Cyclebeads

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/this_is_green/2224717957/)
This is something I read about in a womans magazine article. I found it to be very interesting and something many women do not know about. So I researched the topic online, and this is what I learned. It is a very simple system, however, I do not consider it to be foulproof. it does not work for everyone and is probably only good for women with very predictable cycles.

CycleBeads are a highly effective, inexpensive approach to natural family planning. They make it easy for a woman to track her menstrual cycle and clearly identify the days she could become pregnant and the days when pregnancy is most unlikely. CycleBeads have no side effects due to the lack of hormones or chemicals involved. CycleBeads are based on the Standard Days Method, which works best for women who have regular menstrual cycles (between 26 and 32 days long). In this system, days 1-7 of a woman's menstrual cycle are considered infertile. Days 8-19 are considered fertile. Infertility is considered to resume beginning on day 20. When used to avoid pregnancy, the Standard Days Method has a perfect-use failure rate of 5% per year.

How to use CycleBeads:

CycleBeads consist of a series of color-coded beads that represent a woman's fertile and low fertility days. The color of the bead indicates whether she is likely to be fertile or not.

On the first day of her period the woman puts the rubber ring on the red bead. Each day the ring is moved ahead by one bead, always in the direction of the arrow. When the ring is on the red bead or a dark bead, there is a very low chance of pregnancy. When the ring is on a white bead - Days 8 through 19 - there is a high chance of getting pregnant if she has unprotected intercourse.

Natural Birth Control

Natural birth control is one of the most widely used methods. Some religions and cultural beliefs do not allow artificial birth control devices or drugs. The natural birth control method is more acceptable to these people. This method includes a periodic abstinence, with couples avoiding sexual intercourse during the woman's fertile period.

The rhythm method or calendar method, standard days method, and withdrawal method are some of the natural birth control methods.

In the rhythm method, sexual intercourse takes place based on three assumptions. The first is that ovulation occurs fourteen days before the beginning of menstruation. This method also relies upon the fact that the sperm will remain viable for three days and that the ovum survives for twenty-four hours. With these theories in mind, women can decide on the days of abstinence. The standard day method replaced the rhythm method over a period of time. In the standard day method, the first day of a period is considered as day one. Women can have unprotected sex from day one to day seven. From days eight to nineteen, they should avoid sex. From day twenty to the next period, they can again have unprotected intercourse.

Withdrawal is a method of natural birth control in which the man withdraws his penis from the woman before ejaculation. This method does not always work because the man must have enough control to withdraw in time.

Natural birth control methods allow a woman to have an understanding of her body. These methods have no side effects. Natural birth control methods do not require the use of drugs or chemicals. Compared with other birth control methods, a natural birth control method is inexpensive. These methods can also be used to achieve pregnancy. Natural birth control methods require discipline and charting. This is most suitable for women with regular and predictable menstrual cycles.

RU486

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/85944727@N00/273735564/)
Ru486, or "the abortion pill", contains the synthetic steroid mifepristone which interferes with the body's production of progesterone (the hormone that builds up the uterine lining to prepare for pregnancy). Two medications are typically used when performing a medical abortion: Ru486, which stops a fertilized egg from attaching to the lining of the uterus, and misoprostol, which causes uterine contractions.
The abortion pill is approved for women up to 7 weeks pregnant (5 weeks since conception) or up to 49 days after her last menstrual period. Ru486 helps to terminate a pregnancy without surgery and is 92 - 98% effective when used in combination with misoprostol. When mifepristone is used alone, it is only 64 - 85% effective.
Ru486 is highly effective and less painful to the body than surgical abortion. However, mifepristone may not be an option for women with liver or kidney problems, anemia, diabetes, Rh-negative blood or those who are overweight.

Ru486 Side Effects
Minor cramping
Possible nausea
Vomiting and diarrhea
Bleeding can last 8 to 10 days

Will I gain weight?

( http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicagrace/3288035957/)
One of the biggest worries of women starting birth control is the fact that one of the side effects of the pill is weight gain. Weight gain is a common side effect for all hormonal methods of birth control. Women under the pill usually have an increase in appetite and have easier fat depositions. This is because of the increase in hormones. How much a woman will gain tends to vary. On average, women using the birth control pill gain approximately 10 lbs during the first year of use. Some women may gain more while others may not gain any weight at all. A lot of women who stopped using any hormonal birth control find that the weight comes off easily.
There are things you can do to prevent the dreaded 10lb weight gain. All is not lost. You can try other types of birth control. If you want to stay with the birth control pill you are currently using, being more aware of your diet and exercising lifestyle can also help prevent unwanted weight gain.

