The birth control patch is a form of birth control that is applied to the upper arm, buttocks, upper torso or abdomen. According to the Nemours Foundation, the patch uses a combination of estrogen and progestin to create an unfavorable environment...
Choosing which method of contraception is right for you is a very difficult decision. Usually you will make a choice based on the possible medical risks and side effects of each method. Three of the most commonly used methods of birth control are...
Multitudes of birth control options exist for women desiring to avoid pregnancy. Pills, patches, creams, inserts, hormone shots and implanted devices are a few of the options available for women. Risks to health, however, exist and increase with...
Methods of hormonal birth control such as the pill can be highly effective in preventing pregnancy. Unfortunately, the elevated levels of hormones used may also raise the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Higher levels of cholesterol can cause...
Birth control pills, also known as oral contraceptives, are a widely used method to prevent conception of a baby, notes the Mayo Clinic. The birth control pill can cause a wide range of health problems, especially with long-term use. Use of the...
For many people, the benefits of contraceptives--particularly contraceptives such as condoms, which can help prevent the spread of disease--far outweigh the risks. However, there are risks associated with most of the common forms of contraceptives...
Oral contraceptive pills often contain progesterone and/or estrogen. Some variations include the progesterone-only pill. This particular pill is sometimes referred to as the "mini-pill" when used as birth control. The progesterone-only pill is...
Progesterone is an important female hormone; it plays a crucial role in embryo implantation and growth during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, which follows ovulation. After ovulation, the leftover remnant of the follicle that contained...
Hormonal contraceptives, or HC, were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the 1960s, and have long been considered one of the most effective contraceptive methods on the market. Oral contraceptives, or OC, are known to have a...
Smoking is one of the top preventable causes of death in America. Common cancers linked to smoking include throat, lung, mouth, throat, pancreatic, kidney and bladder cancer. Women smokers also carry the risk of gender-specific complications,...
A birth control pill is an oral contraceptive medication that prevents pregnancy. There are several types of birth control pills. The Mayo Clinic explains that traditional birth control pills contain hormones that convince the reproductive system...
Couples plan how many children they will have and how many years apart they will be through a family planning process. The principles of family planning, according to the Women's Wellness Health Center, help to guide parents through their choices....
When you stop using a hormonal birth control method such as the pill, patch or vaginal ring, your period may start immediately or it may take several weeks. According to Go Ask Alice at Columbia University, it usually takes at least one month and...
Yaz, also known as Yasmin, is a birth control pill that changes your uterine and cervical lining, making it more difficult for sperm to reach your uterus. In the event an egg becomes fertilized, these changes in your lining make it harder for a...
"Artificial" family planning, or the use of hormonal methods for birth control, comes with both benefits and risks. Some women choose to use natural family planning by following their menstrual cycles and avoiding sex during ovulation to avoid...
With so many different kinds of birth control, choosing the right one for you can be a daunting task. One way to help make that choice is to read the pros and cons of some of the most popular types and determine how each fits in with your schedule...
Essure is a method of permanent birth control that cannot be reversed. A small metal coil is placed in the Fallopian tubes, and over several months, scar tissue grows around it. Sperm cannot get past the scar tissue to fertilize an egg, so...
Birth control pills come in multiple forms consisting of different mixtures of reproductive hormones. Although birth control pills are widely used and effective, like all medications there are risks and benefits associated with their use. Birth...
The pharmaceutical company does not list weight gain as a possible side effect of Yasmin on the contraceptive pill's Web site. The website Drugs, however, does list changes in weight or appetite as a possible side effect. The Mayo Clinic states...
Ortho Evra is a birth control patch that delivers the medicine through the skin. It is the only product of its kind to deliver the active ingredients in this manner. Ortho Evra was approved for sale in the United States in 2001. A patch is applied...
About 17 million adults have acne. And by its nature, reports Acne.org, this skin condition is hormonal. Pimples form when glands produce oils that clog pores. The sebaceous glands are triggered at puberty, during pregnancy, menstruation and times...
Birth control pills offer women significant flexibility in preventing pregnancy until it is desired. By taking the pill once a day, a woman stops her ovaries from releasing an egg. When she decides she is ready to get pregnant she simply has to...
Diane-35 is a medicine, manufactured by Schering that, according to BirthControl.com, contains a combination of cyproterone and ethinyl estradiol. Cyproterone is a type of antiandrogen, which means it prevents the effect of many sex hormones....
Scientific studies indicate that hormonal birth control doesn't directly cause weight gain, according to MayoClinic.com. Still, many women who use it do gain weight -- particularly in their hips, thighs and breasts. This could be a result of...
Birth control pills offer women a convenient and effective method of preventing pregnancy without surgery or other permanent procedures. The pill works by maintaining hormone levels in a woman's body. The American Pregnancy Association points out...
If you use hormonal methods of contraception, you should learn how to recognize the signs of birth control related heart disease. Oral contraceptives and other hormonal birth control methods are popular because of their convenience, but they do...
Excessive hair growth in women, called hirsutism, is a common problem that is usually not a cause for concern. Women with hirsutism grow hair in a way that is more typical for men. Thick, dark hair may grow on the face, chest, abdomen and back....
Yaz is a prescription birth control pill containing drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. The medication works to prevent the ovary from releasing an egg during the menstrual cycle and changes the lining of the cervix and uterus so a fertilized egg...
An IUD is a small, plastic device inserted through the vagina into the uterus. A small string hangs out, but isn't noticeable, even during sex. An IUD works by changing the lining of the uterus, making it difficult for sperm to travel into the...
