Contraception

Often based on racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and age-based assumptions

A new study found that reproductive history indicators were not directly linked to cognitive measures of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in midlife women.

Patients in California were able to receive a contraceptive prescription during a visit with a pharmacist.

Professionals who provide contraception counseling need sufficient training and resources to offer comprehensive information about adverse reactions of intrauterine contraception, according to 2 web-based discussion boards about sexual and reproductive health.

A recent cohort study found an increase in unplanned pregnancies during the pandemic, as well as decreased access to contraception during this time.

For the analysis as a whole, “The more localized the copper on an IUD frame and the ability of the frame to conform to the uterine cavity, the more favorable were outcomes at one year,” wrote the authors.

One year after the close of the Increasing Access to Contraception (IAC) Learning Community, participants had sustained their efforts in support of at least 1 goal: to improve women’s access to the full range of contraceptive options.

A pair of studies provide insight into the increased risk of dysglycemia among women with PCOS and the potential influence of combined oral contraceptive pills on this risk in a population-based cohort.

Women with mental illness who use contraception may have comparable or lower rates of mood symptoms with hormonal contraceptives than those who use other types of contraception, or no contraception at all.

Remote delivery of the SpeakOut intervention failed to increase communication, knowledge, and use of contraception among teens and their peers, according to a recently published study.

Among women with opioid use disorder (OUD) at high risk for unintended pregnancy, on-site contraceptive services coupled with financial incentives to attend follow-up visits to assess contraceptive satisfaction was a significantly more effective and cost-beneficial intervention than without incentives or with usual care, according to a prospective randomized clinical trial in JAMA Psychiatry.

Women with congenital long-QT syndrome (LQTS) have an increased risk of cardiac events, including sudden cardiac death, after the onset of adolescence, perhaps due to the effects of estrogen and progesterone on cardiac potassium channels.

“Topical drug delivery also provides higher concentrations of the drug to the target site and has fewer side effects,” wrote the authors.

The findings of a secondary analysis from a randomized trial of intrauterine devices (IUDs) for emergency contraception should bolster confidence about the low pregnancy risk when providers insert an IUD following a recent episode of unprotected intercourse.

A reader writes in to discuss an issue with an article published on June 15, 2021, titled "Progestogen-only pill for emergency contraception."

Adolescent oral contraceptive use is associated with a small yet meaningful increased risk of experiencing an episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) in early adulthood, especially among women with no history of MDD in adolescence.

Among women with opioid use disorder (OUD) at high risk for unintended pregnancy, onsite contraceptive services coupled with financial incentives to attend follow-up visits to assess contraceptive satisfaction was a significantly more efficacious and cost-beneficial intervention than without incentives or with usual care, according to a prospective randomized clinical trial in JAMA Psychiatry.

A report indicates that both parents and teenagers want to have discussions on sexual and reproductive health during preventive visits, but those discussions may not be happening as often as they should be.

“Over the past several years, a growing number of companies have been providing contraception through online platforms, but there has been very little research on these businesses,” said principal investigator Brittni Frederiksen, MPH, PhD, a senior policy analyst at KFF in San Francisco.

An increasing number of pharmacists are now prescribing birth control, further expanding their role as public health service providers.

The authors of the prospective study in the journal Health Technology Assessment believe the simple intervention has enormous potential to prevent more unintended pregnancies after emergency contraception.

Significant updates occurred in women’s health issues while the world was in survival mode.

The new analysis, which was presented virtually at the 2021 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting, concludes that the TDS maintained similar safety and tolerability in the 2 groups of women.

Contrary to popular belief, emergency oral contraception is not that effective.

Early and routine contraceptive counseling for all women of reproductive age with cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factors is an essential component of comprehensive cardiovascular care, according to evidence-based recommendations of contraceptive options published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

Women with diabetes are slightly less likely to use contraception after their diabetes diagnosis, according to a retrospective cohort study in the journal Primary Care Diabetes.

Nextstellis (drospirenone; estetrol) now is approved as a combined oral contraceptive for birth control.

A prospective study to assess the effects of an oral contraceptive containing estetrol and drospirenone on ovarian function found treatment achieved complete ovulation inhibition.

The pandemic has forced us to get more creative in managing patients’ needs, especially when it comes to contraception

This video interview features Rachael Phelps, MD, Medical Director at Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, and of the Rochester LARC Initiative; and Amber Truehart, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Family Planning and Contraceptive Research at the University of Chicago.