Even though Christmas is fast approaching, I would like to wish all my Jewish readers a Happy Hanukkah (which begins at sundown tonight). Jewish people everywhere are celebrating this festival of lights - a time commemorating the great miracle of the oil lasting for eight nights. You can enjoy your latkes and donuts but stay clear of oil-based lubricants  - as they can damage latex condoms, which could ruin your holiday festivities (and lead to an unintended Hanukkah present)!

Instead, try some of these:

• Silicone-Based Lubricants
• Wet Naturals Beautifully Bare Body Glide
• Astroglide Water Based Personal Lubricant

Have Fun!

_{Photo courtesy of Microsoft Office}

I always love this time a year - with all of the holidays coming up, the air is full of festivity and joy. This should be a time of peace, yet my gaiety was completely curtailed today when I pulled up behind a car that had a bumper sticker that read, "If Mary was Pro-Choice, There Would Be No Christmas." Is this really necessary? Was the driver of this car actually trying to convince me that Mary (if she was not against abortion) would have aborted God's child if this option was available to her? Seems to me that this is an insult to God than to those who are pro-choice supporters.

In any case, would it not be logical to assume that this whole pro-choice/pro-life debate may actually be two heads of the same coin? Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, there have been over 45 million women in the US who have chosen to have safe, legal abortions. Three decades later, this landmark decision remains to be one of the most debated of all time. My respect goes out to all those who have bravely fought and continue to do so to preserve the RIGHTS afforded to women in the United States. Let's face it, regardless to one's belief in the morality of abortion, it would be irresponsible to ignore the reality. There are 3 million unplanned pregnancies in the US every year. Respected research consistently shows that the rise of contraceptive use results in reduced abortion rates.

The national number of abortions is down, yet teen pregnancies are up. We have both pro-choice and pro-life groups advocating their position, protesting, and rallying for support everyday. In the spirit of the holiday season, would it be so bad to drop the agendas and REALIZE that we all basically agree on the same goal - to lower the number of abortions. For those of us in the real world, it can't be denied that birth control and abortion both represent alternative means of achieving the same goal: the prevention of unwanted babies. Instead of arguing about the immorality of abortion, efforts should be made to advocate solutions to the prevention of unintended pregnancy. 

Why has our culture equated the notion of "choice" as synonymous with abortion? Perhaps, we all need to remember that choice actually means the right or power to CHOOSE - as women, we can choose to get married, get a job, have sex and become mothers. Part of that choice may be to delay motherhood, through the use of contraception or abortion. Life is full of choices to be made. So, when I come across ignorance, such as that of the person who attaches such an outlandish and ridiculous bumper sticker - during what should be a time of harmony and goodwill to mankind - I become saddened as I am reminded that though we could all work together to reach the same goal, people must still be divided and determined to spread their agenda in any possible way.

How about a bumper sticker that reads, "Against Abortion? Don't Have One" - because when it comes down to it, all Roe v. Wade has done is provided women with choice. What we each do with that choice, is personal and private. And what Mary would have done with that choice, is speculation that is pointless to consider and really just serves to undermine the whole spirit of the season.  Bah-humbug!

• What Do Religions Say About Birth Control and Family Planning?
• Why Perform Abortion Services?
Sexual and Reproductive Health of US Teens

_{Photo Courtesy of Microsoft Office}

Oral contraceptive users have something else to thank their pills for - besides providing excellent pregnancy prevention, a study published in International Journal of Cancer has revealed that women who have used birth control pills appear to have a slightly decreased risk of colon cancer. These results were based on a study that included almost 90,000 women, ages 40 to 59.

Results showed that those women who had used (or are using) birth control pills were 17% less likely to develop colon cancer over the next 16 years.

The researchers explain that these results follow evidence that suggests that estrogen plays a role in the risk of colon cancer risk - as lab experiments have demonstrated that estrogen may hinder tumor development in the colon by affecting cell growth (or by lowering levels of a cancer-linked hormone called IGF-1). The lead researcher of this study, Geoffrey Kabat, MD, however, warns that this research is still in its early stages because researchers could not conclude that a dose-response (cause-and-effect) relationship exists. This means that they could not determine whether or not risk reduction was greater among women who had used birth control pills for longer periods of time. Although these results are exciting, they must be interpreted cautiously until more research can definitely conclude what factors play the most important roles in colon cancer development and prevention.

