Ortho Evra Patch Side Effects
Ortho Evra is a small, thin patch that is placed on the skin. The patch releases small amounts of estrogen and progesterone which is absorbed through the skin. By releasing these hormones Ortho Evra suppresses ovulation, thickens cervical mucus, and thins the uterine lining, which combined can prevent pregnancy. It is 99% effective and very convenient to use.
Side effects of Ortho Evra
Minor side effects that usually go away within the first 3 months of use include:- nausea
- breast tenderness
- weight gain or loss
- water retention
- increased blood pressure
- mood changes
- headaches
- skin irritation (near the Patch)
- blood clots
- stroke
- heart attacks
- a increased risk of breast cancer
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects, especially if you are over 35. Women who use the Patch are strongly advised not to smoke. Some women should not use the Patch, including women who have blood clots, certain cancers, a history of heart attack or stroke, as well as those who are or may be pregnant. Ortho Evra will not protect against sexually transmitted diseases or HIV/AIDS.
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Labels: birth control, birth control prices, birth control statistics, birth control types, estrogen, ortho evra, patch, progesterone, side effects
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Saturday, April 21, 2007
Emergency Contraception.....
Emergency Contraception Does Not Reduce Unintended Pregnancy Rate
By Taunya English, Associate Editor, April 17, 2007 Health Behavior News Service
The "morning after pill" may be a good option for individual women in crisis, but advance access to emergency contraception is no antidote for the national problem of unintended pregnancy.
Contrary to the fears of critics, the presence of Plan B does not provoke riskier sexual behavior.
According to a new review of studies, women who received an advance supply of birth control pills for emergency contraception had an equal chance of becoming pregnant as women who did not have early access to the pills.
The review draws conclusions from eight studies of more than 6,000 women in the United States, India and China.
Plan B is a well-known brand of emergency contraception pills, but many different types of birth control medication taken at higher doses can prevent pregnancy after sex. Treatment must begin within five days after unprotected sex - and sooner is better when it comes to EC.
"We had expected that easier access to emergency contraception could help women use the pills more quickly when they needed them, and that in turn - since EC is a time-relevant medication - this could help women avoid unintended pregnancy," said lead reviewer Chelsea Polis.
"Our review is really about the effectiveness of advance provision as a strategy to reduce unintended pregnancy at a population level," Polis said. "The review is not about the effectiveness of EC; that is a separate matter."
The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates research in all aspects of health care. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing trials on a topic.M
In 2001, about half of pregnancies in the United States were unintended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, the United States is working to lower the unintended pregnancy rate to 30 percent by 2010.
Princeton University demographer James Trussell says easier access to emergency contraception will not slow the rate of unintended pregnancy in the United States.
"For individual women, it is definitely a last chance to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. But it is not going to have a major population impact because people will never use it enough," he said.
The review found that emergency contraception use was higher among women given an advance supply of the birth control pills, but that increase in use did not translate to a drop in the pregnancy rate.
"Even though advance provision increased use, we don't know if women were using EC at the times when they were at risk for pregnancy, when it was really needed," Polis explains.
"If women aren't going to use Plan B when they are given it for free in a clinical trial and are counseled beforehand about using it every single time they have unprotected sex, then having to go to CVS and having to pay $45 each time - it isn't going to happen," Trussell said.
Nonetheless, Polis said her review is not an argument against easier access to emergency contraception.
"Women deserve the chance to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and EC is a safe, effective way to do that. Emergencies like rape, contraceptive failure and unprotected sex occur, and easier access to EC eliminates a medically unwarranted barrier to taking emergency contraception within the recommended timeframe," she said. "So steps like making EC available over the counter are still incredibly important."
When advanced access to emergency contraception was first proposed, critics worried that a medicine cabinet stocked with pills to prevent pregnancy would lead some women to be more promiscuous, have riskier sex or not use condoms.
The Cochrane review counters those concerns.
"We found there was absolutely no difference in sexually transmitted infection rates between the two groups. There's absolutely no difference in terms of unprotected sex, condom use or changes in use of other contraceptive methods," Polis said. "So it appears that advance provision of EC has no harmful effects in terms of risky sexual behaviors."
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Labels: birth control, contraceptive, EC, emergency contraception, morning after pill, plan b, sexually transmitted diseases, unprotected sex
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Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Can hormones from birth control cause hair loss?
