Articles filed under 'BIRTH CONTROL'
Some women in their 40s can still get pregnant without assistance from fertility clinics. That’s good news for those who have postponed motherhood, but for women who have completed their family, continuing fertility can be problematic. Today, the Pill and the IUD (intra-uterine devices) are both considered good options for some women in their fourth decade. These two methods are much safer than, for example, in the 1960s and 1970s. In the past, most women over age 40 underwent a tubal ligation (a fallopian tube-tying procedure), or relied on condoms or vasectomy with their male partner.
Sterilization is now easier for women, thanks to a non-surgical method of tubal treatment called Essure. The new technique was approved by the U.S. government in 2002. No cutting of the abdomen or tying of the tubes is involved. Instead, the doctor works through the cervix, using a thin tube to insert small devices into the ends of the fallopian tubes. These “plugs” in about three months produce scarring to block the woman’s tubes, thus preventing ovulated eggs from reaching the uterus.
Women over 40 should continue to use birth control until well into menopause. This age group has been shown to have high abortion rates, similar to those of adolescents. Under certain conditions, the Pill is now safe for “older” women. The dosage of estrogen in today’s Pill is greatly reduced and considered by many physicians to be a good alternative for lean, healthy women over 40. The Pill has other benefits besides contraception for appropriate women. It can help to control irregular menstrual bleeding and hot flashes, reduce hip fractures and cases of ovarian cancer. Yet, some physicians urge caution even in lean and healthy women who are approaching menopause.
If a woman over 40 is significantly overweight, has high blood pressure or diabetes, the Pill would not be a good option. For them, the chances of dangerous blood clots rise sharply. Middle-aged women who are obese, who smoke, have migraine headaches or other identified risk factors might instead consider IUDs or progestin-only treatments termed “mini-pills.” Although higher breast cancer rates have been found in older women taking estrogen-progestin pills to control menopausal symptoms, women 35 and older taking oral contraceptives have not shown an increase in breast cancers.
Another birth control product called Implanon, FDA-approved in 2006, is a matchstick-sized plastic rod that is implanted under the skin of the upper arm. Implanon is similar to the earlier Norplant and can last up to three years.
Today’s IUDs are safer and more effective than those used by women in the 1970s. The earlier Dalkon Shield version resulted in a number of serious medical problems due to its defective design. A large class-action lawsuit was filed and millions in payouts were made over the years. American women and their physicians are again considering the IUD as a simple and effective method of birth control.
Women should discuss with their OB-GYN physician their preferences for contraception, the appropriateness for their age group and their individual health risks. New options in birth control methods and technologies greatly reduce the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
San Francisco Chronicle, Mike Stobbe, AP story, April 5, 2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23954260/
April 8th, 2008
This month the FDA approved the first birth-control pill designed to stop women’s menstrual periods indefinitely. Lybrel, expected to be on the market by July, is approved for continuous use to prevent pregnancies.
Lybrel can have troubling side effects for some women, especially in its first year of use. About half the women enrolled in the study of the new low-dose hormone pill did not continue in the study. Many dropped out due to irregular and unscheduled bleeding and spotting that can replace scheduled monthly periods.
In one test of Lybrel, 59% of women who stayed on the pill for a year had no spotting or breakthrough bleeding in the last month of the study. Because many women dropped out, only about one-third of women who originally entered the study experienced this result.
Women with especially difficult periods due to headaches, breast tenderness, cramps and nausea may be willing to put up with initial unscheduled bleeding and spotting that may last for a year. Some do not experience these side effects. In those who have no periods while on Lybrel, it may be difficult to know if they become pregnant.
With a lower-dose pill, its effectiveness can be reduced, although it is still able to prevent pregnancy approximately 96% of the time. Lower-dose pills have been developed to reduce the risk of serious side effects such as blood clots and stroke.
For many women, menstruation is a natural part of their experience. They may not want to treat a normal function as though it were a medical condition. Others may rejoice to be able to skip their menstrual periods indefinitely.
Another method of eliminating monthly periods is by receiving the hormonal contraceptive Depo-Provra by injection.
Other pills already on the market (Seasonale and Seasonique) can reduce the number of periods a woman has to three or four a year. Some nontraditional pills such as Yaz and Loestrin 24 are able to shorten monthly periods to three days or less.
Source: CNN.com
May 28th, 2007
While some women embrace the concept of eliminating their periods entirely, others are reluctant to take the new pill Lybrel that would in essence eliminate monthly menstrual bleeding entirely. Newer birth control pills already on the market (such as Seasonale) can enable women to have periods just once every three or every four months. Lybrel is expected to be FDA approved in May 2007.
Doctors generally express no concern about extra risks with the complete elimination of the menses. About two-thirds of women surveyed showed interest in taking Lybrel, as they believe they are “too busy” to bother with monthly bleeding. At this point, however, there have been no long-term studies. It is yet unknown whether adverse unintended consequences might occur after having no periods for 30 or 40 years of a woman’s life.
Some women express concerns that menstrual cycles may involve complex interactions with the brain, bones and skin. Others are emotionally attached to their symbol of fertility when monthly bleeding does occur, or they may feel relief to have evidence that they are not pregnant.
Women on any type of birth control pill are not having real periods, as the hormones they are taking stop the monthly release of an egg and the buildup of the uterine lining. For that reason, the new pill is not offering a drastically different option, just more convenience for women.
Women who have difficult, painful periods that cause them to miss work and keep a low profile for several days may welcome the addition of Lybrel to choices they can make for contraception.
Source: New York Times
May 4th, 2007
An 18-month study of over 2,000 healthy women ages 18 through 49 who were given continuous-use oral contraceptives to prevent menstruation has been shown to be safe and effective.
