Health Information Center

Among the many forms of contraceptive, the birth control pill is one of the most predominant in today’s society. It has even gained a nickname in pop culture, being dubbed, ‘the pill’. Most are familiar with the idea of the pill, a female takes the pill once a day, or as required depending on the specific brand, and hopefully conception will be avoided despite sexual intercourse. But how exactly does birth control work? What are some of its side effects? And what are some alternatives?

Birth control, officially known as the combined oral contraceptive pill, works by regulating hormones in the user, ideally preventing ovulation, and thereby avoiding conception. But how? There is a lot of biology, and chemistry, behind the mechanisms of birth control, but the general idea can be expressed quite simply: the pill confuses a woman’s body chemistry, making it forget to ovulate. By forgetting to ovulate, an egg is not present, and therefore, sperm will be unsuccessful in its quest for fertilization, preventing conception, and avoiding pregnancy. Should the pill fail to prevent ovulation, there is a secondary mechanism at work as well. The pill also alters the makeup of mucus within the cervix, which works to prevent sperm from reaching the uterus, even if an egg is present.

In performing its intended function, the pill may cause any number of related or unrelated side effects. Some of these side effects can be positive, such as a decrease in acne, or increase in breast size. Other side effects are negative, and potentially dangerous. Such side effects include: depression, nausea, and hypertension, among others. Continue reading ‘The Birth Control Pill’ »

For many women, the choice to have tubal ligation surgery is not all that difficult. For instance, if a woman knows that she is finished having children, she may opt to have her tubes tied after delivering her last child. Some women end up having their tubes tied for very different reasons, however.

For a woman who is in a marriage that is on shaky ground, she may decide to have her tubes tied to prevent any chance of bringing a child into an already tenuous situation. Some women may be in an abusive relationship and have their tubes tied in order to prevent bringing a child into a volatile home environment.

Sometimes women have their tubes tied because they had problems with heavy menstrual bleeding that caused them to seek medical assistance. If the doctor does something called an endometrial ablation, where the uterine lining is actually removed, the doctor will often recommend that a woman has a tubal ligation surgery in order to prevent pregnancy. This is because a viable pregnancy is impossible if there is no uterine lining.

Tubal ligation surgery is very commonplace these days. However, sometimes women end up having second thoughts about the decision that they’ve made. What is often unknown to these women is that there is a procedure call a tubal reversal. Continue reading ‘Should You Have Tubal Ligation Surgery – What Are the Reasons For It?’ »

The decision of whether or not to have a tubal ligation surgery is very personal. Tubal ligation surgeries are performed for a variety of reasons, but typically as a birth control method. Tubal ligation surgeries consist of a woman’s fallopian tubes are cut or tied in order to prevent the release of eggs from the ovaries. In order for a tubal ligation surgery to be reversed, there are many factors that must be weighed out. One of the biggest deciding factors after a woman’s overall health and reasoning will be cost. Will the woman have to pay out of pocket for the entire surgery, or will her insurance company cover this procedure in part or in full?

Insurance companies are under no legal mandate to cover the cost of tubal reversal surgery. The choice to cover this procedure is usually left up to the individual insurance company. The average cost of a tubal ligation surgery can be as low as $5,000 or may cost as much as $9,000. Some insurance companies may have special provisions for reproductive health care. Other companies may cover tubal reversal surgery just as they would cover any other operative procedure. Other companies may not cover the cost of tubal reversal surgery, especially if it is an elective procedure. Continue reading ‘Tubal Ligation Reversal – Will Insurance Pay?’ »

Yes, condoms are not used mainly for achieving sexual pleasures and sensations but also for safety purposes of those using them. Safe condoms would be those that could offer secondary benefits aside from just offering sexual enjoyment and satisfaction. Did you know condoms are now being used for collecting a mans fluids for treating infertile patients allover the world? And aside from that, although surprisingly unimaginable, these condoms are now said to be also used for preventing clogging in rifles and arms? For whichever purpose you may be using your newly bought safe condoms, it is very clear that the purpose is essentially for safety; such as that of preventing leakage and therefore avoiding unwanted pregnancies or the dreaded STD s, or the safety of your rifles and preventing them from clogging.

Safe Condoms

Condoms may not offer the greatest and 100 % safety in terms of preventing unwanted pregnancies but there is also a big percentage that it may help in reducing the number of the unwanted pregnancy statistics. These alone would qualify such rubber contraceptives to be labeled as ” condoms”. It would be a smarter move to use the simplest and most affordable means of contraception nowadays which is safe condom. Another aspect of safety in condoms is that these rubber contraceptives are able to help insulate you versus sexually transmitted disease as well as the dreaded AIDS, syphilis and many other sexual diseases.

