Birth Control

Birth Control Pills May Help Prevent Some Cancers

A new study looks at how oral contraceptives affect cancer risk

By Alice Park January 18, 2018

Birth Control for Men? Researchers Will Test a Hormone Gel in 2018

A new kind of male birth control may be on the horizon. The largest clinical trial to date on hormonal male contraception is slated to begin in the first half of 2018, and aims to...

By Amanda MacMillan December 22, 2017

Hormonal Birth Control Is Linked to Increased Risk of Breast Cancer

Hormone-based contraceptives are linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, according to a new study

By Alice Park December 6, 2017

Rent the Runway CEO: How Birth Control Helped Me Succeed

'It’s shocking to me that in 2017, we’re still having this debate'

By Jennifer Hyman December 5, 2017

Hormonal Birth Control Is Linked to a Higher Risk of Suicide, Study Says

Contraceptives are effective ways to prevent pregnancy, alleviate menstrual pain and ease heavy bleeding, but the hormonal changes needed to accomplish that may have some negative psychological side effects. In a study published in the...

By Alice Park November 21, 2017

IUDs May Have a Surprising Health Benefit

The intrauterine device (IUD) is considered one of the most effective and long-lasting forms of birth control available. Now a new study suggests it may also have a role in preventing cervical cancer. A new...

By Alexandra Sifferlin November 7, 2017

Notre Dame Students: Ending Birth Control Coverage Is Sexist and Elitist

'Preserving Catholic identity does not require naïveté when it comes to sexual health'

By Emily Garrett, Molly Burton November 6, 2017

Your IUD May Get a Lot More Expensive. Here's How Much It Could Cost in Every State

Should you use birth control pills, condoms or an intrauterine device (IUD)? Women choose their birth control based on many factors, like effectiveness or comfort—but cost has been less of a consideration, ever since the...

By Alexandra Sifferlin and Pratheek Rebala October 18, 2017

No, Birth Control Doesn’t Make You Have Riskier Sex, Researchers Say

Rolling back the federal birth control mandate could lead to increases in teen pregnancies and abortions, experts say

By Abigail Abrams October 12, 2017

Rabbi: President Trump's Birth Control Mandate Is an Attack on Religious Liberty

'Religious liberty is the freedom of and the freedom from religion'

By Rabbi Hara E. Person October 12, 2017

Trump Rolls Back Obamacare Birth Control Mandate

More employers can refuse to provide the benefit

By Aric Jenkins October 6, 2017

14% More Men Are Using Condoms: Study

Condoms are one of the best ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, but they are not an especially well-used form of birth control in the United States. However, new data indicates that 34% of men...

By Alexandra Sifferlin August 10, 2017

4 Ways Going to the Doctor Is Radically Changing

The future of health care in the U.S. is far from settled, but how people receive it now is also undergoing a revolution. Health records are antiquated, there's a shortage of primary care physicians and...

By Alexandra Sifferlin August 8, 2017

This Is What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Taking Birth Control Pills

'A lot of the changes women see go back to the reason they were taking birth control in the first place'

By Kathleen Mulpeter / Health.com June 29, 2017

More Than Half of Teens Are Having Sex and Most Use Birth Control

Just over half of American teenagers are sexually active, and most report using some form of contraception, according to new research. The study from the National Center for Health Statistics found that 55% of teens...

By Alexandra Sifferlin June 22, 2017

Birth Control Pills Recalled Because Packaging Error Could Lead to Unintended Pregnancy

Placebo pills were mixed up with active pills

By Kate Samuelson June 9, 2017

46 Secular Companies That Don't Want to Cover Employees' Birth Control

As President Trump prepares to roll back an Affordable Care Act provision

By Samantha Cooney May 31, 2017

Access to Birth Control Is Not a Religious Debate

‘Coverage is a matter of economic justice’

By Jessica González-Rojas May 23, 2017

You Can Now Get Plan B From a Vending Machine at This California University

‘I feel like every college should have this’

By Julie Mazziotta / People April 24, 2017

Everything You Need to Know Before Getting An IUD

For all women using birth control, the effectiveness of various methods is a key factor in the decision-making process. Beyond that, however, the choice gets personal. Some women focus on how much hassle is required...

