Contraception

In the latest volley in the ongoing controversy regarding the safety of some forms of hysterectomy, the country’s largest insurer will soon begin requiring prior authorization for many of the procedures. The action, taken by UnitedHealthCare, takes effect April 6, 2015 and does not apply to outpatient vaginal surgeries.

Another option for long-term reversible contraception has been approved, but this one will be available to many public health clinics as well.

Hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants effectively prevent pregnancy at least 1 year beyond their approved duration of use.

A form of assisted reproductive technology that could make it possible for women with mutations in mitochondrial DNA to give birth to children free of mitochondrial disease has been approved by UK’s House of Commons. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) committee is considering granting similar approval for use of the technique-known as oocyte modification or three-parent gene therapy-in the United States.

Two experts debate whether unrestricted access to emergency contraception has really translated into awareness about how it works and how to get it.

Patients who have experienced intimate partner violence have reported that positive, supportive encounters with healthcare providers have helped them to improve their situations.

A valuable infographic showing types of contraception used by American women of various ages, education levels, and ethnicities.

A new Danish study suggests that there may be a link between use of hormonal contraceptives and glioma, a rare brain tumor.

Opioid use in women of reproductive age should be better monitored, and physicians should be more judicious in their prescribing, says a CDC report.

A meta-analysis shows use of hormonal contraception, compared with nonhormonal or no contraception, ups the risk of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa.

Voters in North Dakota sent a clear message that health care decisions, from pregnancy to end-of-life care, must involve only patients and their physicians.

The outbreak of Ebola in West Africa rightly has become a world health crisis. But there are other casualties of the outbreak that we don't hear much about.

A consequence of Measure 1, which may or may not be a "personhood" amendment, is that IVF and other infertility services in North Dakota will end.

Folklore or fact? Getting pregnant soon after stopping contraceptives results in a higher chance of having a baby boy. New research answers this question once and for all.

A large, prospective study shows that teens ages 15 to 19 will use choose and use long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) when they are educated about those methods and given them at no cost.

People like free stuff, especially teenagers. And if you give them free birth control, particularly LARC, they tend to use it.

There is a movement under way to make oral contraceptives over the counter. As a clinician, would you be in favor of this?

Vaginal misoprostol applied prior to intrauterine device (IUD) insertion does not make the procedure go any easier or lessen the patient’s pain, a Dutch study shows. And because the drug has side-effects, the research team suggests it probably shouldn’t be used at all for this purpose. Video provided by The Doctor's Channel.

This case demonstrates the utility of 3D ultrasound, using the coronal plane as a reference point, for patients with an IUD who have pelvic pain.

A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of data from a single state suggests that there may be a connection between use of hormonal contraceptives prior to pregnancy and increased risk of developing gestational diabetes (GDM).

A novel birth control option is in the works, and it’s in the form of a microchip that, when implanted, could work for up to 16 years. The future is now, folks.

The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends against pelvic exams in asymptomatic, nonpregnant, adult women. Some say this is faulty logic. What say you?

The Supreme Court justices insist that their decision for Hobby Lobby is limited and narrow in scope. Find out why gynecologist Deborah Ottenheimer, MD, doesn't buy it.

Treating anemia early with iron replacement therapy can significantly improve quality of life in women with heavy menstrual bleeding, new research finds.

Hobby Lobby doesn’t have to offer contraceptives to their employees. If you’re mad, you’re not alone. Read what Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had to say.

What matters most to women and healthcare providers when it comes to contraceptive choices may vary dramatically, according to a recent study in Contraception.

Long-term use of birth control pills has been linked to an increased risk of glaucoma. Do you consider glaucoma risk before prescribing hormonal contraception?

According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the majority of Americans support universal coverage for birth control.

Concerns about asymptomatic sexually transmitted infection (STI) in women at high risk should not delay placement of an intrauterine device (IUD) in women who also are at risk of undesired pregnancy, according to a study by investigators from the University of Pittsburgh. The results, in 366 patients from an inner-city clinic, were presented at the 2014 ACOG Annual Clinical Meeting.

A second-prize paper presented at ACOG 2014 evaluates the risk of uterine perforation for levonorgestrel IUDs and copper IUDs and reports an unexpected finding.