What Is a Fertile Window?

I've written many times about how ovulation can be quite hard to pinpoint. Since ovulation can occur at different times, your fertile window may be very hard to predict. Here is an article that talks about a women's "fertile window":

Egg Timer

From the article:

"A woman's six-day fertile window includes the five days prior to ovulation, plus the day of ovulation itself. Urine tests can reveal when ovulation has taken place - but there are no biochemical markers to indicate that a fertile window is opening.

Conventional wisdom holds that women are most likely to ovulate exactly mid-way through an average 28-day cycle. But this is wrong and the variation between cycles, and between women, is huge, says Allen Wilcox of the US National Institutes of Health"

My Fertility Problems May Have Started Before I Was Born

Holidays are a time that we see plenty of extended family. Sometimes it makes you revert back to old childhood behaviors and those old memories come flooding back. This article (link below) really hit the nail on the head for me. My mother openly admitted that I was an "accident" (probably not something I would ever admit to a child...) and as I got older I realized this is probably why I felt quite isolated and somewhat neglected when I was growing up. When I came along, the last thing my mother wanted was another baby. As a result, I think she subconsciously had this attitude like she was doing me a favor by caring for me and the least I could do is be quiet and stay out of her way. My mother did all the "right" things, she fed me, clothed me, educated me, and brought me to church - but I always knew I was the "outsider" - my sisters definitely had higher standing in the family. So what did this have to do with my fertility? Well...because of my lack of parenting, the last thing I wanted was my own child (until I was older) and, for much of my adult life, I suffered from very low self esteem. I threw myself into my career where I finally received some much needed positive feedback. Unfortunately, the stress of my job took a toll on my body. Couple that with marrying at an older age and what you have is a recipe for infertility.

Read more about how unwanted pregnancies can plague children well into adulthood:

When mothers don’t plan to get pregnant, adult children think less of themselves, study shows
By Diane Swanbrow


From the article:

The study, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, was conducted by sociologists William G. Axinn, Jennifer S. Barber and Arland Thornton, all researchers at the Institute for Social Research.

Based on interviews conducted over 23 years, first with a random, population-based sample of 800 married women, and later with their children, the study is among the first to show that unintended pregnancies have negative, long-term social consequences for the children themselves.

“Being born unwanted probably reduces parental support and participation, as well as the quality of the parent-child relationship,” says Axinn, first author of the study report. “Women who didn’t want to have a child when they got pregnant may be less likely to invest time and emotional resources in that child, which may result in lower self-esteem for the child years later.”

HIV infection causes

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a retrovirus that infects the human immune system cells. Especially CD4 + T cells and macrophages, a vital component of the immune system of systems "host" - and destroy or damage their function. Of HIV infection causes rapid reduction

