Contraception

Following confusion, the White House has clearly defined which contraceptive methods are to be covered at no cost to patients. Additionally, are EHR prompts the answer to timely completion of HPV vaccines? How are very premature infants surviving?

NASPAG 29th conference featured research on the increased risk of complications in teen pregnancy, the desire on over-the-counter contraception, and a tool to help identify patients with menorrhagia.

Blame autocorrect for misinformation related to an IUD, or intrauterine device.

New research highlights a way to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies, but it requires two changes to current policy.

Elizabeth Miller, MD, PhD, discusses her article in the February issue of Contemporary OB/GYN on sexual coercion.

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).