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16 Results for search "Birth Control".

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Few teenagers have the experience or resources it takes to start a family. But that doesn't keep them from doing so. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, each year more than 750,000 teenage girls become pregnant. The rate of pregnancy among American teenagers dropped steadily in recent years, but it is higher than almost all other industrialized nations. Whi...

What's so great about condoms? The condom, a thin rubber sheath that fits over your erect penis, traps your semen during sex and keeps you from impregnating a female partner or infecting your partner with a sexually transmitted disease. It can also protect you from picking up one of these diseases yourself by shielding your penis from your partner's secretions. Although they may reduce the sens...

What's so great about the Pill? Birth control pills (also called oral contraceptives or simply "the Pill") are one of the most popular methods of birth control. About 34 percent of women in the United States use them. Taken properly, the most common form of the Pill is better than 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. You may have shorter, lighter, and more regular periods while on the Pil...

Overview:

  • Effectiveness: 98 percent (over six months)
  • Cost: Free
  • Protection against STDs: No
Breast milk is the best food for babies. It provides nutrition, strengthens the immature immune system, and may protect against asthma, diabetes, and other diseases. Breastfeeding is good for mothers, too. It helps the uterus return to normal size after delivery, hel...

What's a cervical cap? A cervical cap is the modern version of an ancient contraceptive technique. Through the centuries, women have used everything from beeswax to orange halves to keep sperm from entering the cervix. Today's cervical cap is more sophisticated -- a thimble-sized rubber cap with a firm, rounded rim that sits on top of your cervix and covers the opening. Some women find a cap harde...

What is a contraceptive patch? The Ortho Vera patch is a reversible method of birth control that delivers the same hormones as the pill. It's up to 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. The patch comes in a package of three, enough for one month of birth control. Individual patches are also available in case a patch is damaged or comes off. They look like beige squares measuring a little ...

What is the ring? The ring is a reversible method of birth control that delivers a mix of estrogen and progestin just like a birth control pill. Instead of taking a daily pill, a woman inserts a flexible plastic ring into her vagina and into her vagina and leaves it in for three straight weeks. In the fourth week, it's taken out. When used correctly, the ring is 98 to 99 percent effective at preve...

What's a diaphragm? A diaphragm is a shallow dome-shaped rubber cup that you insert into your vagina to keep sperm from entering your cervix. If you use it perfectly every time, a diaphragm is about 94 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. But it takes some practice to insert the device correctly, and a woman using a diaphragm for birth control has about a 16 percent chance of getting pregnan...

What's a female condom? A female condom is a thin polyurethane pouch that you insert into your vagina before sex to prevent pregnancy and guard against exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. Soft rings at either end hold it in place. Polyurethane is stronger than latex, so female condoms are less likely to tear than regular latex condoms. On the other hand, they're harder to use correctly and ...

What's an intrauterine device? The intrauterine device, or IUD, is a T-shaped plastic stick that's wrapped in copper or filled with a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone and inserted into your uterus. It's better than 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. How does it work? The copper IUD interferes with fertilization by keeping sperm away from the egg. If fertilization occurs, it w...

What's natural family planning? The name refers to a variety of methods for predicting the fertile days during a woman's cycle. These techniques are used by couples who are either trying to conceive or trying to avoid pregnancy. Your fertile period lasts from about five days before ovulation to one day after -- but predicting when you'll ovulate each month can be tricky, especially if you're like ...

Can I use spermicides alone for birth control? You can, but they're tricky to use. For that reason, women who rely only on spermicides for contraception have a 29 percent chance of getting pregnant within a year. It's a better idea to use spermicides as backup for other contraceptives, such as condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, or IUDs. When combined with spermicides, these methods are generally ...

What's tubal ligation? It's an operation designed to make a woman sterile. If you're certain that you don't want to have any more children, you can have your Fallopian tubes closed off to prevent your partner's sperm from making it to the egg. Because this surgery is difficult to reverse, most states require a 30-day waiting period before you can schedule it, so that you'll have time to be sure o...

What is a vasectomy? A vasectomy is an operation designed to make a man sterile. A doctor simply cuts the tubes -- called the vas deferens -- that carry sperm from the testes to the pouch that holds the semen, blocking the only chance for sperm to leave the body. If you get a vasectomy, you can still have sex and you'll still ejaculate. The only thing you won't do is worry about causing a pregnanc...

What is a hysterectomy? A hysterectomy is an operation to remove the uterus. Some or all of the other reproductive organs, including the ovaries, may be taken out as well. If you are a woman living in the United States, there's a one in three chance that you'll have a hysterectomy by the age of 60. Each year US doctors perform about 600,000 hysterectomies. Indeed, after cesarean section, hysterec...

A diagnosis of depression shouldn't feel like a life sentence. Doctors and mental health professionals have more tools than ever to help: Antidepressant drugs can lift your mood, and counseling or psychological therapy can help you understand what's responsible for your dark thoughts -- and how to get rid of them. Equally important, such treatment can help renew your love of life and encourage a m...