birth control pill

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Birth Control, Diabetes Meds in Canada Will Soon Be Free

Government passes law to boost access to drugs, though some provinces are balking

(Newser) - Our neighbor to the north is making it easier for citizens to acquire contraceptives and insulin. Canada's Parliament has just passed a law that will provide contraceptives to its citizens free of charge, as well as drugs for diabetes patients, covering the entire cost for those without insurance, as...

Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Is on the Way to Stores

Opill has a recommended retail price of $19.99 for a one-month supply

(Newser) - Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill approved by the FDA , has been shipped to retailers and pharmacies and will be available for purchase later this month, Perrigo Company says. "From an online perspective, it should be available for order pretty much immediately," Perrigo exec Triona Schmelter tells...

Here Are 5 of 2023's Biggest Medical Breakthroughs

Alzheimer's meds, an OTC birth control pill, RSV vaccines all make ABC's list

(Newser) - If looking back at 2023 brings forth visions of dumpster fires in your head, take heart: There were some pretty amazing accomplishments over the past 12 months, notably on the health and science front. ABC News compiles some of the year's biggest medical breakthroughs, including a "significant milestone"...

First No-Prescription Birth Control Pill Is Approved

Opill will likely be available in stores early next year following FDA move

(Newser) - It's a US milestone in regard to birth control: The FDA on Thursday approved the first over-the-counter pill to prevent pregnancies, reports CNN . The medication called Opill, made by Perrigo Company, is expected to be available in stores in early 2024. No word yet on cost, though Perrigo says...

FDA Panel Makes Big Move on OTC Birth Control Pill

If FDA gives full approval, it could be sold later this year

(Newser) - Federal health advisers said Wednesday that a decades-old birth control pill should be sold without a prescription, paving the way for a likely US approval of the first over-the-counter contraceptive medication, the AP reports. The panel of FDA advisers voted unanimously in favor of drugmaker Perrigo's request to sell...

Birth Control Pills Recalled Due to Critical Packaging Error

Apotex mistake could lead women to miss pills, or to take placebos instead of active tablets

(Newser) - There's nothing wrong with the tablets themselves, but a nationwide recall of birth control pills has been announced by the Food and Drug Administration due to a packaging goof that could cause women to miss pills or take placebos, possibly leading to pregnancy, People reports. The FDA alert notes...

'Major Step Forward' for Male Birth Control Pill
Male Birth
Control Pill
Is One Step
Closer
NEW STUDY
Mar 20, 2018 4:44 PM CDT

Male Birth Control Pill Is One Step Closer

Trial shows pill is safe with minor side effects, including weight gain

(Newser) - After years of intrigue , researchers are celebrating "a major step forward" for the male birth control pill. A month-long clinical trial shows a once-daily male pill is safe and effective at suppressing the hormones needed for sperm production, and has no negative effect on sex drive, according to researchers...

The Pill, IUDs Raise Risk of Breast Cancer
The Pill, IUDs
Raise Risk of
Breast Cancer
NEW STUDY
Dec 7, 2017 7:44 AM CST

The Pill, IUDs Raise Risk of Breast Cancer

Especially after prolonged use, say Danish researchers

(Newser) - For years, birth control pills have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, though newer drugs containing smaller doses of estrogen and progestin were assumed to be safer. A new study suggests they aren't. Researchers in Denmark reviewed public health records for 1.8 million women, using...

Actor Says He Tossed Wife's Birth Control to Start a Family

'Ian Somerhalder is [expletive] disgusting'

(Newser) - Cute story from a happily married couple or sign of potential abuse? You be the judge. BuzzFeed reports the internet has some thoughts on a story recently shared by actors Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed on a podcast called Dr. Berlin's Informed Pregnancy. On the podcast, Somerhalder admits that...

The Best and Worst Birth Control Methods

Don't rely on spermicide: 24/7 Wall St.

