Contraceptives

Pill taking routines can accidentally veer off course at this time of year so these guidelines might come in handy if you need to change the scheduling of your low dose birth control regime :

If you take progestin only pills (the mini pill) and fail to take your pill by 3 hours later than normal, it’s effectiveness will be decreased so use backup (barrier method) for at least 48 hours while your new pill taking timetable is being established.

If you take combination birth control pills (estrogen and progestin) you have a little more leeway within which to change your timing schedule:

• if you want to take your pill earlier than normal, you can safely start at any time during the pack
• if you want to take your pill later than normal, make sure it’s not more than 12 hours later - leaving it longer than 12 hours reduces the effectiveness so to be safe use back up for at least 7 days while you establish your new routine

If you’ve missed pills over Christmas or gone for more than 36 hours between 2 of your low dose birth control pills it’s a good idea to use backup for 7 days until you’re back on track again.

Let your loved ones know how much they mean to you this holiday season, spread some kindness, stretch some tolerance and share your abundance.

Thank you for reading my posts, I hope you have found a few useful little ‘nuggets’ in them.

I wish you a memorable and safe Christmas and a fulfilling 2011,

Kindest regards Carole

Have you ever wondered if any chemical residues (synthetic estrogen and progestin) from the millions of low  dose birth control pills consumed, ever get into our drinking water or into the oceans and possibly harm the fish?

Where does almost 90% of the total estrogen in the environment come from? Can pesticides mimic estrogen and add to the pollution of water supplies?

More importantly- can most of the pollutants, including estrogen be removed? I recently found a synopsis from the mission of Environmental Health News on this issue which I felt was worth passing on.

The mission of Environmental Health News is to advance the public’s understanding of environmental health issues by publishing its own journalism and providing access to worldwide news about a variety of subjects related to the health of humans, wildlife and ecosystems.

Towards that end, journalists write and publish articles on the EHN site. These stories are provided to newspapers and other media through EHN’s news service. These articles meet high journalistic standards of non-advocacy, and the content is under the control of the Editor in Chief.  EHN also offers timely, daily access to the hundreds of other articles on environmental health topics that are published each day in the world press, and its searchable archives date back to 2002. EHN does not accept funding from interest groups.

Previously, there’s been a somewhat erroneous expectation of the post menopausal female of our species to be ‘past it’, sexually inactive or in a sexually safe monogamous relationship with low dose birth control off the monthly shopping list. With the emergence of the alleged Cougar, the popularity of on line dating services and the changing relationship norms of today’s society, over 40s and post menopausal females need to be really savvy about managing the skin to skin aspects of their new intimate relationships ESPECIALLY once they stop taking low dose birth control.

Great, we may not need pregnancy protection any more girls but as well as protecting ourselves from gold digging gigolos looking for ‘Mother with Benefits’ we do need to protect ourselves from other unwelcome catches. Our mellowing vaginas are past the spring chicken stage which means that we are more susceptible to picking up a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or to missing the signs that we may already have one.

Any sexually active person can be infected with Chlamydia. (Chlamydia trachomatis) I thought it best to mention this little Charlie (you’ll notice that I give the villains male names - don’t read anything into that) because he is a very common bacterial STI which you probably think only infects the young ones. Incidences of middle aged goddesses getting lumbered with STI’s are on the rise. . You’ll be safe from future fetuses once you exit menopause but if you embark on new sexual journeys with new partners, please be a savvy, condom loaded gal and protect yourself and your vagina from STIs.

Symptoms of Chlamydia - are like those of a UTI (abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating and crampy pain in the lower abdomen). Chlamydia can also cause conjunctivitis. BUT the real bummer is that most women don’t have any symptoms so Charlie Chlamydia romps wherever he pleases inside your body, free to hop happily onto someone else’s if you give him half a chance.

Diagnosis - Chlamydia is diagnosed from a pap smear or from swabs you can take yourself. Chlamydia can’t be diagnosed from a blood test.

Treatment is simple and effective though it can cause a few uncomfortable side effects such as diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain however, just a single prescribed dose of antibiotics - Azithromycin (Zithromax) or the less costly Doxycycline (Vibramycin, Oracea, Adoxa, Atridox) usually sends Charlie packing. Don’t have sex until at least a week after treatment. If your partner is receiving treatment for Chlamydia, don’t have sex until at least a week after both of you have been treated.

Stop Charlie entering your door simply by using a condom (male or female variety) and don’t have unprotected sex with a new partner unless you’re sure that they have passed their STD exam!

I actually took this post from a page in a handy new guide I have just published ( my pen name is Claire Preston) called “Happy Vaginas for the Over 40’s - how to resuscitate your ageing vagina and protect her from memopausal meltdown!”  I wrote this little self help book after reading all the desperate comments in women’s forums about the problems mature women are having with painful sex, dry vaginas and persistent discharges of one type or another. Even though this site is mainly about contraception I thought it was worth mentioning in case you know someone who could benefit from a practical but lighthearted read. There is sexual life after low dose birth control has come to an end but if you’re back on the dating scene ladies-you still need to use condoms.　

World Aids Day is almost over in the US.  I am tapping this wondering just how many people around the globe actually DID anything related to this important awareness day.  Did you?  If not, well I urge you to have your own aids day tomorrow or the next day or the day after that …then …..why not EVERY DAY? 

YOU are the boss of you. You can wear a red ribbon whenever you like. You can make love whenever you like…You can wear a condom whenever you like..You can talk to your partner and friends about ’safe sex’ whenever you like…but once infected with HIV, it’s no longer ’whenever you like’.

Don’t know anyone with HIV or aids? Not sure what YOU can do to bring curb those rising statistics?

Simply remember that you can:

• give a real (or virtual) hug to someone when they tell you they are HIV positive
• stay in touch with and be a true friend to someone you know who’s suffering from Aids
• stuff a few Christmas stockings with some fun condoms (yes- even for Aunty Barbara who’s dating again!)
• avoid sharing injecting equipment with anyone (if you use needles, syringes etc.)
• always use condoms

People with HIV  can live healthy, active lives if they receive treatment.

Worried that you may have put yourself at risk of HIV?  Take this quiz to find out.