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No-Period Birth Control

Q: I’m a little wary of the new no-period birth control pills on the market. Are they safe? A: The FDA approved the first no-period pill (brand name Lybrel) in 2007. And, yes, this new pill is safe. It isn’t that different from other low-dose birth control pills that use estrogen and progestin to st
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Birth Control Pills and Weight

Q: Is it true you’re likely to gain weight after going on birth control pills? A: Sorry, but if the numbers on the scale are higher than you’d like, you probably can’t blame that little blister pack. "On average, for women on birth control pills, as many will lose weight as will gain weight," says V
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Plan B One-Step: Seven Questions and Answers

Here are questions and answers about the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step. Plan B One-Step is an emergency contraceptive pill taken by mouth after unprotected sex. It is used to prevent pregnancy. It is not for routine contraceptive use and does not prevent against sexually transmitted diseas
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Other Reasons to Take the Pill

By Janis Graham The Pill isn't just for birth control: Did you know that it can also protect against certain life-threatening cancers, plus help relieve some painful period symptoms? Here, experts explain the top seven health benefits of taking the Pill and how to make them work for you. Taking oral
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A Pill Is Born

I'm just a pill. Yes, I'm just a pill. And I'm sitting here ... Oh, hi. My name is Nupil. I'm a new drug, or at least I hope to be. Right now, the FDA is deciding whether to approve me. See that big office building? That's the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. It's as important as it sounds.
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The No-Period Pills

Let's face it, many women dread getting their monthly period. So take a minute to imagine this: What if you could take a birth control pill that reduced your periods from 13 to 4 each year? What if you could schedule life's big events - vacation, a wedding, family gatherings - around your "spring" p
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Not Your Mother's Birth Control

Reading a popular women's magazine the other day, I was startled to discover that what looked like one of those peel-off makeup samples wasn't a makeup sample at all. It was "The Patch"--a new form of birth control that you slap on your skin once a week. Of course, the magazine sample didn't actuall
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Not Your Mother's Birth Control

Reading a popular women's magazine the other day, I was startled to discover that what looked like one of those peel-off makeup samples wasn't a makeup sample at all. It was "The Patch," a form of birth control that you slap on your skin once a week. Of course, the magazine sample didn't actually co
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Modern Rhythm

Jan. 1, 2001 -- Nathan and Kathy Sendan begin each day with a pen, paper, and digital thermometer. The El Sobrante, Calif., couple dutifully record Kathy's basal body temperature before they even think of drinking their morning coffee. Then they combine the temperature readings with other physiologi
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Covering Birth Control

Sept. 4, 2000 -- When Seattle pharmacist Jennifer Erickson returned to work in late July one day after filing a headline-grabbing lawsuit against her employer, the Bartell Drug Co., her female co-workers were ecstatic. "It was all high fives and 'You go, girl!' " Erickson says with a laugh. Her cust
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