Birth Control and Bleeding

Are you still bleeding or experiencing spotting while on the pill? If this is the first time you started using birth control pills, it is normal for new users to bleed during the first three months while on the pill. If you continue to bleed while on the pill, speak with your doctor to see if you should come off the pill for a little while. Once you get back on the pill, there should not be anymore bleeding or spotting.
Bleeding or spotting while you are currently using birth control pills is known is breakthrough bleeding. If you are still bleeding or spotting, you should try switching to a different pill. Bleeding or spotting usually indicates that your pills are not as effective as they should be (additional methods of birth control when you are bleeding or spotting are recommended). Spotting is also a symptom of a sexually transmitted disease known as Chlamydia.
This is something I am very familiar with. I used to be on the pill and experienced abnormal breakthrough bleeding, once for three months. At first I thought I was menstruating, but when it wouldn't go away, I knew something else was up.
However, if you are bleeding after intercourse with your partner, that could be a whole other problem. "f you are bleeding after sex, check with your doctor immediately. Vaginal bleeding after sex can indicate the following:
Cervical Dysplasia (precancerous changes of the epithelial cells that line the cervix)
Chlamydia (bacterial infection transmitted through sexual activity or contact with semen, vaginal fluid, or blood)
Gonorrhea (an STD caused by bacteria. Pharmaceutical treatments available)
Vaginitis/Cervicitis (inflammation, swelling, and/or infection of the vagina or cervix)
Cervical Polyps (smooth, red or purple, finger-like growths grown from mucus layer of the cervix or the cervical canal)
Trichomoniasis (STD caused by protozoan)
Vaginal Yeast Infection (overgrowth of the normal fungi in the vaginal area)
Endometritis (inflammation of the endometrium)
Adenomyosis (when an endometrial tissue attaches itself to the uterus, or another organ, and grows outside of the uterus)
Uterine Polyps (overgrowth of the endometrium causing protrusions into the uterus)
Fibroid Tumors (a benign tumor)"
(http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/blog/2008/12/birth-control-and-bleeding.html)

Over 35 too old for Birth Control?

According to certain researchers(and this ), taking birth control over the age of 35 puts you at many health risks. "Heart disease death rates have recently risen in women ages 35 to 44, and no one knows exactly why. This could be due to an increase in obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking, all of which raise heart disease risk. But it could also be because more middle-aged women are using hormonal contraceptives today than ever before." (http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2009/01/13/should-you-stop-taking-birth-control-pills-if-youre-over-35.html)
There are a number of risks that increase your risk of health problems. They include:

• Smoking: Never, ever take the pill if you smoke—especially if you're over 35. You'll up your odds of blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes, especially if you smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day. Of course, quitting cigarettes will do your heart far more good than avoiding the pill will.

• Obesity: A few extra pounds probably isn't risky, but obese women—defined as having a body mass index over 30—have nearly twice the risk of developing dangerous blood clots if they take the pill compared with women at a healthy body weight.

• High blood pressure: If you have a history of high blood pressure, even if it's well controlled, it's probably best to avoid the pill because it can have a blood-pressure-raising effect. Women under 35 whose hypertension is controlled with medication can safely try oral contraceptives if their blood pressure is monitored, says the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

• Diabetes: The jury's still out as to whether oral contraceptives adversely affect a diabetic's blood sugar levels, but to be on the safe side, ACOG recommends that women over 35 with diabetes avoid the pill.

• High cholesterol: Women whose LDL cholesterol is over 160 mg/dL should avoid using the pill. Ditto for those with a family history of premature heart disease or those with an HDL level less than 35 mg/dL or a triglyceride level greater than 250 mg/dL.

• Migraines: Here's a surprise, at least to me. ACOG recommends against using the pill if you get migraines because some studies have shown that the combination increases a woman's risk of having a stroke by two to three times. I'm going to check with my doctor on this one since I occasionally get migraines—though I used to have far more of them before I went on the pill.

For women who do not smoke or have any of these health problems, the pill can be taken safely into a womans 50s. Birth control can also help with premenstrual symptoms such as hot flashes.