of the immune system, which causes immune deficiency. HIV is the underlying cause of AIDS.
HIV is a virus that is easily transmitted, and the mode of transmission, among others, is through sexual intercourse and oral sex and / anal sex. In addition, HIV can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, shared use of contaminated needles through drug injection and in health care, and between mothers and their babies during pregnancy, birth and lactation.
The use of such a physical protective latex condoms is recommended to reduce HIV transmission through sex. In recent years, suggested that circumcision can reduce the risk of spreading the HIV virus, but many experts believe that this is still too early to recommend male circumcision to prevent HIV.
At the end of 2004 is estimated between 36 to 44 million people living with HIV, 25 million of whom are residents of sub-Saharan Africa. Estimated number of people infected with HIV worldwide in 2004 was between 4.3 million to 6.4 million people (AIDS epidemic update December 2004). The epidemic is not evenly distributed in the region-specific wilayan because there are countries which suffer more than others. Even at the state level was no difference in infection levels in different areas. The number of people living with HIV continue to rise in all parts of the world, despite strict preventive measures.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region worst affected by HIV among pregnant women at age 15-24 years in some countries there. This is thought to be caused by a number of venereal disease, practice nock body, blood transfusion, and the poor level of health and nutrition there. In 2000, WHO estimates that 25% of blood units transfused in Africa is not tested for HIV, and that 10% of HIV infections in the continent occurred through blood.
In Asia, the HIV epidemic primarily caused by drug users through needle syringes, sexual contact, both among men and with commercial sex workers, and customers, as well as their sexual partners and prevention is still inadequate.
AIDS is a disease that most dreaded at this moment. HIV, the virus that causes this disease, damage the body's defense system (immune system). Someone who is HIV positive does not necessarily have AIDS. However, HIV is on the person's body will continue to damage the immune system. As a result, viruses, fungi, and bacteria that a usually harmless to extremely dangerous because of damage to the body's immune system.
People with HIV / AIDS have the potential and skills in common with ordinary people. However, the stigma against the disease that makes them unable diidapnya creative with fully, even more discrimination in the can by people living with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA) by the surrounding community. Not infrequently also come away from the family of the people living them.
And usually society who do not understand about how the HIV virus transmission directly to judge that people living with HIV are people who have "bad lifestyle" (read: love using sex workers, gays, drug users, etc.). Though not necessarily a person infected with the HIV virus because they have "bad lifestyle" is. Because, as already explained above, that the HIV virus can also be transmitted through needle and the relationship of mother and child.
Bad stigma of society that eventually make the people living life is getting worse, discrimination against people living with HIV acquired in the neighborhood and work environment can make them a no-confidence, loss of zest for life. Though people living with HIV are still able to survive for a long time if they have the spirit of the high life and diligently consume ARV drugs (antiretro viral).
ARVs can be obtained cheaply because it has been subsidized by the government. Consumption of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to people living with HIV proved able to reduce the amount of HIV virus in the body so that they can fit and productive. So, why still think PLWHA unfit to work. The government admits has prevented the occurrence of bad stigma for people living in the community. One of them by performing a program of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). In the VCT program, communities are expected to consult with their health problems voluntarily. The public also should not stay away from the people living with HIV is due to actual prevention of transmission of this disease can be done in such a way.
In addition there is also the term PLWHA ADHA (children with HIV / AIDS), it can happen usually due to transmission from mother to offspring. Many mothers are not aware of already infected with HIV / AIDS. Thus, during pregnancy and childbirth, the mother was not aware of potentially transmit HIV / AIDS to her child.
Treatment and current medical treatment, can help people living with HIV / AIDS to live a normal life. People with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA) and can produce productive works. However, discrimination in society makes them difficult to find work. At the moment they have to work and make ends meet, they can not work because the status of PLWHA. As a result, not a few of them are now unemployed. In fact, the burden of their lives more difficult and severe.
Anyone, of course, do not want anyone who contracted the virus. However, it does not mean life ends if infected by this virus. Life should be continued because people still have hope to be able to take part in society and family.

HIV Aids Education

Yesterday that coincided December 1, 2009 is the anniversary of HIV / AIDS in the World, maybe that moments of the most valuable for people with HIV / AIDS because the virus during the jaru syringes distributed through it, stay away from them by people who close to them such as family, friends, friends, community.

And they feel more in the note, more in bri love and maybe they will be more to survive, although he was soon to leave this world.

A virus that attacks the human immune is growing rapidly in our country, most of which attacked the teens, how penuebarannya also vary as a way to have sex, through needles, etc..

And they pity the virus HIV / AIDS is less immune than he, they also stay away from the social environment, and they feel more in isolate, even out of school.

However, those who are stricken with HIV / AIDS virus should drop out of school? Whereas in sekolahlah they instill the ideals of seeds, if the teachers do not feel sorry for them.

family planning

few days back me baca psl kelab TTC (trying to conceive) kat little mama's blog...and me sempat baca mcm2 pengalaman luahan hati those wifey / couple yg belum dikurniakan zuriat...sanggup try mcm2 cara, berhabisan wang ringgit just utk dpt baby...
me rasa bertuah sgt2 in that sense, sbb me ni sgt fertile (me conceived a month lps kawin hokeyyyy)...
and me were on family planning(me amik injection dopo primavera every 3 months (me belasah jer eja ni mls plak nak google)...that's why gap my 1st baby & my 2nd baby is 4 years old...

and now me on family planning again...
this time me guna IMPLANON...me psg masa me kat UK sbb free :) kalau kat private hosp/clinic kat Msia, kosnya agak mahal around RM500-RM1k jugak kalau tak silap

tp apa2 family planning pun ada side effect esp yg melibatkan hormon2 ni...oy yer...me takkan amik jenis pil2 sbb me teramat mls mkn pil regularly :p

so lps pakai implanon, me got my menses twice, and then since march, me dh tak de menses...until now!! me tak preggy hokeyyyy...implanon tu affect my menses cycle...so kiranya me puasa penuh thn ni kot :)
implanon ni it would be effective for 3 years, unless me took it out earlier lah..

pic gelap sbb me snap pic ni waktu mlm :p

cancer girl

Campaign: Robyn Higgins, who may need treatment in the US, with mother Lisa

Police get on their bikes to save cancer girl

Police across London are raising funds to send the daughter of a colleague to America for life-saving cancer treatment.

