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What To Know About The New Generic IUD In South Africaย
Read More: What To Know About The New Generic IUD In South AfricaยEven though IUDs are one of the most affordable birth control options over time, the high initial cost can be a huge hurdle. Thatโs compounded by the fact that IUDs are limited in public clinics, and the misconceptions about them impact how many women use them. But with the introduction of South Africaโs first generic…
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5 Amazing Things We Learned About Womenโs Health This Year
Read More: 5 Amazing Things We Learned About Womenโs Health This YearItโs the end of the year, peeps โ and what a year it was. Weโre locking in and bringing good energy into the new year, so now is a perfect time to reflect back on some of the HealthyWomen stories and important things we learned about womenโs health in 2025 that made us high-five the…
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WomenTalk: The Role of Womenโs Health Nurse Practitioners: Contraceptive Care
Read More: WomenTalk: The Role of Womenโs Health Nurse Practitioners: Contraceptive CareDuring this three-part series of WomenTalk, we’re partnering with the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health to explore the role nurse practitioners play in contraceptive, maternal and menopause care. In this episode, weโll discuss new contraceptive options and their safety and efficacy. Weโll also look at how to access care and which questions…
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The Influence of Social Media on Contraception
Read More: The Influence of Social Media on ContraceptionScrolling though #birthcontrol on social media is like a box of chocolates. You never know what youโre going to get. In one video, a woman turns to reveal a dramatic weight gain, blaming birth control pills. In another, healthcare providers (HCPs) perform a choreographed dance holding vaginal rings. A third post says, โBirth control makes…
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The First OTC Birth Control Pill Heads to a Supermarket Near You
Read More: The First OTC Birth Control Pill Heads to a Supermarket Near YouDid someone say reproductive rights on aisle 4? Well, itโs about time! The countryโs first FDA-approved, over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill is now available in some retailers across the country. That means you can walk in and purchase Opill, a progestin-only birth control pill, without a prescription. The FDA approved Opill back in July 2023.…
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Clinically Speaking: Questions and Answers About Choosing Hormonal Birth Control
Read More: Clinically Speaking: Questions and Answers About Choosing Hormonal Birth ControlIf youโve decided to use birth control pills for contraception or other medical reasons, your next decision is which kind. We talked to Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine and a member of HealthyWomenโs Womenโs Health Advisory Council, about choices women…
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How Hormonal Contraception Works
Read More: How Hormonal Contraception WorksEspaรฑol Medically reviewed by Barbara Dehn, R.N., M.S., N.P. People have more than 50 hormones circulating in their blood. These chemicals carry messages throughout the body to control metabolism (the process of changing food into energy), growth and development, sexual function, and many other things. Estrogen and progesterone help women become and stay pregnant. Estrogen…
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Cรณmo funciona la anticoncepciรณn hormonal
Read More: Cรณmo funciona la anticoncepciรณn hormonalBarbara Dehn, R.N., M.S., N.P., hizo la revisiรณn mรฉdica de este documento. Mรกs de 50 hormonas circulan en la sangre de las personas. Estos quรญmicos portan mensajes a travรฉs del cuerpo para controlar el metabolismo (el proceso que transforma los alimentos en energรญa), el crecimiento, el desarrollo, la funciรณn sexual y muchas otras cosas mรกs.…
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Birth control, Body image, healthy aging, Menopause, Orgasm, Perimenopause, Sex, Sex & relationships, Sexual health
9 Ways Menopause Can Give Your Sex Drive a Boost
Read More: 9 Ways Menopause Can Give Your Sex Drive a BoostItโs time to make Naked Fridays a reality. A lot of people think menopause means less sex, and less enjoyable sex, but the opposite can be true. Hitting menopause can be like hitting the jackpot for sex and intimacy. Here are nine reasons why the end of your periods can be the beginning of a…
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How to Switch to Estrogen-Free Birth Control Pills
Read More: How to Switch to Estrogen-Free Birth Control Pills+ Infographic text Combination birth control options mix estrogen and progestin to stop pregnancy and control period symptoms. But estrogen causes most of the side effects of birth control pills, so some people may want an estrogen-free pill.ย Who Can Benefit from Estrogen-Free Hormonal Birth Control? People with high blood pressure Anyone at risk for…
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Estrogen-Free Birth Control Pills
Read More: Estrogen-Free Birth Control PillsMedically reviewed by Barbara Dehn, R.N., M.S., N.P. + Slides transcript Slide 1 Estrogen-Free Birth Control Pills Canโt take estrogen or prefer not to? No worries. Hereโs what you need to know about estrogen-free birth control pills. Slide 2 Combination Birth Control Pills Combination birth control pills have estrogen and progestin. But not everyone can…
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FDA Approves First OTC Birth Control Pill