Glamorous Life of Teenage Mother

I know this is a little off topic of the subject of birth control, but when I saw this video, it really made me feel bad for this young girl. She is 19 years old and has an 18 month old son. The father of the child is not around, and she is left to raise the baby on her own. She does not have a job and lives with her mother and grandmother, who do help her.
The short video shows clips from the movie Juno and pictures in magazines from when Jamie Lynn Spears (Britney Spears' little sister) had a baby. The video was hinting at the fact that the media can have a tendency to glorify teen pregnancy. I am not sure how I feel about that statement. I know that teen minds are young and impressionable, but when I was that young, never did the idea of having a baby seem glamorous to me. What came to my mind when I thought about the possibility of becoming pregnant was my parents killing me and the end of my life as I knew it. It is probably the biggest responsibility one can take on. You are in charge of a whole other human being. You have to clothed it, feed it properly, teach it right from wrong-whatever you do is going to shape your child into the person they are going to become for the rest of their lives.
It brought a tear to my eye when the girl in the video started talking about her life and how she has to depend on her mother and grandmother for many things. She said she feels bad asking for things and she knows they get tired of the constant care that goes into raising a child. She had her whole life ahead of her, and now this child has set her back. When teen celebrities have babies, they have money and can go on living a comfortable life. When your average teen has a baby, they usually drop out of school, live below the poverty line and never accomplish the life goals they had before becoming pregnant.
This is a perfect example of why condoms should be distributed in schools to teens who need them and the need for education to inform students how to protect themselves-not only from pregnancy but also diseases.

Bristol Palin Speaking Out for Abstinence

Bristol Palin — Sarah Palin’s 19-year-old-daughter and unwed mother of 4-month-old Tripp — has been chosen as an Abstinence Ambassador for the Candies Foundation. She made the rounds of the morning shows, appeared at a town hall meeting for National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day and declared herself committed to discouraging behavior that would leave other girls in the same predicament she finds herself in. “Regardless of what I did personally,” she told Chris Cuomo on Good Morning America, “abstinence is the only … 100% foolproof way you can prevent pregnancy.”
Hmm, I wonder if Mommy Sarah Palin had anything to do with this. “It doesn’t look good for a future presidential hopeful to have a daughter who had a child and did not marry the dad. They had to re-brand Bristol Palin so that she fits into the conservative base.” It was a mixed message, others charged: “Don’t have sex as a teenager, but if you do, you might end up a happy celebrity with this beautiful baby.” Life is much messier and all the odds were against them, and in a real sense it diminishes Bristol’s challenge, and her clear determination to meet it, to pretend otherwise. Only 4 in 10 teenage mothers finish high school; less than 2% of girls who have babies under 18 will finish college by the time they are 30; just waiting until 20 or 21 increases the odds fourfold. Two thirds of families of young unwed mothers are poor. When pregnant teens do marry, they are 50% more likely to get divorced than those who marry without being pregnant.
She was right back in February when she said it was “not realistic,” she is right now when she says practicing it is hard, and she’s right that it is much better and safer for kids to postpone having sex. She also advocates that kids who have sex should use contraception. This has always been the irony of the fight over sex education. The increased emphasis on abstinence in the past 15 years has been a factor in pushing back the age at which kids have their first sexual experience, reducing the number of partners they have and lowering both the teen abortion rates and pregnancy rates. The problem with Abstinence Only education was not the Abstinence, it was the ONLY. The most effective message is to encourage postponement of sexual activity while providing full and complete information on contraception, decision-making and disease prevention. Which is why the President’s just released budget ends funding for programs that restrict the discussion to abstinence alone.

Birth Control and Muscle Gain

Many women are aware of the side effects of birth control- weight gain, bloating, moodiness, increase chance of cancer, but a new side effect has been discovered that many did not know about. The American Physiological Society conducted a study detailing the effect of contraceptive pills on muscle mass. Its all in this article by empowher (a womens online health forum)Researchers found that women taking an oral contraceptive who performed 10 weeks of resistance training gained 40 percent less muscle mass than women who were not taking oral contraceptives.
Exercise physiologist Chang Woock Lee, and several other researchers at Texas A&M University, says this is due to the way that oral contraceptives affect a woman’s hormone levels. Lee also found that certain pills made muscle gain less likely, such as medium and high androgenic progestins. "In the blood concentrations of women in the study who were taking oral contraceptives, we found lower levels of anabolic or muscle building hormones and higher levels of catabolic or muscle breaking hormones as opposed to women who were not taking oral contraceptives,"

Crazy Man..

