Birth Control
Statement of NRC Senior Fellow Sonia Nagda, MD, MPH at the Pediatrics FDA Advisory Committee Meeting on Beyaz and Similar Oral Contraceptives, September 11, 2012
Sonia Nagda, a Senior Fellow at NRC, testifies at a Pediatrics FDA Advisory Committee meeting on the use of drospirenone-containing oral contraceptive, Beyaz, in pediatric populations. Read More
Birth Control Pills: What You Need to Know
Understanding how birth control pills work and how the FDA determines whether they are safe and effective can help demystify the process of choosing the birth control pill that is right for you. Read More
A Guide to Selecting Safe Medical Contraception
Based on your health history, certain types of contraceptives may be safer or more effective than others. Use this guide to look up the conditions that apply to your current and past health history, to ensure that you select or are using the best medical contraceptive for YOU. Read More
Emergency Contraception & Sexual Assault: Why Compassionate Care Should be a Standard of Care
The Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act of 2009 (H.R.1236) and the Prevention First Act of 2009 (H.R.463/S.21) were introduced in Congress in early 2009. The sole purpose of the CARE Act, and one of several goals of the Prevention First Act, would be to direct hospitals and emergency medicine facilities that receive federal funding to inform all women who have been sexually assaulted about emergency contraception (also known as the “morning after pill” or “Plan B”) and to make it available to them, regardless of their ability to pay. Read More
Emergency Contraception (Morning-After Pills)
Emergency contraception has been used by millions of women safely and effectively. Learn more about how the benefits of using these pills outweigh the risks. Read More
New Warnings on Popular Birth Control, Yaz
With all the different brands of birth control pills out there, most women have no idea which ones they should choose. Being aware of pill-related risks may aid that decision. In August 2009, two independent studies found that the type of hormone used in Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills put women at higher risk of blood clots than other birth control pills. As such, to reduce risk, it may be best to avoid taking pills that contain drospirenone, such as Yaz, since they increase your risk of blood clots more than other birth control pills. Read More
New Warnings About the Birth Control Patch
When choosing a method of birth control, most women want what is the most effective and convenient. Women who want “hormonal” birth control can choose a pill, patch, injection, or vaginal ring, yet not all of these options have equal risks. In fact, the Patch, Ortho Evra, is now shown to put women at greater risks than birth control pills did by exposing women to high levels of estrogen. But, how does Ortho Evra work, and why is it more dangerous than other forms of birth control? Read More