April 7, 2010

Mirena IUD

Filed under: birth control methods,birth control pills,IUD,Mirena,Uncategorized — Candace @ 5:01 pm

For women who are unable to use the standard types of birth control, IUD is the next best option. The copper covered IUD is the only no hormonal method of birth control available. An IUD (intrauterine device) is a piece of plastic placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy. IUD’s are one of the most successful birth control methods available. IUD’s are a fairly new method of birth control; they were only made available to all women in 2005.

A young woman entering college began taking birth control pills. She discovered quickly that she has allergies to synthetic hormones. The only form of birth control without hormones was an IUD. Thanks to the FDA’s recent approval of IUD’s she was able to use this form of birth control.

There was fear and a dire reputation of IUD’s in the past, when a large recall was issued in the late 1970’s. Recently IUDs were FDA approved, and have quickly gaining popularity and the product recall is being rapidly forgotten. In the course of one year IUD’s popularity increased by 23 percent.

The IUD has had a bad past. Prior to 1974 the most popular IUD – the Dalkon Shield – was fashioned differently than the current one. The shield allowed STI’s to get inside the uterus and fallopian tubes. This clogged them with scar tissue. Due to numerous deaths from septic pregnancies and other problems connected to the shield it was discontinued and later recalled. The IUD was scarred with a bad reputation for all the trouble it caused.

In 2001, Mirena IUD was put onto the birth control market. This new type of IUD used small doses of progestin. It was feared originally that Mirena could cause permanent infertility in women. This fear was cleared up in a study done in Virginia. It was proven by this study that new IUD’s do not increase the risk of infertility even in women that have several partners. It was also suggested in this study that Mirena protects from STI’s by producing large amounts of cervical mucus which blocks bacteria.

An IUD can be inserted by a doctor. When you have an IUD inserted you will require regular checkups to ensure the IUD stays safely placed and no complications arise.

Birth Control Buzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, types of birth control(prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase pharmaceuticals on-line. For more information, call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.

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March 25, 2010

Who Should Use IUDs?

Filed under: birth control,birth control methods,birth control options,Birth Control Pill,contraception,Intrauterine device,IUD,Mirena,Uncategorized — Amanda @ 4:47 pm

IUDs (Intra-Uterine Devices) are becoming increasingly popular in North America. The IUD is a low-maintenance, effective form of birth control. Once a device is in place, it can work for 5-12 years (depending on the device) and you can have it taken out sooner if you need to have a child or change methods. IUDs protect you from pregnancy each time you are sexually active and you don’t feel it or notice it’s there.

The IUD is the best option for women who have a low risk of acquiring STIs (sexually transmitted infections), need to avoid estrogen-based products and want a reversible type of birth control. Married women or women in a long-term relationship over the age of 20 are the best candidates. Although young adults can use IUDs effectively, they are more likely than adults to have multiple partners and are therefore at an increased risk of contracting an STI. The IUD isn’t a good first choice for a newly sexually active teen because she cannot predict her partners future sexual behavior. In addition, problems including expulsion, removal for bleeding and pain, and pregnancies are more common in teens than older women using the IUD. Talk to your doctor about your birth control options to find out what is best for you.

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January 7, 2010

9 Important Birth Control Events of the Decade

Filed under: Essure,Family Planning,Mirena,NuvaRing,Obama,plan b,seasonique,STD,Uncategorized — Amanda @ 4:10 pm

In the last century we’ve witnessed extravagant improvements and findings to do with forms of contraception. However, in the last 10 years we’ve continued to experience many more changes to contraception as well. These changes include new forms of contraceptive, an abortion pill, changes in the prices and availability of a variety of birth control methods, and more.

1. In 2006 we were introduced to Seasonique, the extended cycle birth control pill. These pills were made available to women who want to reduce the number of times they had a bleeding period to four times a year. In 2007 Lybrel was approved and was designed to put a complete stop to periods all together. These pills improve the lifestyle of women who suffer from severe menstrual problems.

2. In 2002 a new form of sterilization for women was approved by the FDA. This procedure was designed for women who did not want to undergo surgery. Essure is a surgery-free contraceptive procedure. There are no incisions required – instead, small coil inserts are placed within the fallopian tubes. In 2009, the Essure surgery was publicized when Trista Sutter from the Bachelorette announced she was going to undergo the Essure procedure.

3. In 2007, the Family Planning services received an increase in their funding. This was to provide low income families with family planning services they would be able to afford. The group had been in need of an increase for many years. The 17 million dollar increase helped prevent about 20 million unintended pregnancies. 9 million of these prevented pregnancies would have otherwise been aborted.

4. President Obama was sworn into office on January 20th 2009. His promises for a woman’s right to choose her own reproductive freedoms helped him win the support of many Americans. Polls showed that 91% of Americans strongly favor the use of contraceptives. Obama declared that Roe.V Wade (support of abortion in the US)

“Not only protects womens health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters.”

5. In 2000, the state-of-the-art IUD (Intrauterine Device) Mirena was approved. Because of the IUD’s reputation, the hassle-free Mirena IUD is still continuing to pick up in popularity. Mirena offers women a new combination hormone birth control option. One IUD can prevent pregnancy for up to 5 years and is 99.9% effective making it one of the most effective reversible contraceptive options out there.

6. In 2007, it was reported that teen pregnancy rates were on the rise for the first time in 14 years. In addition, it was also noted that the number of teens with STDs rose to 1 in 4 American teenage women. Read more about teen pregnancy and STD rates here.