(Newser) - The pill is the most common form of birth control in the US—but it's far from the most effective. With a 9% failure rate, the pill finds itself at the No. 6 spot on 24/7 Wall St. 's list of the most effective methods, based on CDC...

Hormone-Based Birth Control Linked to a Dark Side Effect

Women on hormonal contraception more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant: study

(Newser) - Anyone who's struggled with mood swings while on hormonal birth control may not be surprised to hear that a new study suggests using such birth control could increase the risk of depression. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen looked at more than a million women ages 15 to 34,...

A Birth Control Pill for Men Is One Step Closer to Reality

Researchers say they'll be ready for animal tests in 6 months

(Newser) - Right now, men really only have three choices when it comes to birth control: condoms, a vasectomy, or pulling out, Tech Times reports. But after decades of false starts, a male version of the pill is one step closer to hitting pharmacies, according to Broadly . "It would be wonderful...

Pharmacists Will Prescribe Birth Control in 2 States

Women in California and Oregon just have to undergo a quick screening

(Newser) - More than half of the 6.6 million pregnancies in the US each year are unplanned, according to the Guttmacher Institute . Oregon and California policymakers are trying to buck that trend with what the New York Times calls "groundbreaking" new laws that would allow birth control to be doled...

There's Better Birth Control for Teens Than the Pill

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends IUDs, implants

(Newser) - The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its policy on birth control, and the pill clocks in at a distant fourth in terms of recommended methods for teen girls. The new guidance advises that teens use long-acting methods like IUDs or hormonal implants, which are almost 100% effective and do...

Birth Control Shot for Guys May Be Here by 2017

Long-lasting Vasalgel contraceptive would require just a single injection

(Newser) - There may be another birth control option headed our way, and the guys will get to take the lead on this one. The Parsemus Foundation has tested an injectable, non-hormonal polymer contraceptive on male baboons that appears to successfully prevent pregnancy in females, Medical Daily reports. The procedure, which requires...

Mice Point Way to Male Birth Control Pill

Researcher: pill could arrive in 10 years

(Newser) - Researchers have discovered a way to block male mice from fatherhood—with minimal side effects. The technique, which could help lead to a male birth control pill, doesn't mess with hormones or with sperm itself, AFP reports. Instead, it affects sperm's ability to travel through the male body....

OB/GYN Group Backs Over-the-Counter Birth Control

But move is unlikely anytime soon

(Newser) - Women shouldn't need a prescription or doctor's exam to buy birth control pills, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists declared yesterday, in a statement that the AP says comes as something of a surprise given that the doctors who make up the organization make a lot of...

Gene Discovery May Yield Men's Birth Control Pill

Fertility gene plays a big role in sperm production

(Newser) - Scientists could be a big step closer to inventing a birth control pill for men. New research at the University of Edinburgh has pinpointed a gene called Katnal 1 that manages the final stages of sperm development, reports the Daily Telegraph . In theory, the work could lead to a new...

How Doctors 'Hold Birth Control Hostage'
Doctors 'Hold Birth
Control Hostage' 
opinion
Apr 30, 2012 7:00 PM CDT

Doctors 'Hold Birth Control Hostage'

Stephanie Mencimer: Pap smear guidelines are a scam

(Newser) - A doctor had Stephanie Mencimer "over a barrel," she writes in Mother Jones : "Come in for a pelvic exam, or I won't refill your birth control pills." Mencimer not only refused to take another Pap smear—and risk "the ensuing misery" of a false...

Women Overrate the Pill, Condoms

 Women Overrate 
 the Pill, Condoms 
study says
Apr 28, 2012 12:24 PM CDT

Women Overrate the Pill, Condoms

Many don't realize they're usually not as effective as IUDs, implants: study

(Newser) - Women tend to think that birth control pills and condoms are more effective than they actually are, say the authors of a new study. What's more, when women learn about the full range of options of available, they're far more likely to choose an IUD or a contraceptive...

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