The symptoms birth control method is a fertility-awareness technique. It uses a woman's basal body temperature, cervical mucus and the condition of her cervix to determine when she is most fertile so that unprotected sexual intercourse can be...
When you stop taking birth control pills it may take some time for your body to return to its baseline normal. You may stop your pills at any time, however it may be advantageous to wait until you finish your current month. This will make it...
Alesse is a popular generic birth control pill. Its main ingredients are levonorgestrel (a form of progesterone) and ethinyl estradiol (a form of estrogen). The pill protects against pregnancy, but not against sexually transmitted diseases or HIV....
Perimenopausal and menopausal women who continue to use contraceptives containing estrogen may benefit for reasons other than preventing pregnancy. In a 2006 St. Petersburg Times article, Dr. Catherine Lynch, director of General Obstetrics and...
Various brands and types of birth control pills are available to women. This form of pregnancy prevention is effective and convenient. Nearly every brand or type of pill has a set of potential side effects. Some women may experience the mild,...
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a condition that affects nearly 80 percent of menstruating women. Prior to menstruating, women experience emotional and physical complications defined as PMS, which is characterized by a wide variety of symptoms that...
Because there is currently no cure for polycystic ovary pyndrome (PCOS), medications are prescribed to control the symptoms. Birth control pills, diabetes medications, and anti-androgen drugs help patients keep their symptoms in check. There are...
The pimples, blackheads and whiteheads associated with acne are supposed to be a teenager's problem--so why do you have them as an adult? While many believe acne is a burden for the young, the truth is it's a problem that affects more than 50...
Progesterone is a hormone that your ovaries make from puberty until menopause. It is essential for normal menstruation, for becoming pregnant and for carrying a baby to term. Low levels of progesterone cause problems like irregular periods,...
Grapefruit juice can increase estrogen levels in your bloodstream. The estrogen boost is only slight when you drink grapefruit juice by itself. However, when combined with medications containing estrogen, such as birth control pills, grapefruit...
For many teenagers, acne is a rite of passage, marking the transition from puberty to adolescence, and finally clearing up in adulthood. Most adults never imagine having to deal with it in later life, but for some--mainly women--acne remains....
Whether you are stopping your birth control regimen due to undesirable side effects or because you wish to get pregnant, there may be some unwanted side effects. It is important to talk to your doctor before discontinuing the pill. Most birth...
According to the article "Hormonal Contraception in Women of Older Reproductive Age" by Andrew M. Kaunitz in the March 20, 2008, edition of the "New England Journal of Medicine," women who are entering menopause can still use hormone-based birth...
Every month, women have to deal with the painful cramps that come with menstruation. For some women, menstrual cramps can be debilitating and difficult to deal with. However, women have many choices in how to deal with their cramps. Besides...
In August of 1960 the first birth control hit the marketplace in the United States. The pill promised to give women control of their reproductive cycles. It allowed them to engage in sexual relations without fear of getting pregnant. Within a year...
Perimenopause is the first stage of menopause, occurring in a woman's 30s or 40s, according to MayoClinic.com. In perimenopause, a woman's estrogen level declines and rises rapidly, causing symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, irregular...
Choosing the right contraception method is important for any woman during her reproductive years. Just because a woman is premenopausal does not mean that her options are limited. According to a 2008 study by Andrew M. Kaunitz in the New England...
Overview Pregnancy symptoms are often difficult to understand because each symptom may be related to something other than pregnancy. Some women experience...
Birth control pills taken before the menstrual cycle begins can be used to regulate the menstrual cycle, treat acne, PMS, menstrual cramping, endometriosis, heavy bleeding and polycystic ovary syndrome.The pill works by releasing a continuous low...
When women develop excess facial hair, the condition is called hirsutism. For some women, a little bit of facial hair is natural, albeit annoying. For others, it could signify an underlying health condition or hormonal imbalance. Birth control...
Birth control has come a long way since the introduction of the birth control pill. There are now more than a dozen methods to choose from, including shots, rings and patches. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, which will differ...
Approximately 99 percent of obstetricians and gynecologists believe that suppressing a menstrual period through the use of birth control pills is safe, according to a 2003 Gallop survey conducted by the American Congress of Obstetricians and...
Polycystic ovary disease, also called polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal disorder that affects between 5 to 10 percent of all women, Robert Barbieri, M.D. explains on UpToDate. The symptoms of PCOD vary, but include insulin...
PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, is an imbalance in a woman's sex hormones that can trigger a number of harmful body changes, including the development of fluid-filled sacs, called cysts, in the ovaries. Wild yam contains a substance called...
No barrier or hormonal contraceptive method is 100 percent effective at protecting against pregnancy, even when used accurately all of the time. Understanding the first signs of pregnancy is critical to making informed decisions about how and...
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus that, once it infects a person, it remains in the body for life. CMV belongs in the herpes virus group with herpes simplex viruses, varicella-zoster virus (chickenpox) and Epstein-Barr Virus (infectious...
Getting pregnant while on birth control isn't likely. However, there is a risk of birth control failure. Knowing the signs of pregnancy that may occur while you are on birth control is necessary to ensure that you and your baby get proper medical...
There is no specific test to diagnose polycystic ovary disease. This disorder, also called polycystic ovary syndrome, is believed to be linked to genetic causes and high insulin levels. The illness is often identified via a process of...
Most women know that no form of birth control, even the pill, is 100 percent effective. And a woman taking the pill might have reason to wonder at some point if she might be pregnant. She might also wonder if the results of a pregnancy test can be...
Endometriosis is a common medical condition in which the endometrium grows outside the uterus. Learn more about endometriosis, including symptoms and treatments, in this obstetrics video.
Ovarian cysts can have a range of causes; some cysts are part of normal menstruation functioning, though others maybe related to ovarian cancer. Learn more about ovarian cysts in this obstetrics video.
