The copper IUD (ParaGard) changes the lining of the uterus so implantation cannot take place. According to Family Health International, ParaGard may be used effectively as an emergency form of birth control if inserted within five days, as a...
Women who have trouble dealing with the side effects of traditional combination birth control pills are sometimes referred to the progesterone-only pill. Because this pill only contains progestin, and doesn't contain estrogen, it may not have as...
For the new mother, the question of when fertility will return after childbirth is a common one. While every woman's body is different, the most common determinant of when her period will return is whether she is breastfeeding or not. Spotting may...
Most family-planning methods and services focus primarily on women. Pregnancy and its prevention do most directly affect women, as well as any children they might conceive. This does not mean that family planning is exclusively a women's issue. It...
Alli, the brand name of the medication orlistat, is an over-the-counter weight loss aid. It works by blocking some of the fat in foods from being absorbed by the body. Although this medication can interact negatively with other prescription...
Correct, consistent use of any family planning method boosts its effectiveness. Yet proper use depends on behavioral changes that many people can find complicated and difficult. Luckily well-established communication tools can inform and inspire...
The term "the pill" encompasses various oral contraceptives. Estrogen-progestin or combined pills suppress the ovaries' monthly release of an egg cell. While progestin-only pills also work this way, they mostly thicken cervical mucus, inhibiting...
The World Health Organization defines community health workers, or CHWs, as community-selected community members who "have shorter training than professional workers" and are "supported by the health system." CHWs are a vital, expanding part of...
Unintended pregnancy can be prevented by using a number of different contraceptive methods. Although no method (aside from abstinence) is 100 percent effective, there are a wide array of products that provide a certain level of protection. One...
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that less than 1 percent of women who use birth control pills correctly get pregnant, but average failure rates are closer to 8 percent. This is because many women fail to take birth...
Family planning is a series of tools designed to help couples exert control over the number and timing of children. While family-planning services are widely available in the United States, many areas of the developing world do not enjoy similar...
Female condoms have many benefits. They are effective against sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. Perhaps the best benefit of the female condom is that it's a female-controlled device that doesn't rely on prescription medications to...
Although some couples use the same contraception throughout their reproductive years, many change their minds and decide to use a new birth control method. Unpleasant side effects, limited availability, the financial cost, wanting a more permanent...
The causes of menorrhagia, or prolonged menstrual bleeding, range from harmless and benign to quite serious. Since prolonged menstrual bleeding may be a symptom of serious illness, women should always call a doctor when experiencing this...
The Theory of Reasoned Action, or TRA, is a behavioral hypothesis offered by Martin Fishbein, PhD and Icek Ajzen, Ph.D., both doctors of psychology. Simply, TRA suggests that if a you intend to do something, such as eat healthily, and believe that...
Many people would like their birth control method to be as effective as possible. Although abstinence is the only form of birth control that is 100 percent effective, there are steps that can be taken to improve the effectiveness of other birth...
There are many diseases linked with HIV/AIDS. Many of these diseases are due to opportunistic infections that invade the body when the immune system is compromised. According to MedlinePlus, AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection, and...
Couples who don't feel quite ready to hear the pitter-patter of little feet often wonder which method of birth control is best. The withdrawal method of birth control, sometimes referred to as coitus interruptus, offers many advantages over other...
Condoms are the only proven method for reducing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases during intercourse, according to American Social Health Association. In addition to protecting against diseases, condoms can also help prevent...
When used correctly and consistently, condoms are a reliable way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Although most people can use condoms without any unpleasant side effects, individuals with a...
In one sense, all family planning options are long-term because family planning is a right and responsibility that lasts decades in most people's lives. However, contraceptive methods are not usually called long-term if they require action every...
More than 100 million women worldwide prevent unintended pregnancy with combined oral contraceptives, also called COCs or "the pill." With correct and consistent use, this form of birth control can be over 99 percent effective. Many COC users...
Birth control technology has improved dramatically in the last 25 years. The Draper Fund report from the U.S. National Library of Health Medicine describes advances in oral contraceptives, time-release birth control and IUD techniques that have...
More than 20,000 children join U.S. families through international adoption each year, according to Adoptive Families magazine. People choose international adoption for different reasons--international adoptions may be easier for some people to...
Depression is a mental illness that some people believe is just a state of mind. However, depression is not something people choose to feel or something they can control. If your wife is depressed, you may feel that she is just sad or mopey, and...
More than 20,000 foreign adoptions took place in 2002, according to the Children's Hospital of Boston. Around 75 percent of the children come from low per-capita-income countries where they have been institutionalized, creating the potential for...
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say that depression is one of the most common illnesses in the world and affects how adults think and behave. Depression is a medical condition that cannot be treated with will power. Instead, once the signs and symptoms...
Caffeine is a bitter-tasting chemical that is typically found in coffees, certain teas, colas and other soft drinks, chocolates, and in many so-called "energy drinks." It has many physiological effects on your body, including stimulation of your...
A head of strong, thick hair, shiny nails and glowing skin may be a standard of beauty, but they don't sell it in a bottle. Hair and nail vitamins claim to make your hair less brittle and cause it to grow faster and fuller. Hair and nail vitamins...