7. The “morning after” emergency contraceptive pill took a lot of heat throughout the decade. Even today there is still controversy surrounding the pill. When the Plan B pill became available in the US in 1999, it was not available over the counter or to those over 18 years old. In 2003, the FDA voted for Plan B to be sold without a prescription but it wasn’t until 2006 when the FDA finally approved the sale of Plan B over the counter to those over 18. Plan B was not available to women under 18 until March 2009.

8. In 2001 the Nuvaring was approved. Nuvaring is a flexible ring that releases hormones to protect against pregnancy and inserted into the vagina. The Nuvaring gave women another reversible birth control option and is a perfect alternative to birth control pills.

9. American’s were extra cautious in 2009 when they saw the reality of the recession. Many partners used more contraceptives that in any other year in order to not get pregnant. To them, a baby seemed like another expense. This inflated the birth control sales by up to 10% for OTC products, 6% for condom sales, and a whopping 50-75% increase in the number of vasectomies performed on American men.

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October 29, 2009

Birth Control: A Timeline

Filed under: birth control,birth control methods,birth control patch,Birth Control Pill,birth control types,Depo Provera,early birth control,IUD,Mirena,today sponge,Uncategorized — Amanda @ 4:16 pm

4th Century A.D – Aristotle gave advice on how to prevent pregnancy. He told women to use olive oil, lead ointment, or frankincense oil as a spermicide – Needless to say, his intentions were good but his methods were flawed.

The Greeks claimed that by applying pressure to the uterus by pushing on a woman’s abdomen will force sperm out of her vagina. Although it sounds ridiculous, they had to start somewhere.

1400’s – the Chastity belt was invented. Today they may be viewed as a cruel violation of human rights, however in the 15th century Chastity belts were a form of teaching abstinence. Chastity belts were created to make it physically impossible for a woman to have sex or masturbate. They were often made of steel, locked shut with a padlock, and only had small openings for excretion. These belts were made in only one size – so larger women were forced to endure the pain of an ill-fitted device.

1700’s – 1800’s – The first pregnancy preventing condom was used by Giacoma Girolamo Casaova. Funny enough he referred to condoms as “english riding coats”. In the 19th century, condoms were made of animal gut and were packaged in paper envelopes. Although the product was somewhat formal (being packaged and all), its role as contraception was not very effective.

1844 – American Charles Goodyear invented the vulcanization of rubber. This was a process that stopped rubber from becoming sticky. Mass production of condoms began shortly after he patented his finding.

1900’s – Based on early Egyptian prototypes, in the early 20th Century people were using sponges with strings attached for removal as contraceptive devices. Often these sponges were dipped in vinegar or lemon juice which would act as a spermicide. The method seemed plausible, however it was not necessarily effective or safe. Today, there are safe synthetic sponges which are sterile and coated with chemical spermicide.

1930’s – When the Great Depression hit, many couples could not afford to support children. During this time, new methods of birth control were introduced. The douching method was introduced (like Aristotle’s olive oil technique) however this time it was advertised as “Lysol Douching”. Yes – Lysol surface cleaner was used as a vaginal spermicide for a short time, however when reports started piling in about irritations and vaginal scalding, the method slowly lost popularity. So, a proto-intrauterine device was created. The IUD’s in the 1930’s consisted or something like a metal rod attached to a circular object such as a button. Needless to say, these early attempts often resulted in irritation and severe uterine infections. Oops.

1950’s – The first Birth Control Pill (Envoid) was originally created to promote fertility and reduce menstrual symptoms in women. It was approved by the FDA in 1957 and began gaining popularity, however, around that time there were many complaints by Envoid users about increased menstrual problems. The pill was re-introduced to the FDA four years later as an oral contraceptive. By 1964 the pill was a huge success and became America’s number one type of birth control.

1990’s – In 1992 Depo-Provera was approved by the FDA. This was the first hormonal injection that was used to prevent pregnancy.

Today – Today, there are many forms of safe and efficient birth control. There are shots, patches, rings, IUD’s and Pills available in all different forms that are up to 99% effective.

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July 23, 2009

North American Women are Afraid of IUD’s

Filed under: birth control methods,birth control pills,birth control types,contraception,contraceptive,Dalkon Shield,IUD,Mirena,Uncategorized — Amanda @ 11:32 am

The Intrauterine Device (IUD) is the world most popular form of reversible birth control. There are more than 160 million women in the world who use this device – more than two thirds of which live in China.

The IUD is a reversible option to birth control, it does not require daily consumption (birth control pills), it is a safe effective alternative to birth control pills (based on its doses of hormones), and a single device inserted into the uterine can stay active for up to 10 years. The simplicity and the benefits of this device are overwhelming!

So why it is that less than 4% of all North American women use this birth control method?

Perhaps it was the Dalkon Shield scare in the 1970’s that has forever tainted the reputation of IUDs. “Dalkon Shield” was an IUD that was ultimately pulled out of the Canadian market due to it’s negative effects on consumers. There were many cases of infections, infertility, miscarriages, and death amongst its users.
Since then safe alternative IUD models have been develop and have prospered in popularity throughout the world. In China, more than 90 million women are rushing to get their hands on IUD contraceptives.

The United Nations department of economic and social affairs reported that only 2.9% of Canadian women and 1.8% of American women use IUD’s for contraception. Compared to the 19.6% in Asia, and 13.9% in the Caribbean, North American use of the IUD is surprisingly scarce.

An IUD is inserted and removed by a doctor quickly and easily, and can last up to 10 years depending on the model and desire for use. IUD’s prevent implantation of an egg by changing the lining of the uterus so that an egg cannot properly attach. IUD’s have other benefits as the also act as treatment to reduce acne and facial hair. It is expected that the popularity of the device will increase in North America as women grow more comfortable with the method and its benefits. The Dalkon Shield scare is now in the past.

Some popular brands of IUD are Mirena and ParaGard

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