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With more women using oral contraceptives (OCs) in extended regimens, scientists are now focusing research on similar applications for the contraceptive vaginal ring (NuvaRing, Organon, West Orange, NJ) and the transdermal contraceptive (Ortho Evra, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Raritan, NJ). Results from a randomized trial involving extended use of the patch have just been published, while data from a randomized study comparing extended ring regimens was presented at the May 2005 annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
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Check the last 10 contraceptive counseling sessions you conducted in your exam room. While some of your patients may have chosen new forms of birth control, chances are that most of them picked the Pill.
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Where does intrauterine contraception fit in the array of family planning choices you offer your patients? If you never or rarely perform intrauterine device (IUD) insertions, new devices now under development may lead you to give the method a second look.
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As you review which talking points to cover with your next patient, are you planning to include dialogue on the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer?
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Teens may be up to speed when it comes to movies, music, and sports, but when it comes to knowledge of prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), they are falling behind, a new national report reveals.
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Ready to update your knowledge on family planning issues and network with fellow clinicians? Take advantage of upcoming fall conferences, all aimed at family planning providers.
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Rewind to 1998: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launches its plan to eliminate syphilis in the United States, with the goals of reducing the total number of primary and secondary syphilis cases to 1,000 or fewer 0.4 cases per 100,000 people and increasing the number of syphilis-free counties to 90% by 2005.
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Reaching teens with up-to-date information is an important part of providing family planning and sexually transmitted disease (STD) counseling. Consider these web sites:
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Is use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, Depo-Provera, Pfizer, New York City) linked to risk of toxic shock syndrome? Contraceptive Technology Update Editorial Advisory Board member Felicia Stewart, MD, adjunct professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California San Francisco and co-director of the Center for Reproductive Health Research & Policy, tackles this question.
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New data from a long-term cohort study comparing bone mineral densities (BMD) in adult users and nonusers of the injectable contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, Depo-Provera, Pfizer, New York City) indicate that while bone mineral density declines in current DMPA users, it is followed by substantial recovery after discontinuation.