Written by Innes Tounkel, MD As concerns about climate change continue to grow, the importance of accessible contraception and reproductive health services has become increasingly evident. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather patterns and their deleterious consequences, including rising sea levels, melting glaciers, ecological disruptions, and the spread of vector-borne diseases.1,2 Extreme weather…
Written by Meghna Nandi, MD Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) is a commonly used, highly efficacious, progestin-only injectable contraceptive method. Many contraceptive users are drawn to DMPA for the privacy it affords and the convenience of its three-month (11-15 week) dosing schedule.1 Although DMPA has many advantages, there are concerns over the method’s impact on bone…
Written by Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, MD, MS and Kelly M. Treder, MD, MPH Since the Dobbs decision, as access to abortion services has become more challenging in many parts of the country, the possibility of contraceptive failure has become more distressing. Unintended pregnancy is relatively common, even among patients who use contraception.1 Because many patients…
Written by Angeline Ti On August 6, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updates for the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (U.S. MEC) and the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use (U.S. SPR). Adapted from guidelines from the World Health Organization, the U.S. MEC and U.S. SPR provide…
Written by Meghan Hynes This Pearl is the third part of a three-part String of Pearls series that examines the effects of different substances on fetal development and recommends harm reduction strategies to reduce risks involved with substance use during pregnancy. You can read the first two parts on our website. Electronic cigarettes and marijuana…
Written by Meghan Hynes This Pearl is the second part of a three-part String of Pearls series that examines the effects of different substances on fetal development and recommends harm reduction strategies to reduce risks involved with substance use during pregnancy. You can read the first part on our website. Numerous factors over recent years…
Written by Meghan Hynes Although health care professionals and institutions are evolving from treating addiction as a moral failing to treating it as a chronic disease in recent years, substance use during pregnancy remains misunderstood and heavily stigmatized. This stigmatization can negatively affect how health care professionals perceive patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) and…
Written by Veronica Flake, MD Ulipristal Acetate (ella, UPA) is an effective emergency contraception (EC) method, given as a one-time, 30-mg dose, which can be used for up to 120 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy. UPA is a selective progesterone receptor modulator with antagonistic and partial agonistic effects that prevents or delays…
By Joi C. Spaulding MD, MS Opill, a daily progestin-only birth control pill (POP), was first approved for over-the-counter (OTC) use by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 13, 2023. As of March 2024, the pill is now available to people of all ages to purchase at retailers online and in…
By Natalie Cheung-Jones, DO During perimenopause, some people have inconsistent ovulation and irregular menses. Despite these changes, pregnancy occurs for 30% of pregnancy-capable people ages 40-44, decreasing to 10% by ages 45-50.¹ Though menstrual cycles may be unpredictable, studies indicate that ovulation occurs in 87% of cycles up to five years before menopause and 22%…
