Topic: contraceptives

Sex (Re)Ed: Celebrities Talk Birth Control, Condoms

Sex (Re)Ed: Celebrities Talk Birth Control, Condoms

Lady Gaga, Gwyneth Paltrow, Heidi Montag, Gisele Bündchen, Courtney Stodden … Can you guess who gives sage advice (or at least provides a positive example) on birth control and condom use and who doesn’t? Our roundup of female celebs’ quotes on contraception might actually surprise you. Plus, Sharon Stone just wants parents to provide condoms for their kids’ friends; how sweet! Click through for celebrity quotes—smart, strange and silly—on contraceptives and condoms. More »

Welcome to Sex (Re)Ed Week At Blisstree!

Welcome to Sex (Re)Ed Week At Blisstree!

Back when you were in the eighth grade, Sex Ed a) may not have existed, b) might not have been very useful, or c) might have been your favorite time for passing notes and doodling. Plus, that was awhile ago. Information has changed since then, your body has changed since then, and chances are, your sex life has changed since then. Plus, we figure that if Mitt Romney can’t get it straight, and even the health director of a prominent women’s website is confused about safe sex, then a lot of us really need a second chance at Sex Ed. So welcome to Sex (Re)Education Week at Blisstree.
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What You Should Know About Plan B If Cat Marnell Confused You

What You Should Know About Plan B If Cat Marnell Confused You

Cat Marnell, xoJane’s health and beauty director, caused quite the stir with her post about Plan B earlier this week. She chalked up New York City’s supposed shortage of Emergency Contraceptive (EC) to the behavior of girls like herself, who use Plan B as their sole method of birth control. But since we know she’s not the only one who sucks at safe sex, and we worry that her post may have confused young women who aren’t in-the-know about contraceptives or Plan B, we decided to get some better information in case this whole scuffle has left you confused. More »

U.S. Department of Health Orders Insurers To Pay For Your Birth Control

U.S. Department of Health Orders Insurers To Pay For Your Birth Control

Women’s reproductive rights can be a fairly grim news topic, so today we’re pretty excited to report that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is ordering insurance companies to provide prescription birth control with no copay or deductible as a preventative care treatment. Woot! But before you cancel your next order of Yaz, there are few things you should know. More »

U.S. Health Panel Recommends Free Birth Control And HPV Screenings For Women

U.S. Health Panel Recommends Free Birth Control And HPV Screenings For Women

You may find yourself paying less for birth control—like, 100% less—if Congress adopts recommendations made by an independent, federally-commissioned health panel last week. The Institute of Medicine panel suggested that the government require health insurance companies to include an array of contraceptives (including implants and IUDs), annual HIV screenings, human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as part of cervical cancer screening for women over 30, and a yearly preventative care visit as part of the standard preventative care measures health plans must allow at no extra cost as part of President Barack Obama’s health-care law. More »

Better Birth Control: Tales From a Pill-to-IUD Convert

Better Birth Control: Tales From a Pill-to-IUD Convert

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has officially endorsed intrauterine devices (IUDs) as contraceptives for healthy women and teens (regardless of whether they’ve given birth before). In honor of that, we want to get a little more informed about this lesser-known form of birth control, so we’ll be posting about IUDs and contraception options all week here at Blisstree. Today, I talk to Sarah, a photographer/designer who’s been using a copper IUD for a year now after being on the pill for seven years.

1. Why did you decide to try the IUD as a contraception method?
I was on the pill for seven years and had tried quite a few different low-dose varieties. I hated the thought of putting extra hormones in my body, and also never “felt like myself” while taking it. When I went off the pill, my mood balanced almost immediately. It was a huge relief. I decided to try the copper IUD because it offered the same effectiveness as the pill but without hormones. I’ve had it for about a year now. More »

Male Birth Control Debate: Would Men Really Take The Little Pink Pill?

Male Birth Control Debate: Would Men Really Take The Little Pink Pill?

For years, there’s been talk of inventing a male version of the birth control pill, but nothing has ever really caught on. Apart from condoms (and to an extreme, vasectomies), women have for the most part been relied upon to control and prevent unwanted pregnancies. However, researchers at Columbia University in New York have been testing a new male birth control pill on mice, and found that, unlike previous versions, this one appears to have a high efficacy with no harmful side-effects. This could mean that men will finally be able to equally share the reproductive responsibility, but the major question looming in men and women’s heads alike is, “Will men WANT to take the pill?” More »

Viagra Condoms: Making Safe Sex Sexy

Viagra Condoms: Making Safe Sex Sexy

Condoms are pretty effective birth control when used correctly; unfortunately, they won’t do anything if you don’t use them at all, which is the case for a lot of men and women who complain that sex just isn’t all that fun with a piece of latex tubing involved. Problem solved (and finally, the solution doesn’t just lie in a new pill for women): The “Viagra condom” is here! (Well actually, it’s still getting approved, but almost it’s almost here!) Just leave it to drug companies to find a way to make safe sex sexier (and more profitable). More »