Yes. Both birth control pills and hormone replacements contain estrogen which stimulates hair growth and prolongs the anagen growth phase. Most women say that their hair becomes thicker when first starting birth control or hormone replacement therapy. Some women describe an increased rate of hair sloughing or loss several months after starting the hormonal medications. This is not a reason to stop the hormones; the hair loss will go away with no change in the amount of hair.
Women who start the Pill may not notice the increased hair growth and thickness as much as an older, menopausal woman who has thinner hair to start with, but the gobs of hair in the hair brush several months after starting birth control pills will not go unnoticed. This loss of hair following estrogen stimulation by birth control pills, HRT or even pregnancy is called telogen effluvium. This is not a reason to stop taking your birth control. Both the use of Depo-Provera and Norplant contraceptive implants have about a 10% incidence of increased hair loss.
What can I do to decrease hair loss caused by birth control or hormone replacement?
It is best to continue taking the hormonal medications rather than stopping them. The new growth, resting and sloughing phases eventually come to a stop and your hair growth will start it's normal course of action. Stopping your birth control or HRT may just prolong the hair loss.
One thing women should look for when hair loss is due to hormone therapy is to make sure that they are not receiving hormones that have too much testosterone-like activity. Some women who are genetically sensitive may develop a male pattern hair loss (balding on the side of the head) if their total androgen hormone level is too high. If this is the case, there should also be excess hair growth on the face, chest and lower abdomen in addition to the balding. The androgen hormone effect may come from the type of progestin in the birth control pills or it may come from a combination of estrogen and testosterone in the menopausal hormone replacement. If there is any suspicion that the hair loss follows a male pattern balding, then any androgenic compounds must be eliminated.
BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase birth control on-line.
For more information on types of birth control call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.
Labels: alopecia, androgen, birth control pills, estrogen, hair growth, hair loss, hormone replacement therapy, hormones, male pattern balding, testosterone
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Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Natural Family Planning
Not every woman wants to use a hormonal birth control type. Some can't take oral contraceptives, some just don't want to, and still more don't like "messing with their bodies". One option, while not for everyone, is natural family planning.
If you're thinking of natural family planning as an option there are some things to consider. You will need to become intune with your body's fertility pattern and the changes your body goes through each month to prepare you for a possible pregnancy. But once you start recognizing the way your monthly cycle, body temperature and cervical mucus change, natural family planning becomes just that, natural and easy.
Basal body temperature (BBT) is the temperature of your body when it is at rest. When using this method, it is always suggested that you take your temperature as soon as you wake up, before you get out of bed. During the first phase of your cycle, your temperature will normally be in the range of 96°F to 98°F. As ovulation approaches, it will rise to around 97°F to 99°F and stay elevated for a few days. This increase in body temperature is actually caused by the hormone progestrone to facilitate a warmer and more comfortable environment for a possible pregnancy.
To take your basal body temperature, you do need to use a special type of thermometer, which is able to record the slight changes in your temperature. These basal thermometers can be found in the family planning aisle of your pharmacy. Basal body thermometers are available in traditional mercury thermometers as well as digital, which are faster and easier to read.
Basal body temperature should be taken first thing in the morning, before any physical activity and after your body has completely rested. You can choose to take your temperature orally, vaginally or rectally. Ideally, your temperature should be taken at the same time everyday as it can vary according to the time you take it at. You should also not eat or drink before recording the temperature.
Starting on day 1 of your cycle, take and record your temperature every day. You may find it helpful to put this information down into a graph so that you can see the changes in your temperature easily. Typically, you will notice a rise of 0.4 degrees at the time of ovulation. This temperature has to be higher than any recorded prior to that in the cycle. If this high temperature is maintained for 3 to 4 days, then this is the time you ovulated. If you become pregnant, your basal body temperature will continue to remain high for more than 18 days.
Charting your basal body temperature has to be done for a few months until you get familiarised with your body pattern and see the sharp or gradual increase in temperature. Also, this method will only alert you to ovulation after the fact until you have been doing this for some time and can more accurately judge your ovulation cycles. Therefore, to prevent pregnancy, you will need to use other methods of birth control, like the Today Sponge until you are confident enough to rely on this natural birth control alone. Using an ovulation predictor kit or a cervical mucus chart are comparatively better in predicting the fertile phase.
BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase birth control on-line.
For more information on types of birth control call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.
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Saturday, April 07, 2007
The Facts About Endometriosis Laparoscopy
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Though ultrasound can be used to help find signs of endometriosis, this is something that does not tell the true tale of what is going on in many women. Though ultrasound is a great tool for many things, it does have a disadvantage when it comes to diagnosing this condition. There are times when it just can't pick up the nodules that often indicate that there is a problem. The next step after this type of diagnostics is to then use endometriosis laparoscopy surgery to get a better look at what is going on.
Laparoscopy is a tool that is used in many different areas of medicine. This tool takes some practice, but gives the doctor eyes to see inside the body without being as invasive. This is a tiny camera that can be put into the body through a very tiny opening. It has a light attached, and can be used to aid in surgeries like gastric bypass, and can also used for exploratory surgery to search for signs of endometriosis, among other things. This greatly cuts down on recovery time for many people.
When a person is getting this for endometriosis, the doctor will probably make a small incision in the belly button. The patient can be either completely knocked out, and in some cases, a local anesthetic can be used so that the patient can remain awake. A small tube containing both light and a tiny video camera are inserted. Many times, some sort of gas (almost always carbon dioxide), is insert so that the abdomen inflates. This allows the camera and the surgeon to see better. This also allows others to view the surgery as well. The spots that are suspected as being areas with endometriosis growth will be explored.
There are times when this is done to see what is going on, and other times, it can be used to help the surgeon see where the endometriosis is located for removal. Though removal is sometimes possible without more incisions, there may be instances when more incisions might be needed to remove the tissues that need to be taken from the body for biopsy purposes. These incisions are usually located down near the pubic area, or what is referred to as the bikini area. A doctor should go over all of the possibilities of what might happen and what might be done during the surgery and anything that they might do as a result.
Once endometriosis laparoscopy is done, a patient should recover rather quickly. Nausea is quite common, and recovery might take a few days. There may be some pain in the shoulders due to the gas that was used during the surgery. That should go away rather quickly. There may be some pain and discomfort, but a patient will be given pain killers to handle it. If pain goes above and beyond what the pills can handle, or if a person develops a fever, they should go back in to their doctor to make sure everything is okay.
About the Author: Grab your free copy of Shelley Ross' brand new Endometriosis Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you discover more about endometriosis signs
BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase birth control on-line.
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Labels: birth control prices, birth control statistics, birth control types, blog, endometriosis, laparoscopy, surgery
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Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Acne and Diane 35.
Diane 35 is used for the treatment of androgen-dependent diseases in women, such as acne, especially pronounced forms and those which are accompanied by seborrhea or by inflammation or formation of nodes (acne papulopustulosa, acne nodulocystica), androgenetic alopecia and mild forms of hirsutism. Diane 35 can also be used as a type of birth control in women with androgen-dependent diseases and for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. The aim of treatment with Diane 35 is to block the peripheral action of male hormones commonly present in the female body.
Diane 35 contains two hormones: cyproterone acetate, a progestogen, and ethinyl estradiol, an estrogen. Cyproterone acetate halts the influence of androgens, and reduces the activity of the sebaceous gland which plays an important role in the development of acne and seborrhea.
While all birth control pills may decrease the production of androgens to some extent, only Diane 35 decreases the ability of androgens to bind to their receptors, improving signs of androgenization such as acne, seborrhea and hirsutism in women.
The recommended duration of treatment is at least several months, as improvement may not be observed until four or five cycles of use. Research has shown that within three to six months of therapy with Diane 35, acne can be improved and suppressed.
Recently there has been much publicity in Canada about a possible increased risk of blood clots with Diane 35 compared to other birth control pills. It is not clear if this risk is real or not. There are other nonandrogenic birth control pills that should work just as well. These include Yasmin, OrthoCyclen, OrthoTricyclen, OrthoTri Cyclen Lo, OrthoEvra (the patch), Desogen, Mircette and others. If you are using Diane 35, discuss with your doctor as to whether you should continue on it or change to another pill. The risk however for an individual is very small.
BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase birth control on-line.
For more information on birth control pills call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.
Labels: acne, acne treatment, androgen, birth control pills, diane 35, Diane-35, estrogen, women
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