Robyn Higgins, seven, whose father is a detective constable in the Met, has rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma.

It will cost £300,000 to send her to the only hospital in the world, in New York, where she can get treatment.

Another detective couple, whose son died of the same disease this year, are taking part in a cycle ride with other Met staff to raise money.

In May, Robyn, from Frimley in Surrey, was diagnosed with a tumour that was growing from her pelvis and had spread to her bone marrow. She underwent a nine-hour operation to remove the tumour, which left her unable to walk. She has had nine doses of chemotherapy, with radiotherapy to come. If the tumour returns no further treatment for the condition is available in Britain.

Robyn's mother Lisa, 36, and father Greg, 38, who is based in Hendon, want to take her to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering hospital, where she can be given preventative antibody treatment.

Mrs Higgins said: "I am overwhelmed with the support the police have given us. I become extremely emotional when thinking about it. You see the good side of human nature come out in these situations."

As part of the campaign, about 30 officers will cycle 170 miles around the Metropolitan Police District of London through the night of 5 December.

Yvonne and Richard Brown, who work in Barnet, will be taking part. They raised almost £1million, with the help of Met staff, to send their own son Jack for neuroblastoma treatment at the same hospital. He died at the age of seven in May.

Sparks, the children's medical research charity, will run a family day for those affected by neuroblastoma, as well as doctors and researchers, at New Scotland Yard on Saturday. Sparks has launched an appeal to raise £5million towards finding a cure for the condition.

Pill Women's Sex Drive

It's the 50th Anniversary of the birth control pill. Happy Anniversary!!! Oral contraceptives survived puritanical objections in the 1960s to become women's first choice in protection. Yay! Woohoo! Yipee!

But wait--it's not all cake and champagne for the Pill. Recent reports say that the Pill may lower sex drive in women who use it. Doh!

That's right, a recent study out of Germany showed a relationship between
oral contraceptives and loss of libido. The study, published in the May 4th issue the Journal of Sexual Medicine, looked at more than 1,000 female medical students in Germany found that women who used hormonal methods of birth control--mostly oral contraceptives--had lower levels of sexual desire and arousal than women who used non-hormonal methods like condoms or no contraception at all.

Coming from a questionnaire assessing sexual function, the study does not show a causal relationship between using the Pill and lowered sex drive, it merely shows an association. Further studies will be needed to determine if the hormonal changes caused by the Pill actually
lead to decreased female sexual desire.

Oral Contraceptive Pills women

Aside from prevention of pregnancy, the use of birth control pills also has a number of other health benefits. In your decision to take control pills, be sure that you will discuss the benefits as well as risks concerning the medication you are about to take with a physician or any authorized health care professional. Birth control pills has known side effects just like other medications and may have drug to drug interaction with other medication you are taking, which is why you need to take precaution. Another thing to keep in mind is to choose the best and appropriate birth control pill based on your health history.
Birth Control Pills which are also known as Oral Contraceptives can successfully treat acne, a bad skin condition, in many women. Before an approval of FDA, doctors used birth control pills for the acne treatments. But now there are many contraceptive pills, which are FDA approved, available for acne treatments. These pills include Estrostep, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, and Yaz.These contraceptive pills are not utilized as a primary or an initial treatment against acne. A doctor always tries for other options for acne and still if he/she hasn't got the result then he/she moves toward the oral contraceptive options. Even in some situations the patient wants to have a form of contraception then the doctor provides her this solution. However for most exceptional result, birth control pills are used with other solutions, like benzoyl peroxide or topical reinoids, for acne treatments.

Procedures menstrual bleeding women

RExperts estimate that 20 percent of women experience excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding at some time during their lives, especially as they approach menopause. A new, less invasive procedure called global endometrial ablation (GEA) preserves the uterus, while decreasing menstrual bleeding and shortening patients' recovery time. In an article reported in the recent issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic scientists attempt to determine the percentage of women who do not achieve permanent symptom relief from GEA and identify several factors that put women at greater risk for this outcome.