• Birth Control Pills and Their Non-Contraceptive Advantages
• Types of Combination Birth Control Pills (Monophasic, Biphasic, and Triphasic)
• How to Choose the Right Birth Control Pill

_Source:

Kabat, G. C., Miller, A. B. & Rohan, T. E. (2008 - Feb). Oral contraceptive use, hormone replacement therapy, reproductive history and risk of colorectal cancer in women. International Journal of Cancer, 122(23), 643-646. Accessed via subscription 2/2/08.

Birth Control Pills Photo © 2009 Dawn Stacey

In more than 70 countries, usually ones where abortion is restricted, hundreds of women are now using the internet site Women on Web to buy the drugs to perform medical abortions at home. At $110, women can purchase mifepristone and misoprostol - the use of these pills will typically cause a non-surgical termination of an early pregnancy.

Women on Web claims that their site helps women "gain access to a safe abortion with pills in order to reduce the number of deaths due to unsafe abortions." Yet, according to a published study in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 11% of 400 (about 1 in 10) customers went on to need a surgical procedure - either because the drugs had not completed the abortion or because of excessive bleeding.

Critics of these services provided by this site claim that it may be encouraging women, from countires were abortion is illegal, to break the law. Additionally, some have concerns that women may experience serious medical complications if they are buying these medications from poorly managed internet sites that do not provide women with appropriate medical information.

What do you think? Post a Comment!

• RU486: The Abortion Pill
• How Use the Abortion Pill

_{Photo Courtesy of Microsoft Online}

It's time for another reader's email. I received this question from Chloe:

I am considering switching from the pill to the Depo Provera Shot. I am currently about 10 pounds overweight, and my friend told me that I could gain even more weight using Depo. Is this true?

Although research has been a bit mixed on this issue, the most current studies suggest that Depo Provera use is associated with significant weight gain, and the degree of weight increase is dependent on the length of time the Depo shot is used. The good news? This weight gain can be reversed.

• Will the Depo Provera Shot Cause Weight Gain?
• Guide: What to Expect During the First Year of Depo Provera Use
• Real Women Discuss Their Experiences with Depo Provera
• Share Your Reason: Why Did You Choose the Depo Shot?

_{Photo Reprinted With Permission from E. Scott}

We females have to bear the majority of responsibility when it comes to birth control. Well, I have a silky, luxurious, totally girly product to introduce you to. Yep - a personal lubricant made with ONLY our femininity in mind. Beautifully Bare Body Glide, from Wet Naturals is one of the newest lubricants to hit the shelves and one of the few designed with a woman's pleasure in mind!

This water-based lubricant was designed for women by women. It's natural and healthy - glycerin-free and paraben-free. Plus, it is enriched with all types of botanical extracts for total sensual well being. It is thinner and cleans up more easily than its silicone lubricant counterparts.

• More About: Wet Naturals Beautifully Bare: You Can Even Write Your Own Review!
• Interested in trying this product?

_{Photo © 2009 Dawn Stacey}

The following question was posted in the Contraception Forum:

"Hi, I need some advice: about 3 months ago I sort of half slept with a guy (he was drunk and didn't finish, we used a condom, but I realized it came off. I think I was taking my pill but can't be sure... it's a pill that stops all ovulation)....

So, 3 months down the line, I start thinking if there is there any chance I could be [pregnant]. I got a bit scared so did a test and it was negative, but bearing in mind I can't take the test the day my period is due as I don't have periods [due to using the birth control pill]. I don't know whether to believe it."

This question brings up many important points! First, for the most part, all birth control pills work by preventing ovulation (the release of an egg).

• 
  How Does A Little Pill Prevent Pregnancy?

Though a condom was used in this case, it is important to know that even if intercourse is not completed, pre-ejaculate fluid is ejected before a man climaxes. This fluid can contain at least 300,000 sperm (and it only takes 1 sperm to fertilize an egg)! This is one of the main reasons why withdrawal is not a reliable birth control method.

