Hormonally Active Contraceptives Part I: Risks Acknowledged and Unacknowledged.

Unlabelled: Hormonal contraceptives have been on the market for over fifty years and, while their formulations have changed, the basic mechanism of action has remained the same. During this time, numerous studies have been performed documenting side effects, some of which appear over time, some within weeks or months, but all can have a serious impact on health and quality of life. An effort was made to perform a series of comprehensive literature surveys to better understand immediate and long-term side effects of these agents.

Association of Combined Estrogen-Progestogen and Progestogen-Only Contraceptives with the Development of Cancer.

Unlabelled: Combined estrogen-progestogen contraceptives (oral contraceptives or OCs) and progestogen-only contraceptives (POCs) are synthetic steroids that bind to steroid hormone receptors, which are widespread throughout the body. They have a profound effect on cellular physiology. Combined OCs have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 1 carcinogens, but their findings have not been updated recently.

Hormonal Contraception and the Informed Consent.

Unlabelled: Since the 1960s, hormonal contraceptives have become the most commonly used method of pregnancy prevention in the United States and the world. Oral contraceptives are used by a large percentage of women, including Christian women. There are known health risks to women demonstrated in research published since Pope Paul VI's prophetic encyclical in 1968.

Finding the Fertile Phase: Low-Cost Luteinizing Hormone Sticks Versus Electronic Fertility Monitor.

Purpose: To investigate if generic Wondfo ovulation sticks (WLH) are sufficiently sensitive to the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in urine when used with the Marquette Fertility Algorithm. The electronic hormonal fertility monitor (EHFM) is highly accurate in detecting the LH surge but cost of the monitor and the accompanying test sticks has increased over the last several years. The EHFM is sensitive to detect the LH surge at 20 milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL); the WLH sticks are slightly less sensitive at 25 mIU/mL.

Levonorgestrel in cases of rape: How does it work?

The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services allows the use of an emergency contraceptive for a woman who has been raped, as a defense against her attacker's sperm, provided the drug prevents fertilization and does not act against a conceived human life. Catholic emergency rooms around the country have been pressured to provide Plan B (LNG-EC) to patients seeking help after a sexual assault. Catholic bioethicists have supported the use of this drug based on their interpretation of the scientific literature regarding its mechanism of action.

Randomized comparison of two Internet-supported fertility-awareness-based methods of family planning.

Background: The aim was to compare the efficacy and acceptability of two Internet-supported fertility-awareness-based methods of family planning.

Study Design: Six hundred and sixty-seven women and their male partners were randomized into either an electronic hormonal fertility monitor (EHFM) group or a cervical mucus monitoring (CMM) group. Both groups utilized a Web site with instructions, charts and support.

Pilot evaluation of an internet-based natural family planning education and service program.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, knowledge of fertility, and acceptability of a web-based natural family planning (NFP) education and service program.

Design: A 6-month repeated measure longitudinal evaluation pilot study.

Setting: A university based online website.

Cohort comparison of two fertility awareness methods of family planning.

Objective: To determine if an electronic hormonal fertility monitor aided method (EHFM) of family planning is more effective than a cervical mucus only method (CMM) in helping couples to avoid pregnancy.

Study Design: Six hundred twenty-eight women were taught how to avoid pregnancy with either the EHFM (n=313) or the CMM (n = 315). Both methods involved standardized group teaching and individual follow-up.

Efficacy of cervical mucus observations plus electronic hormonal fertility monitoring as a method of natural family planning.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of an electronic hormonal fertility monitor plus cervical mucus monitoring to avoid pregnancy.

Design: A 12-month prospective clinical efficacy trial.

Setting And Participants: One hundred ninety five (195) women (mean age 29.

Variability in the phases of the menstrual cycle.

Objective: To determine variability in the phases of the menstrual cycle among healthy, regularly cycling women.

Design: A prospective descriptive study of a new data set with biological markers to estimate parameters of the menstrual cycles.

Participants: One hundred forty one healthy women (mean age 29 years) who monitored 3 to 13 menstrual cycles with an electronic fertility monitor and produced 1,060 usable cycles of data.

A comparison of the fertile phase as determined by the Clearplan Easy Fertility Monitor and self-assessment of cervical mucus.

The purpose of this study was to compare the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle as determined by the Clearplan Easy Fertility Monitor (CPEFM) with self-monitoring of cervical mucus. One-hundred women (mean age = 29.4 years) observed their cervical mucus and monitored their urine for estrogen and luteinizing hormone metabolites with the CPEFM on a daily basis for 2-6 cycles and generated 378 cycles of data; of these, 347 (92%) had a CPEFM peak.