VIDEO ALERT: Additional audio and video resources, including excerpts from an interview with Dr. Abimbola Famuyide describing the research, are available on the Mayo Clinic News Blog at:

For decades, hormone pills or hysterectomy, surgical removal of the uterus, were the standard therapys for excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding. Eventhough numerous studies have established the safety of GEA, some women who undergo this procedure require additional therapy or hysterectomy later because significant menstrual pain or heavy bleeding symptoms resume.

pill contraception women

Making the contraceptive pill available without prescription will not reduce unwanted pregnancies, says an expert in an article published on bmj.com today.

Sarah Jarvis from the Royal College of Physicians argues that it is a lack of daily compliance with taking oral contraceptives which is partly responsible for the high rates of unintended teenage pregnancies in the UK.

Studies have shown that nearly half of all women taking the oral contraceptive pill miss one or more pills in each cycle, and nearly a quarter missed two or more. These women are three times more likely to get pregnant unintentionally than those who take the pill consistently.

She points out that the availability of emergency contraception without prescription has done little to change the rate of teenage pregnancies.

Jarvis believes that the solution lies in long acting reversible contraceptives such as the coil, or those which can be placed under the skin or injected. They last between three months and three years, and because they are not dependent on patients taking them correctly, are much more reliable than oral contraceptives, she adds.

"Increased uptake of reliable, non user-dependent methods, rather than making a potentially unreliable method of contraception more easily available, has to be the key ", she concludes.........

condom contraceptive HIV infection

I read in today's The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead that the Pope has ambiguously hinted that, in the case of male prostitution, condom use might be a feasible solution toward the prevention of HIV infection. That is not to say, in his seeming double-talk, that the Roman Catholic Church approves of condom use for heterosexual relations or any contraceptive besides the rhythm method, i.e. no substantial birth control or infection...

More On How Can Help You Get Pregnant

"May The Force Be With You"

I was going through some of the old posts on my blog. Back in 2007, I did a post on "The Secret" which was all the rage at the time. It was the topic of discussion on numerous talk shows both on TV and radio. I wanted to mention it again here because the video really speaks to one of the key pieces of my success in getting pregnant. "The Secret" is the law of attraction which says that your thoughts, feelings, and resulting actions determine what you attract into your life. The really good thing about living by the law of attraction is that you are no longer a victim of anything including infertility.

In my book, I talk about how I initially relinquished my ability to get pregnant over to the doctors. This backfired in a big way. As a result of my fertility treatments, I suffered numerous complications, miscarriages and the removal of one of my fallopian tubes. When I finally realized I was in control of my body and my life, things finally started to turn around. I started attracting the right information and I changed my "pregnancy mindset" rather than bombarding my system with powerful and sometimes dangerous fertility drugs. This ultimately led me to visualize success and take the right actions which led to the birth of my daughter (I have since created my CD on Meditation and Visualization).

There's nothing special about me...anyone can do this. I hear from women all the time who go through unsuccessful fertility treatments and wind up getting pregnant on their own. The nice thing about knowing the so called "secret" is that it allows you to take responsibility for what you create in your life rather than feeling like what you get is what "fate" delivered.

You are no different..."the force" is with you too!"

Fertility and Acidic and Alkaline Foods

I found an interesting site which discusses, among other things how certain foods are either "acidic" or "alkaline". According to the author Karen Reynolds, R.N., M.S., L.Ac., acidic foods should be avoided and alkaline foods should be eaten to enhance fertility. Read more:



From the article"

Alkaline Fruits
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Berries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Currants
Raisins
Dates
Figs
Grapes
Mango
Nectarine
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Melon

Acidic Fruits
Grapefruit
Lemon
Lime
Orange
Tangerine
Cranberry
Plum
Prune
Cooked fruits

Alkaline Vegetables
Avocado
Artichoke
Asparagus
Green beans
String beans
Beets
Carrots
Lettuce
Broccoli
Cabbage
Celery
Cauliflower
Chard
Cucumber
Corn
Endive
Garlic
Jerusalem artichoke
Kale
Leeks
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Parsnips
Bell Peppers
Potatoes (red)
Pumpkin
Soybeans
Spinach
Squash