People like this get me angry. There is a man, Dan Holman, who stands in front of planned parenthood clinics and harasses women he believes are going to have abortions.
Here is an example of a day in Dan's life:
"Two women turned into the lot. One of Holman's fellow protesters rushed toward their SUV with anti-abortion literature, but the women ignored the protestor and parked in front of Planned Parenthood. Holman was sure they came for an abortion.Holman picked up his unamplified megaphone, which he calls the "Truth Horn." The women opened their car doors. Holman wore a wide-brimmed hat like a pilgrim's, and black clothes to show he's in mourning. "Your baby wants to live!" the 62-year-old Keokuk man shouted. "Your baby don't want to die! It's a beautiful little boy or little girl, your son or daughter, but not yours to kill! Your circumstances will change! You can't bring baby back to life once it's dead!"Holman's voice echoed. The women walked toward the clinic door. Holman wanted to prick the women's consciences. He does this, he said, because he's the last line of defense for a baby's life. In the culture wars surrounding issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, Holman is a front-line combatant."
It is hard enough for a woman to make the decision whether or not to keep her baby, every woman has a right to choose what she does with her body. The decision she makes is what she feels is the best one for life situation at the moment. It is not an easy decision, and it is not a happy one. The process is usually emotional and confusing. This man is not making the lives of these women any easier. First of all, he is a man, he will never know what it is like to be pregnant. He will never know what it is like to make a decision like this, ever.
He may feel like he is helping, because in his own crazy mind, he thinks he is. However, he is just bringing more pain and anguish to women who have alot on their plate already. Who is he to judge?

Finally, a school that isn't afraid to come out and fact reality!

This article from the Seattle Times is about how the Willamina School Board has approved a health plan that includes birth control for students. Teens in these schools who are sexually active may be given birth control, it may also be prescribed if a parent requests it for their daughter. This school district is located in Oregon.
Personally, I think this is a great idea. I also believe this school district has alot of courage for going against conservative views about abstinence only education. So many schools have been reprimanded for giving out condoms in schools and teaching sex education to children, and this school has an agreement with a health center to give out contraceptives. I applaud them to waking up and living in the real world, where teens are sexually active. Teaching abstinence only education will not make teens stop participating in sexual and risky behavior. This teaches teens to be responsible about their behavior, and also will prevent teen pregnancy. You would think in such a liberal state like New York, this would happen here. I mean, thank god schools do not promote abstinence only education, but some teens aren't even aware of birth control, they are not taught.

Yet another method..implanon

New methods of birth control seem to appear almost daily. For a while, they look promising, and then we hear all the old warnings again - like blood clots. A variety of pills are available as well as injections and patches. None of these methods have been proven 100% safe for a woman to use.Now a new one has come on the scene. Will this be the one women have been waiting for? It's called Implanon. The Implanon web site describes it this way:

IMPLANON™ is a small, thin, implantable hormonal contraceptive that is effective for up to three years.

I went on to the website to research this new three year no worry birth control device. The site did not seem totally full of information, I felt like it told me what every other birth control device site would of told me. I would probably want to speak to a doctor thoroughly before trying this new method out. It says after it is put in, you can't feel or see it. It claims to be over 99% effective and even includes a chart to prove this(which i have placed on the side)

As with all new methods though, I would wait awhile to see if any recalls or woman taking it experience any negative effects or health problems.

Giving birds birth control?

Downtown officials have to decided to feed pigeons birth control. I am not sure how I feel about this. They are going to do this because they find the birds unsightly and claim they poop everywhere. You can read about it here. They also claim the bird droppings corrode away buildings and litter sidewalks. "A giant chunk of a building's facade recently fell in downtown St. Paul and officials suspect those nasty pigeons are to blame." So how would they give them contraceptives do you ask? Well the plan is to put up feeders filled with bird feed that are mixed with the birth control.
I have a few questions this article doesn't explain. In fact, this article does not explain much except for the fact that pigeons are "ugly" and ruining the city. Is this feed safe for pigeons? What happens if they eat too much? I know there are side effects and dangers to humans taking birth control, there must be some risk to birds eating it.
Who are officials to play mother nature? We don't go around feeding humans dinner laced with birth control. There are plenty of irritating and usightly children walking around. Does this mean we can limit human births too? Animals are not soley for the use of humans. Animals are a separate species who have just as much as a right to live peacefully on this planet and reproduce freely. Maybe the reason they feel the city is overpopulated with them is because we keep tearing down their homes to build a shopping mall or parking lot.

one in ten woman can't afford their birth control

At the recent conference of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the organization released findings from a recent Gallup poll it commissioned. The survey results reveal as alarming news about women's reproductive health in a declining economy.

