Contraceptive Pearl: Hormonal Contraceptives and Smoking

About one-quarter of American women smoke cigarettes. Can smokers safely use hormonal contraceptives? This Contraceptive Pearl examines contraceptive options for smokers.

Contraceptive Pearl: The Shot (Depo Provera) 101

Depo Provera (Depo) is a progestin injected into the upper arm every three months. This Contraceptive Pearl is about how the shot/depo works.

Contraceptive Pearl: The Myth of the Required Pelvic Exam

Many clinicians require patients to have a recent pelvic exam and pap smear before starting or renewing hormonal birth control. Do women really need a pelvic exam before starting hormonal contraception?

Contraceptive Pearl: Nexplanon – The New Single Rod Progestin Implant

Do some of your patients wrinkle their noses at the idea of an intrauterine device (IUD)? Don’t forget to suggest the progestin implant! Learn about the single rod progestin implant in this Contraceptive Pearl.

Contraceptive Pearl: Non-Prescription Birth Control Methods

Cost is one of the biggest barriers to effective contraception. About 18% of American women are uninsured, and many more are under-insured. This Contraceptive Pearl explores low-cost, non-hormonal methods of contraception.

Contraceptive Pearl: Do You Quick Start?

When a patient wants to start hormonal contraception, many clinicians use the Sunday start method – but Sunday start isn’t the only way. Quickstart means initiating contraception on the day of an office visit, at any point in the patient’s menstrual cycle. Learn about Quickstart in this Contraceptive Pearl.

Contraceptive Pearl: Do You Under Use IUDs?

In most developed countries, 10-25% of women of reproductive age use intrauterine devices (IUDs) – yet in the United States, only 2% of reproductive-age women use IUDs. This Contraceptive Pearl explores the benefits of IUDs.

Expanding Access to the Self-Administered Contraceptive Injection

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), often referred to by the brand name, Depo Provera, or “the depo shot,” is birth control that is administered as an injection every three months to prevent pregnancy. The most common form is an intramuscular injection, which usually involves going to a health care provider — like a doctor, nurse, or…

Hormonal Contraception, Breast Cancer, and Communicating Risk to Patients

This Contraceptive Pearl clarifies how to communicate risk to address questions regarding cancer risk for users of hormonal contraception.

Insights: Updates in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Written by Tatiana Vazquez De Los Santos, MD, and C. Peony Khoo, MD Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) – defined as 2 or more spontaneous pregnancy losses – has a prevalence of at least 2%.1 Discrepancies exist between couples’ and medical professionals’ perceptions of pregnancy loss.2 For example, couples surveyed in one study out of Denmark…