Acidic Vegetables
Dried beans
Brussels sprouts
Tomatoes

Miscellaneous Alkaline Foods
Carob
Olives (ripe)
Agar
Kelp
Almonds

Miscellaneous Acidic Foods
Dairy (all)
Alcohol
Cocoa
Coffee
Condiments
Vinegar
Teas

Alkaline Grains
Quinoa
Millet
Amaranth

Acidic Grains
ALL grains except quinoa, millet, amaranth

condom is the best

Untilmid the 18th century condoms made from animal intestines . New rubber condom produced in 1855 after Charles Goodyear creating rubber vulcanization. Of course, his form has not been like now. Early-generation rubber condoms were sewn on the sides and the thickness reaches 1-2 mm. And can be used repeatedly (just do not forget to wash, perhaps). New in 1912 a German named Julius Fromm developed a new production techniques condom, by dipping the glass into the dough raw rubber solution so that condoms become thinner and without stitches. Since the 1930s the condom has been developed into single-use condoms are thin and cheap as now.

In closing, I am going to present some kind toward the development of condom that I think is interesting. Université Laval in Quebec, Canada developed the invisible condom. The form of a topical gel on the penis and harden (jelnya, not his penis) when an increase in temperature during anal or vaginal penetration. The entire gel after several hours, but the gel is still in the stage of clinical trials. Swiss TV news on November 29, 2006 mentions the German scientist Jan Vinzenz Krause from the Institute for Condom Consultancy is developing a spray-dried condoms in five seconds, and is now testing the market. The advantage of two recent condom development model is definitely fit for any penis size and model. If the products are marketed, goodbye case condom saggy or ripped because narrow.
Condoms were first discovered in 1564 when an Italian doctor named Gabrielo Fallopia nation (yes, one of the female reproductive tract is named after the doctor's name is) recommended the use of linen sheath that serves as a protection against sexually transmitted diseases. How, these linen sheath moistened with a particular chemical solution and dried before use. The doctor was admitted conduct experiments on 1100 subjects and reported that the gloves protect the wearer from syphilis. Meanwhile, oldest condoms found came from Dudley Castle in England in 1640 (wow, really durable.) Condoms are made from animal intestines and are believed to use as a protection from transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. In the 19th century in Japan already available condoms from the skin, tortoise shells or horns. In China mentioned that similar objects are also present, but the material of silk paper greasy (what does not make any noise gemersik huh?).
Now we go into history. A painting of ancient Egypt 3,000 years old is expected to describe the decorative penis sheath that was used by men. Not yet known whether the Egyptians use condoms for the purpose of ritual or contraception, but it seems more inclined to use as a protection against disease and insects. Greek legend of Minos narrated by Anthony Liberals in the year 150 describe the use of goat's bladder as a protective action when copulation, but the purpose of such practices is not really clear. In Japan, reputedly the penis sheath is used in the early 1500's.
In the UK different again his theory. According to folklore there, said condoms withdrawn from the doctor's name or Quondam Condom who made it for King Charles II (but there's no scientific evidence). One theory is no British army officer named Cundum who popularized the condom between the years 1680-1717. Various kinds of course. So instead of mending confused he decided that the origin is unknown, you're all things.
Many theories are scattered about this problem and according to William E. conclusions Kruck, origin of the word condom is not known for certain. One opinion is that attempts to explain the origin of the word condoms stating that condoms are derived from the Latin word "Condon", meaning the reservoir. Others say that the condom comes from the Latin word "condamina" which means house. There is also speculation that the condom from the Italian word "guantone" comes from "guanto", meaning gloves.

Sell Condom

Sell Sell Vibrating Ring & Condom
Features: 1) Besides having the function of contraception while combined with condom, this vibrating ring also can boost the pleasure on lovemaking 2) Special dot touched female's sensitive G spot inside of clitoris which bring orgasm on lovemaking 3) This vibrating ring was designed with safe low direct current. Its frequency 4) Battery can last for 40 minutes. It helps extending fore

condoms 30pcs

Description

Brand: bally le function: fruity special specification: 10 only condom armed (X) name: the other

Sex without feeling? Because no enjoy life! The reproductive health experts, American brand "as a new force" condom, designed for mouth j oral design. New round head, more docile, Texture is thin, more feeling! Also can use as an ordinary condoms. Distribution has high quality lubricants, IT, let you try your best to do!

As the ultimate strength. American magazine worthy Men\'s Health "(s) of his Men \'evaluation: feel A + rating to more pleasurable Reasons

the great sense.