Women say that using birth control is extremely important to them but, they can't afford it.

Gallup found that six percent of women using a hormonal form of birth control, such as the pill, said they had abandoned the method because they could not afford it. Ten percent of women said they were worried about their ability to keep paying for contraception. Some women said they had switched birth control methods because of cost. Women reported that, on average, having a reliable method of contraception is extremely important to them (a "9" on a scale of one to 10). Women who said that they have been affected a great deal by the country's economy are more than twice as likely to report that they have decided to limit the size of their family (29% vs. 13%)
Fourteen percent have postponed their annual Ob/Gyn check-up.

Given this, the Obama adminstration could not have had better timing with the report they released today, "Roadblocks to Health Care: Why the Current Health Care System Does Not Work for Women."

The report explains that "Women are more vulnerable to high health care costs than men," and that, "Women's reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care." We're paying for these biological differences too: Women are often charged higher premiums than men during their reproductive years. According to the report, keeping other factors constant, a 22-year-old woman can be charged one and a half times the premium of a 22-year-old man. This difference largely disappears well after our fertility does--by age 64.

The Obama administration is approaching the health care crisis with the understanding that women and men might not have equal access to the care they need. They identify the actual problem before designing a solution. This is heartening after so many years of an administration that viewed the solutions as the problem e.g., Bush’s opposition to birth control. The new approach is to view women's health and rights as critical pieces of our nation's recovery plan. I am beginning to feel better already.

Katy Perry, the famous "I Kissed A Girl" singer takes oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. She takes no risks when it comes to pregnancy. Eventually she will settle down and have children, when she is ready. She says, "I love being in love, I love the idea of marriage and making babies, but not yet. Not until I'm 30."
After breaking up with Gym Class Heros star, Travis McCoy last year. Katy Perry explains to us how she takes her birth control pills: 'I basically chew my birth control tablets - I chew them like vitamin C, I'm like, "nomnomnomnom".'

Girls who are sexually active, should protect themselves from any chance of becoming pregnant. Not everyone is ready to become a mother yet. Katy Perry says, "This is a really important time in my life. During the next two or three years, if I do things right, I will have a real career, and if I don't, well, I'll just be that girl who kissed a girl."

Those who suffer with severe PMS, (premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)) or just plain old mild PMS know how much of a pain in the butt it can be. Some of you may find yourself in severe pain and exhaustion locked in your room for days, while others will be more courageous and step into civilization... turning the friendly greeting from your neighbor into a scene from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There is a pill that claims to help.

What is PMDD?

PMDD is a severe form of PMS. Only 5% of women suffer from PMDD, and although it is not very common, some of us have "in-between" cases of PMS and PMDD that continue to affect the way we live.

Symptoms of PMDD include:



- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or worthlessness

- Anxiety or tension

- Unstable mood and frequent crying

- Persistent irritability causing conflict in relationships

- Loss of interest in usual activities or relationships

- Lack of concentration

- Lack of energy

- Changes in appetite, possibly including cravings or binge eating

- Sleeping too much or too little

- Feeling out of control

- Physical symptoms including breast tenderness, breast swelling, headache, joint/muscle aches, bloating, and weight gain.

However severe your PMS symptoms are, there is a safe and convenient way to treat it.

So what exactly is this miracle medicine that is capable of taming the premenstrual beast in you? It's Yaz. Yaz oral contraceptives are the only birth control pills that will treat cases of PMDD. This has been proven by the FDA, when a study showed that women taking Yaz reduced their PMS symptoms by at least 50%. Wow. That would also mean, if you took Yaz, you would have less arguments with mothers, sisters, significant others - and anyone else that gets in your way!

Yaz birth control pills contain levels of the female hormones estrogen and progestin. Together, these hormones exist in harmony and balance the natural processes of the female body. Dr. Andrea Rapkin, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, states: "Like other birth control pills, Yaz contains the female hormones estrogen and progestin. Unlike other versions of the pill, Yaz uses a form of progestin that has unique properties. These hormones, when working together stimulate the bloodstream, the heart, and the brain. This means, that stressed-out organs can finally relax when a balanced dose of the hormones are present.
"For my PMDD patients who need a treatment to reduce their symptoms -- as well as a safe and effective contraception to prevent pregnancy -- YAZ is an important option that can meet both of their health care needs in a single pill" - Dr. Andrea Rapkin