As a matter of fact, history would tell us that condoms were not actually invented to prevent having a pregnancy but rather to prevent acquiring the various transmissible sexual diseases, such as syphilis. Truly, the condoms of today can be considered as safe condoms knowing the ultimate reason for their invention was due to being safe and protecting people from getting sexual diseases. Continue reading ‘The Safety of Using Condoms’ »

This article will address a personal question from a woman. She has read that the birth control pill can affect Candida, she has been on them since couple months ago and they tried condoms and that just wasn’t for them. It’s just too risky. She can’t use a diaphram, it just hurts way too much. She has thought of the sponge with spermicide but it is so unsexy, So she asked me about other ideas.

I am probably the perfect person to answer your question on this one. The whole world would be such a clearer place, if people would just learn to speak about personal things. I have used the today sponge forever! Continue reading ‘Birth Control Pill and Candida – Alternative Ways You Should Know’ »

As a form of contraception, you can use natural birth control and it can also regulate your fertility. Some cultures and religions believe that birth control should not be artificial and using any devices or drugs is not accepted.

Couples who avoid sexual intercourse and periodic abstinence is sometimes considered a birth control method. Some natural options include:

Rhythm method

Withdrawal method

Standard days method

Using the calendar

If the woman is using a natural method it gives her a good understanding of the cycles her body goes through. This way she can stay more tuned with some of the smaller signals that her body will give her.

This is a pretty safe method of birth control, as there is no use of chemicals or drugs. Also, as an added benefit, this is a pretty inexpensive way to go. If one decides to get pregnant is very easy to change your mind. Continue reading ‘A Healthy and Natural Way of Family Planning – Natural Birth Control’ »

A tubal ligation reversal is an operation that allows for a physician to reattach the woman’s fallopian tubes. This procedure will allow a woman to become naturally pregnant once again. A surgeon has the option to use several different methods during the surgery to mend the tubes.

Cost for the tubal reversal will rely on several different factors. One of those factors is the amount of time a surgeon needs to spend on the surgery itself. Some women have had damage to their fallopian tubes and this can cause the surgery to run longer and to be more in-depth. Many surgeon offices will quote their price with everything included to the patient. This quote can be obtained in office or over the phone. The prices for a tubal reversal usually start at $5,000 and go up from there. Continue reading ‘Tubal Reversal Cost’ »

Wearing a condom is very essential when it comes to pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases prevention. Although the prevention rate is as high as 99.99%, it is important to note that you should never take a condom for granted. Improper usage will result in condom failure, thus putting yourself and your partner at risk.

It does not make any sense to use it in the first place if you choose not to use it correctly. Sex can be very enjoyable if you use it properly, because you know that you are adequately protected.

Here is how you can use a condom safely.

1. Checking the expiry date before you use. You might have bought a dozen boxes and kept them for future use and you might have forgotten when you actually bought them. Expired condoms risk being torn due to rubber wear after a long time.

2. It should be stored in a cool and dry place. Heat can reduce the strength of the condom significantly.

3. Take good care when opening the package. Some men rush through the opening process and it is common for condoms to get torn. You might want to tear open the package first before the actual foreplay or sex so that you need not rush through it. Continue reading ‘How to Wear a Condom – The 7 Essential Steps For Condom Use’ »

For some, the subject of sex can be taboo, but it really needn’t be. Sex is something which is performed everyday all over the world-whether you are heterosexual, homosexual, young, middle aged or mature; everyone has sex at some point in their lives, whether it is for recreation or procreation. When it comes to having sex, safety is key for both the protection of yourself and your partner.

In order to be as safe as possible from sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and pregnancy, you should wear a condom in every instance where you are partaking in sexual intercourse. We are all aware of condoms, and you may also be aware of the different variations of condoms which are available on the market at the moment. You may feel that you are well educated when it comes to condoms and practising safe sex, but condoms actually play a key role in protecting us in all aspects of our sex lives:

- As many people are aware, condoms are vital in order to prevent against the spreading of STIs which can be caught through the exchanging of bodily fluids. They are also key in protecting yourself from HIV and contrary to popular belief-you cannot catch HIV from an infected partner when wearing a condom unless there is a fault with your condom. This is why it is important that you check the expiry dates of your condoms, and only use lubricants with compatible condoms. Continue reading ‘What You Didn't Know About Condoms’ »