Bayer says they’ve been shelling out some serious dough, $142 million to be exact, to settle around 651 U.S. cases involving their Yasmin and Yaz birth control pills. Consumers in those cases allege that the pills caused blood clots, which can sometimes be fatal or lead to heart attacks and strokes. That’s around $218,000 per woman, on average. [More]
Bayer Says They've Paid Out $142 Million In Yasmin Birth Control Settlements So Far
By April 26, 2012
When You Need To Send Arizona Lawmakers A Message, Say It With Knit Uteruses
By April 6, 2012
Nothing says “I hate your proposal” better than packages full of knitted uteruses (uteri?) with googly eyes delivered to the offices of more than a dozen Arizona state lawmakers. That was the medium of choice used to send a message from opponents of a proposal to severely limit birth control coverage. [More]
Sponsor of Arizona's "Why Are You On Birth Control?" Bill Amending It
By March 21, 2012
The state representative who was sponsoring a bill that would let employers ask why female employees are on the pill, and then decide whether or not they’d pay for it based on the answer, says she’s doing a bit of amending. She’s claiming we all just misunderstood the controversial parts. Oh, of course. [More]
Weighing The Costs Of Birth Control Options
By March 6, 2012
With the issue of birth control and who should pay for it becoming quite the hot button issue of late, it’s a good a time as any to compare the costs of some of the more popular contraception methods. [More]
White House Tweaks Rule Requiring Employers To Cover Birth Control
By February 10, 2012
Late last month, the Obama administration angered some people when it announced that all employers — regardless of their stance on birth control — would need to provide insurance that covers female preventative care. Today, the President said his people had come up with a compromise that he believes will provide birth control while allowing businesses to not be directly responsible for providing it. [More]
Should More Schools Have Plan B Contraceptive Available From Vending Machines?
By February 7, 2012
Pennsylvania’s Shippensburg University is making headlines across the country today after newspapers and TV stations picked up an AP story about the school offering Plan B emergency contraceptive (you can also call it levonorgestrel if you’re not into brand names) via a vending machine in the school’s health center. [More]
Pfizer Recalls Birth Control Pills For Being Potentially Unable To Prevent Pregnancy
By February 1, 2012
Pfizer announced yesterday that they’re recalling around 1 million packets of birth control pills in the U.S. Consumers won’t be harmed if they do take them, but the company warned there may not be enough contraceptive to prevent pregnancy. [More]
Religious Employers Will Have To Provide Birth Control For Employees
By January 23, 2012
Religious opposition to birth control won’t be a good enough reason for church-affiliated employers to get out of having to cover birth control for employees, according to an announcement from the Department of Secretary of Health and Human Services. Several types of companies will have an extra year to come into compliance with the edict, ushered in by the Obama administration’s health care reforms. [More]
FDA Warns Evital May Be Counterfeit Morning-After Pill
By August 2, 2011
According to the Food and Drug Administration, morning-after pills labeled Evital may be counterfeit and unsafe and ineffective at preventing pregnancy. The label of the counterfeit pill reads “Evital Anticonceptivo de emergencia, 1.5 mg, 1 tablet” by “Fluter Domull.” [More]
Birth Control To Be Covered By Health Insurance Without Copay
By August 1, 2011
Late last month, an Institute of Medicine panel issued recommendations to the White House that birth control, along with a variety of women’s health services, should be covered under the Affordable Care Act. Earlier today, the Dept. of Health and Human Services made its final decision on the matter public. [More]
Science Tries To Give Men More Contraceptive Options
By July 25, 2011
Guys who want to take control of birth control have limited options, but researchers are aiming to change that, focusing on hormones that reduce sperm counts. Men looking for alternatives to condoms and vasectomies may one day be able to pop pills that deprive their “boys” of swimming abilities. [More]
Panel: Birth Control Should Be Covered By Insurance Without Co-Pay
By July 20, 2011
Yesterday, an Institute of Medicine panel released its recommendations to the federal government about which services for women should insurance companies be obliged to cover. Chief among the eight recommendations was that birth control should be made available without need for a patient copay. [More]
You Get Free Birth Control In Maryland If You Happen To Be A Deer
By May 16, 2011
Some frisky deer in Maryland now have the opportunity to get it on without concern of possible parenthood, thanks to a state directive to provide contraception to the animals in order to keep the population under control. [More]
Looking For Free Condoms? There's An App For That
By February 14, 2011
Nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like free condoms. That must be why the New York City Health Department picked today to unveil its new condom-locator app for iPhones and Android devices. [More]
Adventures In Crazy Birth Control Pricing
By July 14, 2010
Rebecca experienced the wrath of the birth control pricing gods on a Walgreens visit, discovering that the generic version of her pill, Yaz, was suddenly more expensive than the name-brand version. She braved her insurer’s customer service hell to track down some answers but only got more confusion. [More]
ACLU Makes Walgreens Sell Men Emergency Contraceptives
By July 9, 2010
The ACLU says it found out Walgreens stores in Texas and Mississippi refused to sell emergency contraceptives to men, then pressured the pharmacy to order those locations to fall in line with corporate policy and let the men have their morning-after pills. [More]
Which Condom Holds The Most Air Before Exploding? (Video)
By November 2, 2009
You might be be surprised how much air a condom can hold, or water (try 25 liters). But which holds the most before bursting to pieces? Our friend Theresa at Consumer Reports donned a lab coat and glasses to find out which brand of condoms came out on top in their durability tests.
Seven States Sue Over Health Worker "Conscience" Rule
By January 16, 2009
Seven state attorneys general, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU have sued to overturn the so-called “conscience” rule, which allows doctors, pharmacists, and other health care workers to refuse to perform procedures or dispense medication that conflicts with their beliefs.