Bally music production system ISO9001, CE and Chinese CCC authentication institutions such as the authority. Each bally pleasures are more special, electronic pinhole test naturally choose good quality latex, can effectively block, preventing AIDS (AIDS contraceptive) and other infectious diseases. No worries, so happy!

The authentication information.

The ISO9001 international standard authentication certificate
American FDA certificate issued by access
European Union CE certification
The South African bureau of standards SABS certificate
China compulsory certification authority (CCC)
American PATH institutions implementing GMP certificate
Execution standard GB7544] [2002-2004 ISO4074 /
The medical equipment production permit] guangxi food production 20060032 xu developto the spurt
The product registration certificate ") YaoXie guangxi (2003). The first word 2660116

This product can be safe and effective contraceptives. When used correctly, can reduce HIV and other diseases, such as chlamydia and genital tract herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, etc. When using any foreign body sensation, can stimulate the full of pleasure. Bally music -- don\'t take better than of feeling!
The specification] 10 international quality condoms
The nominal length] 180 ± 5mm
The nominal thickness 0.060) mm
The nominal screenwidth] 52 ± 2mm (33mm in diameter),

[usage and dosage].
With thumb and forefinger will set out the air inside pockets on top of the gently erect penis, stop the roots. After ejaculation, withdraw the penis not soft shrinkage of mouth, drew down the penis. In the penis fully pulls away from off the condom.
[composition].
Malaysia, drove past some rubber estate supply designated latex!
[note].
1 this is one-time items, not repeated use. Do not take set before. Please contact the sharp sharp objects, lest touch through!
2. Avoid using oil lubricant, such as vaseline, baby oil, bath, massage oil, butter, etc. If you need to add additional lubricant, please choose contain repair function of bally le water-soluble lubricant.
3 this product contains natural rubber latex, may cause of allergic reactions. Allergic to dairy, please consult your doctor before use

Increase Sperm Count Naturally fertility

Before you try fertility treatments for male factor infertility, have the man in your life try some of these simple, common sense approaches to increasing sperm quality and quantity from Dr. Mike Boucher:

From the article:

Eating healthy and nutritious food - frequent consumption of over processed food (mostly found in fast food restaurants) contributes to the decrease of sperm count. In order to boost sperm count, make sure you eat foods that are rich in Vitamins and also make sure you eat lots of natural food as much as possible. Avoid foods that are acidic in nature, bitter and spicy.

Great sperm count boosting foods include: celery (uncooked), bananas, oysters, avocado pears, almonds etc.

Go easy on the caffeine - caffeinated drinks are known to decrease sperm count over a long period of time.

Drink plenty of water - drinking lots of water helps to increase sperm count and it also keeps you healthy as well. Drinking water is also one of the cheapest ways of increasing sperm count.

Quit habits such as smoking and drinking - smoking has no positive effects on the human system and alcohol intake (even if it is just two glasses) can affect the quality of sperm. Your best bet is to desist from these un-wholesome habits.

Avoid anything that will stress you emotionally - everyone goes through an emotional period which affects the production of quality sperm. Try as much as possible to keep your mind clear of emotional baggage and your entire body will benefit from this too. Feelings of depression and emotional stress are known to affect the production of quality sperm. You can take up yoga, which is very good stress relieving exercise.

contraceptives Health

Michael Y. McCanna—The Tech

The Center for Promotion and Wellness at MIT provides condoms (seen above) to students for free. Not all types of contraceptives are free to students; certain drugs have become prohibitively expensive.

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President Obama signed a bill last week that will likely reduce the price of contraceptives for college pharmacies.

Up until two years ago, pharmaceutical companies gave discounts to clinics and pharmacies at colleges. But in 2007, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 came into effect, making it expensive for drug companies to continue offering those discounts.

The new law reverses the events of the past two years, allowing pharmaceutical companies to once again sell contraceptives to universities at lower prices — though it is up to them to follow through.

MIT will have to renegotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies to provide students with the lowest rates possible. “We will certainly position ourselves to purchase in a way that is advantageous to the community,” said Dr. William M. Kettyle, director of MIT Medical.

Ratna Bhojani, Chief Pharmacist at MIT Medical, said it remains to be seen how prices at MIT will change.

For students at MIT covered by the Student Extended Insurance plan, copayments for contraceptives have not changed in the past two years, even as the price the pharmacy paid for contraceptives increased. All oral contraceptives are available to students on the extended plan for $15 per month.

