to obtain contraceptives without parental consent as a good idea, according to an article in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

7 Feb 2005

Easier access to emergency contraception would not increase the risk of STDs

Making it easier to obtain emergency contraception would not increase unprotected intercourse, lead to abandonment of regular contraception, or increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA.

5 Jan 2005

Link between body-mass index and oral-contraceptive failure

Overweight and obese women who take oral contraceptives are 60 percent to 70 percent more likely to get pregnant while on the birth-control pill, respectively, than women of lower weight, according to new findings from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that will be published in the January issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

30 Dec 2004

Female condoms should be promoted as an effective solution to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS

While scientists work to find the 'perfect' solution to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, a reasonable option--the female condom--is not being promoted, especially in African and southeast Asian countries where the deadly virus is most prevalent, according to a new study.

24 Nov 2004

Not only are breast enhancement pills unproven, they could be dangerous

Flip through any women's magazine and you are sure to find advertisements hawking pills to enlarge women's breasts. But do these pills actually work? Probably not, says the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

18 Nov 2004

Reproductive hormones have effects on all of these stages of brain growth and development

Scientists are now uncovering increasing evidence that the brain not only responds to hormones produced by the reproductive system, but that these hormones-the so-called "female hormones," estrogen and progestin, and the "male" androgens, such as testosterone-play an important role in the development of differences between male and female brains.

2 Nov 2004

Diet high in soy could be good for the hearts and bones of premenopausal women

The results suggest that for cholesterol and bone density, the natural plant estrogens in soy may be most effective in conjunction with the body’s own estrogen – which would make it especially potent in women who haven’t reached menopause. They also point to the possibility the estrogen-soy synergy could have other benefits as well.

10 Oct 2004

Researchers work to defeat acne by understanding it better on a molecular level

To defeat an enemy, you must first understand it, or so the saying goes. And for nearly every teenager and young adult, acne is a formidable foe, causing damage to their skin and their self-image that can leave long-lasting physical and emotional scars.

2 Sep 2004

Research provides new hope for people with fetal alcohol syndrome

New research by Professor Ann Streissguth of the University of Washington shows that people diagnosed with either fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol effect (FAE) are more likely to escape social and relationship problems if they are diagnosed early in life and raised in a stable and nurturing environment.

12 Aug 2004