Jonathan Nourok / Getty Images
+Reproductive Health | May 24, 2012

Which Birth Control Works Best? (Hint: It’s Not the Pill)

By Alice Park

Long-acting contraceptives like IUDs and implants, which eliminate the potential for human error, are far more effective than more commonly used methods like the Pill, patch and vaginal ring.

+Labeling | April 11, 2012

Blood Clot Warning Added to Yaz and Other Newer Birth Control Pills

By Alexandra Sifferlin
Harrison Eastwood / Getty Images

Yaz, Yasmin and other newer birth control pills will soon be bearing warning labels that detail the potential risk of blood clot risks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday.

+Reproductive Health | March 26, 2012

Plan B: 1 in 5 Pharmacists May Deny Eligible Teens Access to Emergency Contraception

By Maia Szalavitz
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Seventeen-year-olds can legally buy Plan B over the counter at the drugstore, but nearly 20% of pharmacists incorrectly deny them access.

+Pain | January 20, 2012

Birth Control Pills Provide Real Relief from Menstrual Pain

By Maia Szalavitz
Chris Dei / Getty Images

A new, long-term study finds that the pill really does help with painful periods.

Family Matters
+Pregnancy | January 20, 2012

Half of Teen Moms Don’t Use Birth Control — Why That’s No Surprise

By Bonnie Rochman
Geoff Manasse / Photodisc / Getty Images

Even at an all-time low, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is still the highest among developed countries.

Family Matters
+Sex | October 25, 2011

Using Beads to Get Pregnant — or Prevent It

By Bonnie Rochman
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Women who want to get pregnant, as well as those who just as desperately desire the opposite outcome, care a lot about their fertility. But figuring out exactly when to have sex — or when to avoid it — can be tricky.

+AIDS | October 4, 2011

Study: Women Who Use Injectable Contraception at Twice the Risk of HIV

By Meredith Melnick
Getty Images

Women who use an injectable hormone contraceptive may be twice as likely to become infected with HIV as women who do not use contraception at all, according to a large study conducted in Africa. What’s more, the male partners of HIV-positive women who used the contraceptive were also twice as likely to be infected with [...]

+Reproductive Health | September 22, 2011

Could Taking Birth Control Pills Make Women’s Memory More Like Men’s?

By Alice Park
Photodisc

A new study shows that taking birth control pills can affect women’s memory.

+Quotes | August 1, 2011

“Today is about keeping keeping women and their babies healthy.”

—STEPHANIE CUTTER, White House adviser, on the announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that all FDA-approved forms of birth control — including the “morning after pill” — will be considered preventive care for women, and will therefore be covered by private insurance, without a co-pay or deductible, under the U.S. Patient Protection and [...]

+Reproductive Health | July 27, 2011

Male Contraception May Be a Reality Sooner Than We Think

By Meredith Melnick
Image Source / Getty Images

The birth control pill certainly represents a victory for women’s rights, but the realities of taking a daily medication, not to mention the expense and some unpleasant side effects makes it seem more a burden for women than a reproductive equalizer. Enter male birth control, which, researchers say, might finally help men and women to [...]