A panel of federal health advisers met on Friday to review the safety of the birth control patch.  The patch– known as OrthoEvra and manufactured by Johnson & Johnson– is thought to carry a higher risk of blood clots than other hormonal birth control methods.  However, the federal panel ruled that its benefits outweigh its risks, and suggested it remain available as an option for females who have trouble taking a daily pill.

Read the whole article here.

If you have a current prescription on file with Teen Clinic, you do not need to make an appointment. Simply walk in to pick up your birth control anytime we’re open!

Occasionally, patients find their prescription has lapsed because they need to come in for an Annual Exam. This is a once-per-year appointment where the practitioner reviews a patient’s health history, addresses any concerns, and makes sure her birth control method is still a healthy fit. Once you have had an Annual Exam, your prescription will be good for one year.

If your prescription ends and you can’t get in for an Annual right away, sometimes the practitioner can write you an extension on your prescription. But it’s best to make an appointment before you run out of birth control.

See you soon!

This is a fabulous question. The answer is yes—and here’s why.

First, no hormonal birth control is 100% effective.  Even the most effective methods on the market—like IUDs and Implanon—prevent pregnancy only 99.9% of the time.  In very rare cases, someone becomes pregnant even though they are using a method correctly.

Second, sometimes people make mistakes with their birth control.  They forget to take a pill, put their next patch on late, or leave the NuvaRing out for more than 2 hours at a time.  While all hormonal birth control methods can be up to 99.9% effective, most are about 92% effective with typical use (97% for the Depo shot).

So why bother at all? Hormonal methods are still the most effective, reversible way to be sexually active without pregnancy. When used correctly, the risk of pregnancy is very small. And there are a few things you can do to help your method be the most effective possible.

First, use a condom every time you have sex. Not only do condoms prevent sexually transmitted infections, they’ll also act as a pregnancy prevention backup.

Second, choose a method that fits your lifestyle. Many females are great at using The Pill—but plenty aren’t! If you have trouble remembering to take a pill at the same time every day or change a patch once a week, consider using longer-term methods like Implanon or IUDs. Once these methods are inserted, they prevent pregnancy for 3-10 years—and you don’t have to remember a thing!

Third, talk to your partner about birth control. When both of you are focused on preventing pregnancy, it’s more likely to happen!

Teen Clinic offers free birth control and consultations. If you’d like to talk to a provider about changing your method, give us a call soon.  Thanks for keeping yourself safe and healthy!

Works Like A Charm is an online contest celebrating Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) and the awesome women and couples who use it.  Participation is open to young women ages 18-24 in the U.S. and their partners.

So–what’s a LARC again?

A LARC is a long-acting reversible contraceptive. These methods aren’t permanent, but they are highly reliable. They require less upkeep, which means there’s less opportunity for human error. The Patch, The Ring, The Shot, Contraceptive Implants and IUDs are all considered LARCs!

If you use one of these methods (and love it!) you could win up to $2,000 or an iPad for sharing your experience.

Visit the Works Like A Charm site for more details!

… I don’t want that to happen to me. So, I was wondering what type of birth control and condoms are most effective without personal error to account for?

Thanks for asking! It’s tough to watch your friends face unplanned pregnancies, but we’re glad you’re using this opportunity to tighten up your own birth control methods.  You’re right that human error plays a huge role in birth control failure, so it’s great to think about minimizing this!  Knowing how to use a condom properly—from checking the expiration date to pinching the tip—can reduce your risk significantly. Check your condom knowledge with this great overview, and plan to use a condom every time, even if you’re also using a hormonal method.

While hormonal birth control is more than 99% effective with perfect use, not many of us are perfect! Methods like the Pill, the Patch, and Nuvaring are about 92% with typical use. If you’ve struggled to take your pill on time, you may want to consider a method with less room for error. The birth control shot (Depo Provera) only requires a visit to Teen Clinic once every three months. As long as you come in for your shot on time, there’s no way to mess up!  You may also want to consider the Implanon. This small, flexible rod is placed under the skin in your arm, and prevents pregnancy for three years without requiring you to do anything.

Last, IUDs, or intra-uterine devices, are widely considered the most effective birth control on the market. The Paragard is a copper IUD that can be left in place for ten years, and the Mirena is a hormonal IUD that prevents pregnancy for five years. Once in place, these IUDs are 99% effective.  Learn more about IUDs here.

Make an appointment at Teen Clinic to discuss these methods with a practitioner. And keep in mind that using condoms consistently, correctly, and every time is one of the best ways to improve the effectiveness of any hormonal method—as well as prevent STI transmission.  If you’re choosing to be sexually active, it’s the responsible thing to do!

Yes!  On any birth control method, the most important thing is to stay on schedule. Even if your period hasn’t ended, start your next patch on time to prevent ovulation. When used correctly, consistently, and all the time, the patch is 99.7% effective!  Make an appointment at Teen Clinic if you want to learn more about how your birth control method works.

…In other words, is there any way I can get it even though I won’t be able to come home for a couple months?

In order to receive your next year-long prescription for birth control, you’ll need to have an Annual Exam. During this visit, our nurse practitioners make sure your birth control method still fits with your health and lifestyle.  It’s also a great time to address any questions or issues you may have.

If you plan to come home at all this fall, give us a call. Sometimes nurses will give patients a 1-2 month extension on their birth control until they can come in. If you’re going to be out of town for three or four months, though, your best bet may be to visit a new clinic near your college.  Your new physician will be able to write you a prescription. If you prefer to get your care with us in the long term, you can always bring us the records from your visit.

It’s good to know that at Teen Clinic other people can always pick up your birth control for you, as long as you tell us first.

Whatever you do, make sure you don’t let your birth control run out! It’s important to use your method consistently, correctly, and all the time–especially at college, when your lifestyle can change rapidly.  Keep up the good work!

If the patch is used correctly & consistently, it prevents pregnancy during the patch-free week. The week without the patch occurs after three weeks of using a new patch every week. Generally, a woman will have a light period during this week. Since the hormones are still in her body preventing ovulation, she is protected during the patch-free week. Condoms always work well as a back-up for pregnancy prevention and to prevent the transmission of STIs, so when in doubt – use a condom.