In the last year a little under 4,000 prescriptions for contraceptives were filled for undergraduate students on the extended insurance plan, which corresponds to a bit more than 300 prescriptions per month.

About half of undergraduate students are covered by the Extended Insurance Plan, said Dr. Kettyle. For students covered by other insurance plans, prices of contraceptives vary greatly. Without insurance, contraceptives cost anywhere from $22 to $60 per month.

Female Contraception virginity

When I was about 16, and probably as far from losing my virginity as Sister Wendy – the talking catholic horse who presented art documentaries during our youth, remember? – I went along with a group of friends on a sort of fertility field trip. One of our hair mascara-ed, dungaree clad, orthodontic group was finally having sex and so had decided to go to the family planning clinic. In a show of hopeless ambition, or in my case, fate-sealing insanity, we all went along with her to see what was on offer.

The nurse I saw was a woman called Mrs Cuthbert, who from then on I christened Captain Cuthbert, the soft voiced anti-pregnancy pirate. What Captain Cuthbert introduced me to, on that hot summer afternoon in 1999, was the veritable cache of poetry hidden in the names of female contraception – cileste, minesse, microgynon.

Of course, female contraception sounds like everything - rap stars, toilet cleaners, fabric manufacturers – but female contraception. So, here is my quick glossary of what those pill names really mean.

Yasmin – The raven-haired beauty who stole your heart on a 1995 French exchange trip to Dieppe.

Implamon – A lost Human League single. Implamon failed to achieve national release after Phil Oakey lost the demo in the great hairspray inflagration of his two bedroom house in Sheffield in 1977.

Cerazette – An extremely potent Moroccan cigar, containing about 70% gaurana, 20% cocaine and 10% tobacco.

Dianette – The extendable metal pole on which you hang net curtains.

Myrena – The call of the sentry meercat to alert others of danger. i.e the meercat let out a blood curdling myrena, at the approach of David Attenborough, as he whispered sinister, yet seductive commentary to the 15-strong camera crew.

Cilest – A late 80s girl band from Croydon. Their highest charting hit was the 1987 single ‘You give me acne ne ne ne’.

Marvelon – If you’ve ever holidayed in Southern Spain, you may have caught the game show ‘Marvelon’ on the Andalusian cable channel, ‘Crapos’. The aim of the game is to hit eager puppies with foam mallets when they pop their heads out of a big plastic kennel. Every time a contestant makes a successful blow, the presenter (a mahogany coloured slime ball by the name of Trojan) shouts of ‘marvelon’ and a troupe of dancing girls gig across the screen.

Levonelle – A citrus scented kitchen cleaner.

Depo – A fat, weeping tellytubby, who swings between bouts of hormonal depression and debilitating acne.

Micronor – Micronor are a very successful Canadian manufacturer of waterproof clothing and camping gear. Their patented ‘eeazy weave’ fabric revolutionised high altitude striding.

Ovranette – The British rapper Ovranette was dropped from the British music act ‘Mel and Kim’ because Stock, Aitken and Watermen were worried her fierce anarchist politics may compromise the band’s commercial potential.

Depo – NASA slang for the anti-gravity toilets fitted to most space shuttles.

Nova T – An Aloe Vera drink that can supposedly cure erectile dysfunction.

Brevinor – The immensely expensive but microscopic part of a car engine that gives off loud and fairly random clunks, clangs and drones, that any mechanic will be unable to locate, but charge you for anyway.

Mercilon – A nerve tonic, developed to help local radio DJs cope with ‘Duffy’-fatigue.

Noriday – The Noriday Treaty was drawn up by the executive committee of the British Lawn Tennis Association. It’s main tenets are that Cliff Richard will never, ever, sing at centre court again and that Sue Barker must have at least three cosmetic surgery procedures per year.

Femodene – An intimate wipe.

Logynon – Logynon was the valiant hero of the Norse epic ‘Logynon and the Host of Terriers’.

Minulet – An 18th Century musical term meaning ‘five part musical composition to be played quickly and quietly, under the duvet’.

Minesse - To minesse, i.e. to kiss someone without actually making contact with the area intended. Classic examples of minessing are kissing someone’s earlobe after they turn to see what’s happening behind them, giving someone a peck on the chin, or accidentally kissing your old boss on the mouth, because you both went the same direction.