Contraception

Compared with older low-dose combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs), drospirenone-containing contraceptives are associated with a higher risk of thrombotic events, according to the results of a new FDA-funded study.

This video demonstrates a case in which an intrauterine device (IUD) IUD was trapped--not in the uterine cavity and not outside the uterine wall, but within the muscle of the uterus. It was extracted under laparoscopic guidance.

According to the findings of a new intervention review and meta-analysis, neither paracervical block with lidocaine nor conscious sedation significantly reduced overall pain scores for tubal sterilization with hysteroscopy.

After unprotected sex, the copper IUD and various oral contraceptives can be used as emergency contraception. What's the most effective option?

A pilot program is dispensing birth control and emergency contraception to students at 13 NYC high schools without informing their parents. Is this a good idea?

Anti-mullerian hormone testing is the most recent and reliable ovarian reserve test, and it can be used to help women make decisions about family planning early.

Compared with women who do not use hormonal contraception, most women who take progestin-only contraception are not at increased risk for venous thromboembolism, according to the results of a new meta-analysis.

IUDs are a safe and effective method of contraception. Why aren't we offering them to teens?

This month, an article in a major women’s magazine reported on an “under-the-radar issue:” young women whose doctors refuse to perform tubal ligation.

Week of August 3, 2012: A beloved ob/gyn is suspended, IUD use is on the rise, and the Affordable Care Act's provisions for women kick in.

Cancer passed in utero, trading art for health care, urinary incontinence in young women and more in the ob/gyn week in review.

In the largest study of its kind, researchers found increased risk for myocardial infarction and thrombotic stroke in women using combined estrogen-progestin contraceptives. However, news headlines tend to overstate the risk, and patients may have new concerns about the safety of their hormonal contraceptive.

Do age, race, or other demographics influence postpartum IUD compliance? The results of this retrospective chart review were presented at ACOG's Annual Clinical Meeting.

Typically used for long-term contraception, the intrauterine device (IUD) is also an effective emergency contraceptive if implanted after unprotected sex. Two IUDs, which are T-shaped pieces of plastic, are available in the United States.

When used under routine conditions, vaginal ring and combined oral contraceptives have similar venous thrombolism risks, according to a prospective, controlled, non-interventional cohort study.

Providers underestimate the intensity of patients’ pain during IUD insertion, and often misidentify the moment at which maximum pain occurs, according to a randomized trial of 200 women. Midlevel providers are slightly better at estimating pain intensity.

A recent study shows that health care professionals continue to have misconceptions about the safety of IUDs for nulliparous women.

Poll shows ob/gyn opinions are split on the federal mandate that private insurance plans cover the cost of birth control.

Should employers be required to provide insurance that includes free contraceptive coverage?

Ulipristal is a safe and effective option for women with uterine fibroids, according to two new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In both studies, the oral selective progesterone receptor modulator was well-tolerated, rapidly reduced excessive bleeding, and decreased the size of uterine fibroids.

Oral contraceptives have long been considered an option for relieving symptoms of dysmenorrhea, but a 2009 Cochrane review cast doubt on that claim. Now, a new study out of Sweden offers contradictory evidence.

William Parker, MD discusses the use of MRI in diagnosing and managing uterine fibroids. Dr. Parker's upcoming Clinical Opinion article, “The utility of MRI for the surgical treatment of women with uterine fibroid tumors”, will be published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2012.

OBGYN.net Conference Coveragefrom the 18th Annual Meeting of ESHRE - Vienna, Austria

OBGYN.net Conference CoverageFrom the ESHRE 2001 Conference - Lausanne, Switzerland

Yeast infections are one of the most common infections occurring in women. Although they are rarely dangerous, they can be very bothersome and uncomfortable.

With its implications of sexual transmission and potential cervical cancer, a diagnosis of genital warts can be emotionally distressing to patients. Because no single treatment serves every patient, the best approach to selecting a therapeutic option considers the extent of the disease, wart location, and the patient's individual needs.

Diagnosis, Transmission, and Management

One out of four Americans between 15 and 55 will catch at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Although genital herpes is common there are a lot of misperceptions about this sexually transmitted infection. Genital herpes is caused by a virus, called Herpes Simplex Virus, or "HSV" for short.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, or PID, is an infectious disease that affects millions of U.S. women and girls each year. Although usually surprisingly easy to treat, it can be hard to diagnose, and can lead to many long-term and troublesome complications.