Dr. Jen Gunter
birth control
Is NuvaRing as deadly as malpractice lawyers claim?
Google NuvaRing (a contraceptive vaginal ring changed monthly) and the top of the page will almost certainly have one (or more) advertisements from malpractice attorneys looking to sue the manufacturer and probably the doctor who prescribed it. While the links in this shaded area are advertisements and don’t necessarily reflect, ahem, high-quality medical information, there … Continue reading
What happens when there is no abortion law…
There is no abortion law in Canada. It is neither legal nor illegal, it is simply a medical procedure and covered by universal health care. Universally, abortions performed at hospitals are free. Whether abortions at free-standing clinics are covered varies by province/territory. Some provinces and territories with limited providers pay travel costs when women have … Continue reading
Pre-abortion ultrasound: the medical evidence and why it’s important
The growing momentum among state legislators to enact ultrasound “requirements” for abortion is an interesting tactic. Currently 20 states regulate the provision of ultrasound by abortion providers. The point appears to be twofold: raise the cost of the procedure to reduce the number of women who can afford an abortion require/offer/describe a view of the … Continue reading
Siri didn’t stumble over abortion for me, but struggled over Trader Joe’s
Pro choice supporters have been abuzz and aghast over a piece making the viral rounds, that Siri (Apple’s voice activated system to answer everything we 21rst century technophiles are apparently too lazy to Google ourselves) is curiously silent over women’s reproductive health questions concerning emergency contraception (the morning after pill) and abortion, but replete with … Continue reading
What is the best method of birth control?
Now that co-payments are (hopefully) falling by the wayside for birth control, it’s time to think less about cost and more about failure rates, because not all methods of birth control are equal. There are many factors to consider when choosing a method of birth control. Some people dislike the idea of hormones while others … Continue reading
Some birth control pills have a higher risk of blood clots. Is yours one of them?
Most birth control pills contain 2 hormones: estrogen and progestin (a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone). These hormones prevent ovulation thereby providing highly effective birth control. However, the estrogen in the pill increases the risk of blood clots. Blood clots (venous thrombosis) can cause painful leg swelling and sometime, a clot can travel to … Continue reading
4 common IUD myths dispelled
The intrauterine device (IUD) is the most effective, reversible form of contraception – the failure rate is 1%. For the record, the pill has a failure rate of 3-15% depending on how good a pill taker you turn out to be! Unfortunately, IUDs are underused in the United States; less than 3% of American women use … Continue reading