Read More: FDA Approves First OTC Birth Control PillStatement from Beth Battaglino, RN-C CEO, HealthyWomen, regarding access to oral birth control: The FDA approval of the first over-the-counter (OTC) progestin-only oral contraception, Opill, is an important step toward dramatically increasing access to birth control across the country. Reflecting the robust body of scientific evidence, HealthyWomen supports OTC access to hormonal contraceptives for women…
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Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About IUDs
Read More: Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About IUDsMedically reviewed by Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. Women today have more options than ever when it comes to birth control. One of these options is the intrauterine device, better known as the IUD. But how do you know if an IUD is right for you? Talk to your healthcare provider (HCP) about your options. In…
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Clinically Speaking: Questions and Answers About Long-Acting Reversible Contraception
Read More: Clinically Speaking: Questions and Answers About Long-Acting Reversible ContraceptionMedically reviewed by Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. If youโre looking for a safe, effective and hassle-free way to prevent pregnancy, long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) may be a good option for you. We reached out to Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine…
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Hormonal Birth Control
Read More: Hormonal Birth Control+ Infographic text What are hormonal contraceptives? A type of birth control that uses hormones to prevent pregnancy and help manage periods and certain medical conditions They are: Safe for most women 99% effective at preventing pregnancy Birth control is for more than just for preventing pregnancy Many women use hormonal birth control to manage…
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What You Need to Know About the Mini Pill
Read More: What You Need to Know About the Mini PillMedically reviewed by Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., FACOG, NCMP + Infographic text What is the mini pill? Most birth control pills contain the hormones estrogen and progestin, a human-made form of progesterone. The mini pill contains only progestin. PULLOUT: Progestin-only pills are sometimes called POPs. How does the mini pill work? Mini pills interfere with…
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Why Hormonal Birth Control Is So Important to Womenโs Healthcare
Read More: Why Hormonal Birth Control Is So Important to Womenโs HealthcareSeptember 26, 2022, is World Contraception Day. The word โmiserableโ comes to mind for Shannon Luders-Manuel when she remembers the days before she was on hormonal birth control. The 47-year-old writer, editor and sensitivity reader has had premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) since she was in high school. A week before her period every month, she…
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Access, Access to health care, Birth control, Birth control pills, Contraception, Endometriosis, Fibroids, Menopause, Pcos, Uterine cancer
Why Access to Contraception Matters for Women of All Ages
Read More: Why Access to Contraception Matters for Women of All AgesKelsie Williams grew up in rural Kentucky, where accessing contraception was โ and still is โ a struggle. โThe more rural regions are really short-staffed and they’re low on specialists who provide reproductive healthcare,โ Williams explained. โI still hear from friends and family who have to take time off for work to drive long distances.…
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Birth control, Contraception, Family planning, Fertility, Infertility, mental health, Real women real stories, Self-Care
The Unicorn in the Room: My Infertility Journey Led to an Unexpected Discovery
Read More: The Unicorn in the Room: My Infertility Journey Led to an Unexpected DiscoveryAs told to Nicole Audrey Spector April 24-30 is National Infertility Awareness Week. Why donโt we just give it a try and see what happens? That was the attitude with which my husband, Luis, and I began our journey to make a baby. I was 32 and didnโt feel in a rush. I was also…
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Birth control, Body image, healthy aging, Menopause, Orgasm, Perimenopause, Sex, Sex & relationships, Sexual health
Whatโs Hot About Menopause? Sex!
Read More: Whatโs Hot About Menopause? Sex!Itโs time to make Naked Fridays a reality. A lot of people think menopause means less sex, and less enjoyable sex, but the opposite can be true. Hitting menopause can be like hitting the jackpot for sex and intimacy. Here are nine reasons why the end of your periods can be the beginning of a…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Affordable care act, Birth control, Birth control pills, Contraception, Health insurance, Keep the care
Itโs Illegal โ but My Insurance Company Refused to Cover My Birth Control
Read More: Itโs Illegal โ but My Insurance Company Refused to Cover My Birth ControlAs told to Shannon Shelton Miller More than two years ago, I made an appointment with my physician to discuss the best contraceptive options for my healthcare needs. Together, we decided on a method and my physician submitted the prescription to my insurer. I was stunned when my insurer refused to cover my contraceptive of…
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Birth control, Birth control pills, Contraception, Family planning, Sex, Sex & relationships, Sexual health
Hormonal vs. Non-Hormonal Contraception: Whatโs the Difference?
