Contraception News and Research

Latest Contraception News and Research

Oral contraceptives may be safe, but information gaps remain

Introduced in the 1960s, oral contraceptives have been used by about 80 percent of women in the United States at some point in their lives.

15 Jan 2009

Pap test procedure facts

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center shares important information about the cervical cancer screening exam, the Pap test.

7 Jan 2009

Trends in sexual behaviors similar for teens who take few health risk and those who take many

Adolescent health risk behaviors often occur together, suggesting that youth involvement with one risk behavior may inform understanding of other risk behaviors, but in a study to examine the association between involvement in non-sexual risk behaviors and trends among sexual behaviors, Mailman School of Public Health researchers found that sexual behaviors vary considerably between those youth engaged in no risk health behaviors and those engaged in multiple health risk behaviors.

22 Dec 2008

Rise in births for couples on benefits

Increased government support for families has coincided with a rise in births among women who left school at 16 compared to those who stayed in education after the age of 18.

22 Dec 2008

FC2 female condom recommended for approval

The Female Health Company (NYSE Alternext: FHC) has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Advisory Committee has unanimously voted that the company's second-generation female condom, the FC2 Female Condom, is approvable with a single condition.

14 Dec 2008

New understanding on how the brain controls onset of puberty

A team of scientists from the University of Cambridge and the University of Cukurova in Turkey have taken a major step to understanding how the brain controls the onset of puberty.

12 Dec 2008

Reforms needed in adolescent health care

Current health services for adolescents are fragmented and poorly designed to meet the health needs of all of the nation's adolescents, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.

10 Dec 2008

Contraceptive methods and women's sexuality

New data from The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University demonstrate that many women think condoms undermine sexual pleasure, but those who use both hormonal contraception and condoms report higher overall sexual satisfaction.

8 Dec 2008

Trends in sexual risk behaviors, by nonsexual risk behavior involvement, U.S. high school students

Although teens who engage in risky health behaviors such as smoking and drunk driving are likelier to participate in sexual activity than more cautious peers, interventions aimed at reducing sexual activity appear to be similarly effective in high-risk and low-risk teens, a new study finds.

25 Nov 2008

Risk of maternal and newborn complications may be lower after bariatric surgery

A review of previously published studies suggests that rates of adverse outcomes for mothers or pregnant women and newborn babies, such as gestational diabetes and low birth weight, may be lower after bariatric surgery compared with pregnant women who are obese, according to an article in the November 19 issue of JAMA.

18 Nov 2008

New guidelines for congenital heart disease

These days most children born with congenital heart disease live well into adulthood, thanks to innovative surgical, interventional and medical treatments.

8 Nov 2008

Alcohol advice needs to play a greater role in sex education for teenagers

Alcohol and attitudes are two of the key factors that health professionals need to be aware of when they are dealing with sexually active teenagers.

6 Nov 2008

Watching lots of sexual content on TV linked to subsequent teen pregnancy

Adolescents who have high levels of exposure to television programs that contain sexual content are twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy over the following three years as their peers who watch few such shows, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

4 Nov 2008

Scouts to 'be prepared' with condoms and trips to sexual health clinics

The Scout Association in Britain will in future offer sex advice to their scouts in an attempt to prepare them for life.

20 Oct 2008

World Vision report finds young brides at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS

A report recently released by World Vision has found that girls in developing countries who marry before age 18 -- whose numbers are expected to double to 100 million in the next 10 years -- are at an increased risk of HIV/AIDS, Reuters reports.

9 Sep 2008

Vaginal rings provide new HIV protection for women

Vaginal rings, similar to those used for contraception and hormone replacement therapy, could protect women from sexually-transmitted HIV, according to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

8 Sep 2008

Philippine Health Department to promote condom use in fight against HIV/AIDS despite opposition from Catholic Church

Despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, the Philippine Department of Health will support the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in addition to encouraging education on the topic and promoting measures to guard against sexually transmitted infections, the Philippine Star reports.

2 Sep 2008

Gleevec receives FDA priority review for gastrointestinal stromal tumors after surgery

Novartis has announced that Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets, (known as Glivec (imatinib) outside the US, Canada and Israel), has been granted priority review status by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first therapy to be reviewed for use after surgery in kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

27 Aug 2008

HHS releases proposed rule on conscientious objections that would protect providers who refuse to perform abortions

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Thursday announced plans to implement a regulation intended to protect health care providers and other workers from disciplinary measures if they refuse to provide abortions or refer patients to other providers for abortions because of personal, religious or moral reasons, the Washington Post reports.

26 Aug 2008

Talking about sex to teenagers

Sex is one of the most difficult topics a parent can bring up with an adolescent, but a new study finds that parents who are taught specific communication skills can more readily tackle these conversations and sustain them over time.

10 Jul 2008