Contraception

University students who use combination hormonal contraceptives to schedule a bleeding cycle do so for convenience rather than relief of symptoms, according to a new study by University of Oregon investigators. And family or friends--not health care professionals--are the source of information on how to manipulate method use for many of these women.

Research presented at the American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting in San Diego, California, has linked the use of oral contraception (OC) and chronic pelvic pain symptoms (CPPS) and pain during sexual climax.

There is insufficient evidence to determine that hormonal contraceptives do not influence glucose and lipid metabolism in women with diabetes mellitus, concluded a systematic review conducted by the Cochrane Fertility Regulation Group.

"We need a complete shift in how we offer contraception to patients." So said the Principle Investigator of the CHOICE Project, Jeffery Peipert, MD, vice chair for clinical research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, at ACOG's 61st annual clinical meeting on Tuesday.

Most women think both hormonal contraception and pregnancy are safe and many have fewer concerns about pregnancy than contraception, researchers from the University of Rochester reported at the Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

The Contraceptive CHOICE Project, a research study at Washington University in St. Louis, found that offering long-acting, reversible contraception (LARC) to women first, citing its low-failure rates, reduced rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion and increased continuation rates.

The female hormone megestrol acetate (MA) improves appetite and is associated with slight weight gain in patients with cancer, AIDS, and other underlying pathology, but comes with significant adverse events.

The FDA has approved an application to market the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step for use without a prescription by women 15 years of age and older.

The use of a postoperative levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device reduces the recurrence of painful periods in women with endometriosis.

Women with endometriosis who undergo surgery to treat the condition are less likely to have ovarian cancer develop later in life.

Plan B and other levonorgestrel-based emergency contraception will be available over-the-counter without age restrictions.

A study focusing on gender-based differences in gynecologic knowledge among college students has found that college men have less gynecologic knowledge than do college women.

Having unprotected sex is not the only impetus for use of emergency contraception (EC) among US women of reproductive age, according to data from a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly half the women represented in the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) said they turned to EC because of fear of contraceptive failure.

Immediate start of hormonal contraception may reduce unintended pregnancies and increase method continuation, but the evidence is limited, according to the findings of an intervention review conducted by the Cochrane Fertility Regulation Group.

Women who have migraine with aura, especially those who take combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) have an increased risk for cardiovascular or thrombotic events.

A new American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) committee opinion (no. 554) addresses the detection and prevention of sexual coercion and violence within women’s relationships. The opinion was developed by the Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women.

From ASRM’s removal of the ‘experimental’ label from the procedure of oocyte cryopreservation, to discoveries into the complex genetic processes involved in ovarian cancer, 2012 was another important year in ob/gyn research. Here, the leaders of seven major ob/gyn societies reflect on the most exciting research of the last year.

Evaluation of a patient’s lipid profile before prescribing a combined oral contraceptive could be justified by the high prevalence of dyslipidemia, concludes a new study.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who take combined oral contraceptives are more than twice as likely as women without PCOS who take oral contraceptives to have a venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to the findings of a new study.

Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) are not only highly effective, they are appropriate under a variety of conditions. Here, the authors present 3 scenarios in which patients would benefit from LARC methods.

Topical or intracervical 2% lidocaine gel applied before intrauterine device (IUD) insertion does not decrease pain scores, but there are other ways to lessen discomfort.

An intrauterine device (IUD) is an effective tool in the treatment of early-stage endometrial cancer in certain patients, according to the results of a small study presented at the International Gynecological Cancer Society’s 14th biennial meeting.

The use of NovaSure for endometrial ablation results a variety of poor pregnancy outcomes, according to a study presented by Shannon Smith, MD, at the Global Congress of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists.

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.