Read More: Hormonal vs. Non-Hormonal Contraception: Whatโs the Difference?Erika Zar, 45, tried many different kinds of birth control before she settled on her current one. “Most of them seemed to amplify my mood shifts,” she said. The birth control pills that she tried lowered her sex drive and made her depression worse, and the vaginal ring made her so “ragey” that she only…
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Birth control, Birth control pills, Contraception, Family planning, Reproductive health, Sex, Sex & relationships, Sexual health
Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About Birth Control
Read More: Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About Birth ControlEspaรฑol Medically reviewed by Dr. Sabrina SahniSabrina Sahni The best birth control option varies for each person. It’s important to consider factors such as your lifestyle, schedule, medical history and any medicines you take when you pick a birth control method. As these details change throughout your life, the best birth control option for you…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordable care act, Birth control, Health insurance, Keep the care, Reproductive health, Reproductive rights, Women’s rights
Contraception Is Free to Women, Except When Itโs Not
Read More: Contraception Is Free to Women, Except When Itโs NotBy Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News For Stephanie Force, finding a birth control method that she likes and can get without paying out-of-pocket has been a struggle, despite the Affordable Care Act’s promise of free contraceptives for women and adolescent girls in most health plans. The 27-year-old physician recruiter in Roanoke, Virginia, was perfectly happy…
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Anxiety, Birth control, Contraception, Crohn’s, Crohn’s disease, Depression, Digestive disorders, Digestive health, Ibd, Inflammatory bowel disease, Medical tests, Relationships, Reproductive health, Self-Care, Sex, Sex & relationships
How Inflammatory Bowel Disease Affects Relationships, Sexual Health and Fertility
Read More: How Inflammatory Bowel Disease Affects Relationships, Sexual Health and FertilityMedically reviewed by Dr. Heather Bartos. Relationships are hard. Forming a close connection with another person while navigating choices around dating, sex and family planning can be tough for anyone. But add inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) into the mix, and things get extra complicated. Characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, IBD is an…
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Access, Access to health care, Affordability, Birth control, Contraception, COVID-19, Family planning, Health care, Health insurance, Keep the care, Pandemic, Preventive health
Biden Moves to Overturn Trump Birth Control Rules
Read More: Biden Moves to Overturn Trump Birth Control RulesJulie Rovner, Kaiser Health News The Biden administration Wednesday formally proposed the repeal of Trump-era regulations barring abortion referrals and making other changes intended to evict Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from the federal family planning program, Title X. The 2019 rules dramatically limited access to these family planning services for many low-income people.…
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Birth control, Birth control pills, Contraception, Orgasms, Relationships, Reproductive health, Sex, Sex & relationships, Sexual health
What Birth Control Is Right for You?
Read More: What Birth Control Is Right for You?For the best experience, please view in full screen mode. What Birth Control Is Right for You? Click here to for our interactive tool
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Access, Affordability, Affordable care act, Birth control, Contraception, Health, Health care, Policy
Without Ginsburg, Judicial Threats to the ACA, Reproductive Rights Heighten
Read More: Without Ginsburg, Judicial Threats to the ACA, Reproductive Rights HeightenBy Julie Rovner, Kaiser Health News On Feb. 27, 2018, I got an email from the Heritage Foundation, alerting me to a news conference that afternoon held by Republican attorneys general of Texas and other states. It was referred to only as a “discussion about the Affordable Care Act lawsuit.” I sent the following note…
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Birth control, Cardiovascular disease, Ceo blog, Cholesterol, Contraception, Diabetes, Estrogen, Hdl, Heart disease, Heart health, High cholesterol, Ldl, Pregnancy
Heart Health During Pregnancy and Beyond
Read More: Heart Health During Pregnancy and BeyondMedically Reviewed by Dr. Nieca Goldberg If you’re looking to become pregnant or are already expecting, you’ve likely started thinking about creating the optimal conditions for a healthy pregnancy and birth. As you talk to your doctor about your reproductive health and other factors we typically associate with pregnancy, you should also pay close attention…
