Teen Talk: I Can’t Get Pregnant … Can I?

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Rebecca

It’s wasn’t something you thought would happen. Your period is LATE!!! And you were sooooo careful — you didn’t use any contraception because you heard if he didn’t ejaculate or pulled out right away, you couldn’t get pregnant. And, just to be extra sure, you did jumping jacks for several minutes right after! What went wrong? Is it possible that the information you heard from your friends about how not to get pregnant was incorrect?

Sperm have one mission: to find and fertilize an egg. They don’t care what position you’re in, whether you have an orgasm, or if it’s your first time.

You know how babies are made, but you may have misunderstood some basic facts of human biology. The male body produces that tiny resilient sperm — actually millions of tiny resilient sperm — whose only mission is to find and fertilize a woman’s egg. They are so resilient that they can travel farther and live longer than you might think. They are present in men’s ejaculated fluid (semen) and also in the pre-ejaculate (the small amount of fluid that leaks out of the penis before a guy ejaculates). If any of that semen comes in contact with a woman’s vaginal area, there is a chance of her becoming pregnant. And if you don’t use some form of contraception with each and every act of intercourse, you are having unprotected sex, which increases your risk of getting pregnant. It only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg.

Let’s look at some common misconceptions you may have heard about how not to get pregnant. Continue reading →

Eight Great Heat-Friendly Contraceptives

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Tori

I don’t know if any of my fellow Arizonans have noticed, but it’s hot. It’s been hot. And all sources tell me that it’s likely to remain hot for a couple of months yet.

There are, of course, things we can do to make the heat more manageable for ourselves, such as drinking plenty of water and relegating intense outdoor activity to the early morning or late evening hours. There are also things we can do to help our contraceptives beat the heat if necessary, such as storing condoms or birth control pills away from extreme heat.

Still, some types of contraception require more intervention during the summer than do others. So — our top eight types of heat-friendly birth control!

Quick disclaimer: I made this list based on the single criterion that these methods are unlikely to be affected by the heat of an Arizona summer. When selecting a contraceptive method, there are loads of other factors to consider. So the methods on this list are not necessarily the most effective or appropriate methods for every person needing birth control.

8 Birth Control Vaginal Ring (NuvaRing)

Why It’s Heat Friendly: In terms of storage, it’s technically not; NuvaRing comes with the same temperature recommendations as oral contraceptive pills. However, since the ring is only inserted once per month, folks getting their rings one at a time don’t have to worry about longer-term storage.
Cons: In addition to the same risks and side effects of estrogen-containing contraceptives, NuvaRing isn’t the heat-friendliest choice for users getting more than one month at a time. Continue reading →

Keeping Medications and Contraceptives Safe through the Summer

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Matt

Highs in the triple digits are common in Arizona during the summer months. As the mercury rises, we’re often reminded about the things we need to do to stay healthy in hot weather, like avoiding dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sunburn. Those tips are important — and can even be potentially life-saving — but what’s often missing from summertime health advice is information about using medications and contraceptives safely and effectively when a hot environment can quickly diminish their integrity. That’s a serious omission when Americans buy about 5 billion over-the-counter drug products annually and nearly half of all Americans use one or more prescription drugs.

Heat can alter the molecular structure of oral contraceptives or shorten a condom’s shelf life.

Extreme heat and cold can cause medications to change physically, and those changes can make medications less potent — and for some medications, unsafe to use. Oral contraceptives and other medications that contain hormones are especially susceptible, since the proteins they contain can change their properties during heat exposure.

The labels on medications, whether over-the-counter or prescription, typically recommend storing them in a cool, dry place and keeping them away from excessive heat and humidity, or might give a specific temperature range, commonly 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 25 degrees Celsius). That’s an ideal range, but most medications are still usable after storage in temperatures as low as 32 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit (zero to 14 degrees Celsius) and as high as 80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (27 to 30 degrees Celsius). Advice varies, so it’s always best to consult a physician or pharmacist when less-than-ideal storage has already happened or is anticipated. Help is also available at Planned Parenthood health centers, where staff can answer questions about general health care and about using contraceptives safely and effectively. Continue reading →