The Health Blog

The FDA has recently approved Lybrel, the first low-dose contraceptive pill that gives women an option to stop their menstrual cycle for an indefinite period of time.

About Lybrel:
It is the newest form of birth control approved by the FDA. The drug is developed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which contains 90 micrograms of levonorgestrel and 20 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol, a combination similar to that found in other low-dose oral contraceptives.

It differs, however, with other contraceptive pills because it replaces the four- to seven-day placebo pill with continuous daily dosing for nonstop birth control with no menstrual periods.

What is a contraceptive patch?

A contraceptive patch is a transdermal patch applied to the skin that releases synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy. They are thought to have the same effectiveness as the combined oral contraceptive pill. Currently the only publicly available contraceptive patch is marketed under the brand name Ortho Evra. Contraceptive patches are often referred to by the slang term “the patch”.

How does it work?

The Health Blog launches its new blog feature which tackles on family planning. Basically, it will give information about the current methods of family planning, its advantages and disadvantages, etc. This is to help families to decide on which family planning methods to use.

Planning for your family basically means you love them. It means you are planning for their future. Further, you value the health of the mother. Through using contraception, a woman could avoid high-risk pregnancies thereby improving her health by making it possible for her to have children when she is physically and mentally prepared for it. Proper birth spacing allows the mother to have sufficient time to recover her health. Maternal risks related to pregnancy and child delivery are greatly reduced. At the same time, the baby is given enough care, attention, and nourishment before another child is born.