By Alexandra Sifferlin April 20, 2017

50 Years Ago This Week: How Birth Control Changed Everything

Also in this issue: Weight Watchers and private detectives

By Lily Rothman April 3, 2017

Lena Dunham Says Birth Control 'Makes Me Feel Really Safe'

‘It’s such a big part of regulating my body’

By Julie Mazziotta / People March 29, 2017

This Week in Health: Have More Sex, Eat Soy, Do Zumba

We thought we knew a lot about sex and exercise, but this week proved there's still a lot to learn. Here’s what else grabbed our attention in health this week. Here's how much sex you...

By Alexandra Sifferlin March 10, 2017

Access to Most Effective Birth Control Could Save $12 Billion a Year

According to a new study

By Alexandra Sifferlin March 8, 2017

Access to Most Effective Birth Control Could Save $12 Billion a Year: Study

In recent decades the U.S. has seen a drop in the rate of unintended pregnancies, thanks in part to women using more effective and long-acting birth control methods, like the IUD or the implant. Still,...

By Alexandra Sifferlin March 8, 2017

How These States Are Fighting to Protect Reproductive Rights

Amid uncertainty over the future of reproductive health care coverage in the U.S.

By Alexandra Sifferlin February 8, 2017

Male Birth Control Gel Works in Monkeys

It was a small study, but the results were pretty remarkable

By Alexandra Sifferlin February 6, 2017

After President Trump, More Women Express Interest in IUDs

'The morning after the election we had an immediate uptick in calls'

By Alexandra Sifferlin January 26, 2017

More Women Are Investing in IUDs after President Trump’s Election

IUD-related doctor visits rise for the first time in five years

By Alexandra Sifferlin January 26, 2017

What Does My Period Blood Say About Me?

Its color, volume and texture can all hint at aspects of your health

By Markham Heid November 16, 2016

You Asked: What Does My Period Say About Me?

Its color, volume and texture can all hint at aspects of your health.

By Markham Heid November 16, 2016

How Planned Parenthood Changed Everything

The first birth-control clinic in the U.S. opened 100 years ago, on Oct. 16, 1916

By Charlotte Alter October 14, 2016

Your Birth Control Pill Might Raise Your Depression Risk

Some of the highest risks were in teenage girls

By Amanda MacMillan / Health.com October 4, 2016

Here's Why the World Isn't Ready for Tesla's Autopilot

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute July 15, 2016

Turkey's President Calls Childess Women 'Incomplete'

He also said that the business world was not "an alternative” to motherhood

By Casey Quackenbush June 6, 2016

Turkey's Erdogan Says Family Planning Not for Muslims

"We need to increase the number of our descendants"

By Simon Lewis May 30, 2016

Top U.S. Health Official Warns of Zika's Spread

"There is no magic bullet here," says CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden

By Alexandra Sifferlin April 21, 2016

Why We Should Send Our Kids Outside to Play

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute March 28, 2016

Read Emma Goldman's 1916 Letter Defending the Need for Birth Control

'When a law has outgrown time and necessity, it must go'

By Lily Rothman February 11, 2016

Some Young Women Aren’t Counseled About Birth Control When They Really Need It: Study

When young women are prescribed medications that can cause birth defects, many aren't counseled about the need for contraceptives, finds a new study

By Alexandra Sifferlin January 15, 2016

Philippines: Cuts to Contraception Funding Slammed

Lack of contraceptives could increase risk of HIV epidemic, critics say

By Rishi Iyengar January 12, 2016

Birth Control Pill Not Linked To Birth Defects: Study

A new study finds oral contraceptive use shortly before or during pregnancy are unlikely to result in birth defects.

By Alexandra Sifferlin January 6, 2016

How Women Secretly Won the Hobby Lobby Fight

*Correction appended January 6, 2016 to reflect that Susan Collins chairs the Select Committee on Aging. When the Supreme Court handed down the Hobby Lobby decision, allowing companies to deny women insurance coverage of certain...

Birth Control

Researchers Make Progress Toward a Monthly Birth Control Pill

Can Over-the-Counter Birth Control Become a Bipartisan Issue?

Study Finds Male Birth Control Pill Safe and Effective

There’s a New Health Secretary. What Will He Mean for Women’s Health?