Among the study participants, 79% percent had progressively decreasing bleeding days, with an absence of bleeding after one year. In 59%, a complete cessation of menstrual cycles occurred soon after the first month.
Lead investigator David Archer, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, expressed excitement over this “significant improvement in the quality of life for women.” The study can be found in the December issue of Contraception.
Dr. Archer asserts that for the first time, continuous-use oral contraceptives have been shown to safely eliminate menstrual bleeding and the symptoms associated with it — cramping, headaches, bloating, and irritability.
The study was conducted at 92 sites in North America where researchers dispensed to participating women a birth-control pill produced by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals under the name Lybrel. The new birth control pill contains 20 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol and 90 micrograms of levonorgestrel.
Traditional birth control pills contain 21 days of active hormones and 7 days of placebos (no hormones) to provide contraception while the woman continues to have monthly periods. More recently, birth control pills that reduce menstruation to four times a year have been on the market.
Now, women can be free of the monthly “curse,” until they are ready to conceive. As the name Lybrel implies, women can choose to be “liberated” from the discomfort and inconvenience of unwanted menstrual cycles.
Source: Medical News TODAY
December 18th, 2006
Any day now the FDA is expected to approve non-prescription use of the “morning after” contraceptive pills for women 18 and over. The two pills, called Plan B, would be kept behind the pharmacy counter, and verification of age would be required. The panel considered allowing girls as young as 16 to purchase Plan B. However, most FDA officials felt that young teens would not be mature enough to take the pill properly.
Plan B consists of two pills that contain larger doses of the hormone found in birth control pill. Used promptly after unprotected intercourse, the two pills taken 12 hours apart can block the release or fertilization of a woman’s egg. The morning after pill is not the same as RU-486 (“abortion pill”) which terminates early pregnancy by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
Research shows that if emergency contraception were available over the counter, it could prevent as many as half of the 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States every year.
Some conservatives have voiced opposition to the pill’s use, claiming that its easy availability might result in more promiscuity. For three years, the FDA has delayed making a decision on the morning after pill.
Source: Yahoo! News
Technorati Tags: Morning After, Birth Control, Contraception, FDA, Pregnancy
August 9th, 2006
The FDA recently approved the birth control pill Seasonique, which allows women to cut their menstrual periods from one a month to only four periods a year. This advance in medicine will give women even more freedom and variety of choices in preventing unwanted pregnancies.
Seasonique is the latest version of SEASONALE, both designed to give women four periods a year instead of 12. Seasonique provides a low dose of estrogen during a menstrual period, resulting in less breakthrough bleeding than the earlier version approved in 2003. With Seasonale, women took only “dummy” pills during their period. Both are prescription, oral contraceptives. If used as directed, either drug is thought to be 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.
Serious or minor side effects have been reported in using hormonal contraceptives in some women. Among serious risks are blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. In women over age 35 who smoke cigarettes, the risks of cardiovascular side effects are increased.
Barr Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of both extended-cycle prescription contraceptives, emphasizes that their oral products do not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms are your best protection when having intercourse with a partner whose sexual history poses a risk.
Seasonique was tested in a study of 2,500 U.S. women between the ages of 18 and 40 who took the drug for 12 months. Side effects were similar to drug trials of other oral contraceptives, Barr Pharmaceuticals reported. The new birth control pill will be on the market in July 2006.
Source: WebMD.com
June 9th, 2006
Women of childbearing age are advised to ask their doctor for an advance prescription so that it can be used in case of unprotected intercourse, according to a leading gynecologist group.
In case of rape, condom failure, or lapses in their birth control methods, women would be wise to have the prescription on hand. The Bush administration has refused to allow the pill to be sold over-the-counter nationwide.
The morning-after pill is safe and effective, and many physicians believe it should be available without a prescription. The pill, which contains a high dose of regular birth control pills, can cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89% if used within 72 hours after unplanned or unprotected sex.
Having immediate access to the pill and taking it sooner rather than later increases its effectiveness. This medication does not cause an abortion and should not be confused with RU-486 used for that purpose during early pregnancy. If the woman is already pregnant, the drug has no effect.
Early access to add the morning-after pill could cut in half the nation’s 3 million annual unplanned pregnancies.
Finding a doctor to prescribe the pill on a weekend or holiday period is often difficult. An advance prescription can give women peace of mind and access to the pill at a time when they most need it.
Source: MSNBC.com
May 25th, 2006
Women using the once-a-week Ortho Evra birth-control patch have double the risk of developing blood clots in legs or lungs compared to women on the birth-control pill. This preliminary finding was based on the second of two recent studies. The first study found no increased risk of clots. However, a second study suggested the increased risk might be two-fold. More than 4 million women have used the patch since it entered the market in 2002. In 2004, about 12 women died of blood clots believed to be linked to the patch.
Continuing studies are assessing the risk of heart attacks and strokes among users of patch or pill. It will take 18 more months to find if a significant difference occurs, predicts Dr. Daniel Shames. He is the director of the division overseeing reproductive and urological drug products at the F.D.A.
One should always examine the numbers involved when assessing risks. In women not using a contraceptive, the risk of a nonfatal blood clot is about one per year in 10,000 women. For those on the patch or pill, the risk rises to 3 to 5 per 10,000 women, Dr. Shames estimates. Pharmaceutical company Ortho asserts that blood clots remains rare and that all hormonal contraceptives carry potential risk of clots or other serious side effects.
The label on the patch was amended in November, warning that women using this product are exposed to about 60 percent more estrogen than those on birth-control pills. Health officials advise women who smoke not to use the patch, as smoking increases the risk of stroke and heart attack.
New York Times (AP Wire Story) 2/18/06
March 18th, 2006