• All About Withdrawal

Fianlly, home pregnancy tests are reliable indicators of pregnancy as long as the test is taken approximately one week after a missed period. The female body will begin to release the hCG "pregnancy" hormone once a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. For most women, this occurs about 6 days after conception. The hCG levels increase with each passing day of a pregnancy. Most women (with 28 day cycles) should begin their period about 14/15 days after they ovulate; therefore, if a woman waits 7 days after a missed period to take a pregnancy, about 15 days will have gone by since the fertilized egg has implanted, so there is enough hCG hormone in the urine to be detected by a home pregnancy test. For the scenario above, a home pregnancy test taken 3 months after a possible conception should yield highly reliable results.

• Home Pregnancy Tests

Do you have birth control questions or a scenario that you would like some feedback on? Post it in the Contraception Forum.

• Stay Informed: Sign Up for My **FREE** Contraception Newsletter!

_{Photo © 2009 Dawn Stacey}

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you all are celebrating some important things to be thankful for on this special day.  Hey - one of those things may that that you're thankful that your birth control has worked all year! Hopefully, you are not being a turkey - so if you are having sex (and don't want to get pregnant), you are using some form of contraception.

Speaking of turkey, how about some good 'ole pumpkin or pecan pie...Yummy! Maybe you can use your imagination as to what to do with the left-over whipped cream! Do you know if whipped cream can be used with a condom? And what about any left-over pumpkin seeds? Did you know that it is a widely held belief that the insertion of seeds before sex can prevent pregnancy? Is this fact or fiction?

• Find out the answer about seeds and sex as well as some other common beliefs people have about birth control and sex.

Also, for any of you traveling to your turkey dinner:

• Here are some simple birth control travel tips to help make sure your contraception doesn't ruin your Thanksgiving day plans.

Enjoy your hoilday...

_{Photo Courtesy of B.N. Parker}

Did you know that vasectomies are safer and more cost-effective than tubal ligations, yet in the US, more than twice as many women undergo tubal ligation for permanent contraception (even though that operation costs three to four times as much and is much more involved - usually involving surgery)?

Well, if you are a man who does not wish to have any more children, a vasectomy may be the way to go. It seems though that many men may feel a bit uneasy about having a doctor tinker with their "manhood." Unfortunately, there are many myths about this procedure as numerous men mistakenly believe that vasectomies will lower testosterone levels and/or affect sexual performance.

• Vasectomy: Male Sterilization
• Watch a Short Video: Traditional Vasectomies
• Vasectomies: No More Scalpel?

Also, it seems that many doctors are now reporting a dramatic increase in the number of vasectomies being performed since the economy turned for the worse last year - with some doctors reporting increases between 48-75%. Doctors are guessing that this vasectomy trend may be due to both a decreased desire to have children because of the expense involved, and an increased desire to get such medical procedures done before their jobs (and health insurance) disappear. The decision to have children is often a financial one, and if finances are down, it makes sense that people would be less likely to have more kids. So if you are thinking about seeking a vasectomy, this may be the perfect time.

• The Economic Recession: How Its Affecting Sex and Family Planning

_{Photo Courtesy of Microsoft Office}

When it comes to contraception choices, who is most responsible? It seems the unless you are going with a condom or a vasectomy, women seem to bear the responsibility of either remembering to take a pill everyday, change a patch weekly, deal with the side effects of hormonal methods, and the list can go on and on. Should a woman ask her partner to remind her everyday when to take her pill? Is there a way for men to help share in this role?

When discussing which type of birth control to use, should the decision be made 50/50 - even if the end result is the woman having to be the one whose shoulders the responsibility falls on? Part of having sex is dealing with these issues and having these conversations. Discussing your feelings and decisions about contraception with your partner may be embarrassing, but it is important that you have this discussion, especially before you get caught up in "the heat of the moment."

Never fear! Here are some practical tips and advice on how to talk to your partner about using birth control.

Share Your Tips:

• How Do You Remember When to Take Birth Control Pills?
• Where Do You Store Your Condoms?

Who Should Be the Keeper of the Condom? Cast Your Vote: