SEASONALE BIRTH CONTROL BLOG

Oregon Governor Kulongoski Signs Access to Birth Control Act

May 31, 2007

Prohibits exempting birth control from prescription drug coverage, requires hospitals to offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault
May 30, 2007 — Salem – Today Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed into law House Bill 2700, requiring employee health insurance plans to provide prescription drug coverage of birth control and emergency contraception be made available by hospital emergency rooms to victims of sexual assault.

“This fight is fundamentally about women being able to make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families,” said the Governor at the signing ceremony. “Today, with the signing of this bill into law, we continue our ongoing work to expand personal freedom and offer women full equality in our society.”

Under the Act, which will go into effect January 1, 2008, health insurance plans would be obligated to offer the same level of coverage for birth control as they do for other prescription drugs. Nearly half of all indemnity health insurance plans provide no coverage for prescription birth control – even when there is coverage for other medications. Women on average spend $573 out-of-pocket each year on birth control.

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In addition, the Act requires hospital emergency rooms in Oregon to offer women who have been victims of sexual assault, or that they believe have been a victim of sexual assault, information about and access to emergency contraception. Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy if administered within 72 hours of the assault. It contains the same hormones as those used in common birth control pills, though at different dosage levels.

The Governor was joined at the signing ceremony by Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown, Representatives Diane Rosenbaum and Carolyn Tomei, CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia/Willamette David Greenberg and NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon Executive Director Michelle Stranger-Hunter.

“The women of Oregon have worked tirelessly for nearly 15 years for the passage of these measures. I am proud to have been part of that fight – and even more proud to be here today as we celebrate this victory,” said the Governor. “I congratulate the sponsors for their hard work and diligence. Today is a great day for the women of Oregon.”

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Oregon Governor Kulongoski Signs Access to Birth Control Act

May 31, 2007

Prohibits exempting birth control from prescription drug coverage, requires hospitals to offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault
May 30, 2007 — Salem – Today Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed into law House Bill 2700, requiring employee health insurance plans to provide prescription drug coverage of birth control and emergency contraception be made available by hospital emergency rooms to victims of sexual assault.

“This fight is fundamentally about women being able to make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families,” said the Governor at the signing ceremony. “Today, with the signing of this bill into law, we continue our ongoing work to expand personal freedom and offer women full equality in our society.”

Under the Act, which will go into effect January 1, 2008, health insurance plans would be obligated to offer the same level of coverage for birth control as they do for other prescription drugs. Nearly half of all indemnity health insurance plans provide no coverage for prescription birth control – even when there is coverage for other medications. Women on average spend $573 out-of-pocket each year on birth control.

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In addition, the Act requires hospital emergency rooms in Oregon to offer women who have been victims of sexual assault, or that they believe have been a victim of sexual assault, information about and access to emergency contraception. Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy if administered within 72 hours of the assault. It contains the same hormones as those used in common birth control pills, though at different dosage levels.

The Governor was joined at the signing ceremony by Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown, Representatives Diane Rosenbaum and Carolyn Tomei, CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia/Willamette David Greenberg and NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon Executive Director Michelle Stranger-Hunter.

“The women of Oregon have worked tirelessly for nearly 15 years for the passage of these measures. I am proud to have been part of that fight – and even more proud to be here today as we celebrate this victory,” said the Governor. “I congratulate the sponsors for their hard work and diligence. Today is a great day for the women of Oregon.”

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Brazil to Subsidize Birth Control Pills

May 29, 2007

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Just weeks after Pope Benedict XVI denounced government-backed contraception in a visit to Brazil, the president unveiled a program Monday to provide cheap birth control pills at 10,000 drug stores across the country.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the plan will give poor Brazilians “the same right that the wealthy have to plan the number of children they want.”

Brazil already hands out free condoms and birth control pills at government-run pharmacies. But many poor people in Latin America’s largest country don’t go to those pharmacies, so Silva’s administration decided to offer the pills at drastically reduced prices at private drug stores, said Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao.

The price for a year’s supply of birth control pills under the new program would be $2.40, and anyone _ rich or poor _ can buy the pills by simply showing a government-issued identification card that almost all Brazilians carry.

The number of outlets selling the pills will start at 3,500 and is expected to rise to 10,000 by the end of this year. When the $51 million program is fully under way, the government expects to be handing out 50 million packages of birth control pills each year.

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Each government-subsidized package _ with enough pills to last a month _ will cost 20 cents. They now retail for $2.56 to $25.60.

The Health Ministry said it does not plan to subsidize condoms at private drug stores, but Brazil already distributes 254 million free condoms a year, many as part of an anti-AIDS program, with a special push just before the nation’s Carnival celebrations.

Temporao also said the government plans to increase the number of free vasectomies performed at state hospitals.

During his visit to Brazil earlier this month, Benedict repeatedly railed against legalized contraception as a threat to “the future of the peoples” of Latin America.

But advocates for women’s rights applauded Silva’s decision, saying it was long overdue in the world’s largest Roman Catholic country, although some worried whether the government would follow through.

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“Too often, Brazil makes really wonderful laws that remain on paper because there is no political will,” said Mary Luci Faria, who coordinates women’s programs in Sao Paulo.

Faria said the program could reduce the 800,000 illegal abortions that Brazilian women have each year. About 4,000 women die from the back-office procedures annually, making it the fourth leading cause of maternal death in Brazil after hypertension, hemorrhages and infections.

Benedict also harshly criticized abortion during his visit, just weeks after Mexico City lawmakers legalized it. While abortion is illegal in most situations in Brazil, Silva said shortly before the pope’s visit that it should be considered as a public health issue, and Temporao wants a national referendum on the issue.

Polls show Brazilians overwhelmingly oppose changing abortion laws, but women’s advocates attending Silva’s speech Monday said they were glad the president took a stand on the theme with the pope. While Silva says he personally opposes abortion, he favors a national debate on it.

“The church has no right to interfere with what a woman decides to do with her body or her health,” said Dr. Eleonora Menicucci, a professor of preventive medicine at the Federal University of Sao Paulo.

Brazilian Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta suggested the government could do more to improve health by spending the same amount of money to alleviate long waiting periods at Brazilian hospitals for people needing lifesaving operations.

“The church favors responsible parenthood, with parents using natural (birth control) methods,” said Tempesta, who oversees the church in the northeastern state of Para.

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FDA approves birth control pill that stops women’s periods

May 24, 2007

Her attitude toward menstruation hasn’t changed much in the 30 or so years since, when she’s experienced cramps so debilitating that at times she’s had to miss work and take muscle relaxants for the pain. If she could find a way to get rid of her period forever — or at least until menopause sets in — she’d take it in a second.

Quesada, 44, and other women who feel the same way will soon be able to try a new birth-control pill approved Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The pill is the first oral contraceptive designed and marketed to be taken daily and stop a woman’s period indefinitely.

Manufacturer Wyeth says its pill, called Lybrel, will be widely available in July. Its price has not yet been revealed.

The pill has a lower dose of hormones than almost any other oral contraceptive — 90 micrograms of a synthetic progestin and 20 micrograms of an estrogen. The main side effect of Lybrel is unplanned bleeding or spotting, which most women will experience in the first six months that they take the pill. According to a clinical study, 59 percent of users stopped bleeding altogether after a year.

Like other oral contraceptives, the new pill is about 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. But one downside of stopping periods is that women will no longer have the monthly reassurance that their contraceptive pills are working and that they are not pregnant.

American women often have complicated feelings about menstruation. For many, it’s a major inconvenience, and skipping their period would be a relief. But for others, it is a sign of health and fertility — the first step toward womanhood when they’re growing up, and a constant reminder of their femininity and connection with other women over the following several decades.

“What I see this pill doing is taking away that natural rhythm that we have,” she said Anna Yang, executive director of the Red Web Foundation, a San Francisco group that supports menstrual education. “It’s an important part of being a woman. Why would you want to shut it down?”

Drugs that halt a woman’s period are not a new invention. Several forms of contraceptive — including the Depo-Provera shot, some intrauterine devices and Implanon, a drug-coated stick that is inserted in a woman’s arm — are known to stop menstruation for months at a time. Seasonale, an oral contraceptive released in 2003, allows women to have their periods just once every three months.

Birth-control pills, which have been around since the 1960s, are typically taken in cycles of 21 days on and seven days off. More recent brands have extended cycles to 23 or 24 days. During the days off, women will experience bleeding, although it is not a true menstruation because the hormones in the pill stop ovulation.

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But for decades doctors have told some women with difficult menstruation — heavy blood flow, severe mood swings or painful cramps or migraines — that they can take birth-control pills all month long and skip their periods. And women often will keep taking their pills to skip their periods during major events such as weddings or vacations.

“It’s been kind of a well-kept secret,” said Dr. Ruth Shaber, director of women’s health services for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. “I don’t tell all of my patients how to skip their period. But it might come up if they have heavy periods, or they’re an athlete or about to go on their honeymoon. With this brand coming out, women will become more and more aware of skipping their periods as an option.”

Like most doctors, Shaber sees no health reason why women should be concerned about stopping menstruation. If women aren’t planning to have a child, there’s no reason for them to ovulate, and if they aren’t ovulating, there’s no reason for them to shed the lining of their uterus once a month.

Regular menstruation, many doctors point out, is a relatively modern phenomenon. Before the last century or two, women often got pregnant soon after their first period, and were either pregnant or lactating through most of their adult years, until death or menopause.

“Women used to have very few menstrual periods,” said Dr. Paul Blumenthal, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine. “Now, with the delay of childbirth and birth spacing and a significant decrease in lactation, we have incessant ovulation and incessant menstruation. The fact that women really don’t need to menstruate needs to be reintroduced.”

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Some pills that limit or cut periods

May 21, 2007

New hormonal contraceptives on the U.S. market give women multiple ways to skip or shorten their periods:

–Seasonique comes in packs with 84 active birth control pills and seven dummy pills, so it limits periods to every three months. Launched last August, it works the same as predecessor Seasonale, which got cheaper generic competition in September. Made by Duramed of Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., Seasonique adds estrogen to the dummy pills to reduce breakthrough bleeding and menstrual symptoms.

–Yaz, made by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals of Wayne, N.J., is a low-estrogen contraceptive with 24 days of active pills and four blank ones. Launched last August, it offers shorter, lighter “periods,” milder cramps and prevention of severe PMS.

–Loestrin 24, launched in April 2006, also has 24 active pills and four blank ones. Made by Warner Chilcott Inc. of Rockaway, N.J., it can shorten periods to three days or less and reduce the level of bleeding.

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–Implanon, a flexible, matchstick-size rod inserted in the upper arm, stops menstruation in some women but makes it irregular in others. Approved last July, it works for up to three years and contains only progestin, an option for women avoiding estrogen for medical reasons. Maker Organon USA Inc. of Roseland, N.J., says it has sold 3.2 million units worldwide so far.

Some older methods also can eliminate periods:

–Mirena, also made by Bayer, is an intrauterine device that prevents pregnancy for up to five years, reduces monthly bleeding by 90 percent in most women and eliminates bleeding in about 20 percent after a year.

–Depo-Provera, an injection containing progestin but no estrogen, generally prevents menstruation after several months in many women. Now available in generics, it works for three months. Long-term use may thin bones.

Other options are on the horizon. Bayer is testing another oral contraceptive with an extended, flexible dosing schedule and Duramed is developing a lower-estrogen version of Seasonique.

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Some birth control pills that limit or shorten menstrual periods

May 21, 2007

New hormonal contraceptives on the U.S. market give women multiple ways to skip or shorten their periods:

Seasonique comes in packs with 84 active birth control pills and seven dummy pills, so it limits periods to every three months. Launched last August, it works the same as predecessor Seasonale, which got cheaper generic competition in September. Made by Duramed of Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., Seasonique adds estrogen to the dummy pills to reduce breakthrough bleeding and menstrual symptoms.

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Yaz, made by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals of Wayne, N.J., is a low-estrogen contraceptive with 24 days of active pills and four blank ones. Launched last August, it offers shorter, lighter “periods,” milder cramps and prevention of severe PMS.

Loestrin 24, launched in April 2006, also has 24 active pills and four blank ones. Made by Warner Chilcott Inc. of Rockaway, N.J., it can shorten periods to three days or less and reduce the level of bleeding.

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Implanon, a flexible, matchstick-size rod inserted in the upper arm, stops menstruation in some women but makes it irregular in others. Approved last July, it works for up to three years and contains only progestin, an option for women avoiding estrogen for medical reasons. Maker Organon USA Inc. of Roseland, N.J., says it has sold 3.2 million units worldwide so far.

Some older methods also can eliminate periods:

Mirena, also made by Bayer, is an intrauterine device that prevents pregnancy for up to five years, reduces monthly bleeding by 90 percent in most women and eliminates bleeding in about 20 percent after a year.

Depo-Provera, an injection containing progestin but no estrogen, generally prevents menstruation after several months in many women. Now available in generics, it works for three months. Long-term use may thin bones.

Other options are on the horizon. Bayer is testing another oral contraceptive with an extended, flexible dosing schedule and Duramed is developing a lower-estrogen version of Seasonique.

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Period of uncertainty

May 16, 2007

As it turns out, marketing an end to a woman’s monthly periods isn’t such an easy sell.

Helen Farmer, a 26-year-old graduate student from New Brunswick, grimaced at the mention of Seasonale, the first oral contracep tive to be heavily marketed as a way for women to limit their periods to four times a year.
“As a concept, it makes me uncomfortable,” Farmer said as she headed to a morning class at Doug lass College last week. “I feel like there’s a reason a woman menstruates.

“It sounds hypocritical because I do use birth control,” she said, “but I just think maybe we’re mes sing with nature too much.”

One of the newest versions of the pill — a category known as extended-cycle oral contraceptives because they are taken for a longer period of time than conventional birth control pills — continues to be dogged by consumer caution and, in some cases, misconcep tions.

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It’s big business. The global oral contraceptive market, in which brand-name hormone pills compete fiercely against inexpensive generics, was worth an estimated $5 billion last year, according to IMS Health, a health-care information company. The U.S. represents nearly $3.3 billion worth of the business.

It may not be the sort of thing women talk about openly, but the period stoppers are the subject of blogs, books, informational Web sites and even a recent documentary that delves into the issue of menstruation suppression titled, “Period: The End of Menstrua tion?”

It’s the latest twist in the often- controversial history of a 47-year-old product familiarly known as the pill.

When Barr Laboratories introduced Seasonale in 2003, it created a stir with marketing that emphasized the pill’s ability to reduce a woman’s periods. Last year, Barr launched Seasonique, a successor to Seasonale.

This year, Barr will face some tough competition when Madison- based drug maker Wyeth receives regulatory approval for its own extended-cycle birth control drug, Ly brel. The name of the drug is a play on “liberation,” according to a company spokeswoman. Lybrel is expected to be approved by regulators later this month.

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Save money on contraception

May 15, 2007

You’ve found the perfect partner, the relationship is progressing and you finally feel like you’re ready for the big “s” word.

With all the birth control and contraception choices available, however, direction may be needed to find the right form for you and your partner without spending an arm and a leg.

UW students can rest assured that many resources are available right on campus. Hall Health, the primary health care center on campus, provides women’s care and contraception for a reduced fee. John Medina, director of the UW pharmacy, is aware that price is an issue for many students.

“There are a variety of forms of birth control, and a high priority is price,” he said. “We usually try to give students the option of a cheaper medication if it’s possible.”

Generic birth control costs $20 to $27, brand name is $40 to $47, without insurance. These prices are lower than at the drug store because the UW is a big institution and can therefore afford to charge less, Medina said.

Along with birth control, Hall Health pharmacy also offers Plan B, the pill women can take after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy.

“Basically, if you’re 17 or under, you need a prescription by your doctor. That goes at any pharmacy,” Medina said. “For those 18 and older, it is considered an over-the-counter drug, and all that is needed is a valid I.D.”

Plan B costs $29.70 plus tax if purchased at Hall Health, slightly less than at the drug store, Medina said.

Linda Eckert is an OB/GYN at Hall Health and an associate professor in obstetrics and gynecology. Her advice to women is to get a primary care provider and the HPV vaccine, if they haven’t already.

Along with the women’s center, Hall Health is also home to the Condom Club, an organization that allows students to purchase condoms at a reduced price. Students can purchase a membership card for $10, which is good for 10 uses. For every use, students receive five condoms.

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Besides the 50 condoms students will receive through their use of the card, members receive a starter pack, which includes five condoms and lubricant.

“Condoms are probably the easiest and cheapest form of protection,” junior Chris Maynard said. “They seem to be everywhere — people even hand them out for free on the HUB lawn.”

The UW provides many services for students when it comes to sexual health, but other options are available as well. Planned Parenthood, a nationwide organization that is celebrating its 90th birthday this year, provides teens and young adults with free or reduced price birth control, condoms and other medical services.

Planned Parenthood in Western Washington participates in the Take Charge program, which allows qualified individuals to receive an annual physical exam and counseling, birth control, emergency contraception or sterilization, all free of charge.

Although this particular program can only be used for one year, all of Planned Parenthood’s services are reduced, or in the case of condoms, free.

“I use the Take Charge program to get free birth control because I don’t want to have to spend a lot of money to have safe sex,” senior Jessica Gill said. “Plus, it’s super easy to sign up. Any resident of Washington who makes less than $2,000 a month is eligible.”

With anyone eligible for free condoms and the many opportunities available for reduced fees, safer sex is a reality for all.

So the next time you and your sweetie want to take that next step, don’t forget the protection.

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Birth Control Doesn’t Affect Ability to Conceive

May 10, 2007

Does the use of a birth control pill before conceiving make a difference when it comes to getting pregnant? One study says, absolutely not.

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New research shows that women who stop using the birth control pill when trying to get pregnant succeed just as quickly as women who have not taken oral contraceptives before trying to conceive.

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Conceptus Celebrates Five Years of Essure Permanent Birth Control Procedure at the ACOG Annual Meeting

May 8, 2007

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–At the annual clinical meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) underway in San Diego, Conceptus, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPTS) is celebrating five years of U.S. commercial sales of the Essure® procedure, the first and only permanent birth control that does not require surgery. Last month Conceptus announced that more than 115,000 women worldwide had undergone the procedure, which is a far less invasive solution to tubal ligation.

More physicians are recommending and more women are choosing Essure because the procedure can be done quickly and conveniently in a physician’s office with minimal anesthesia, and requires very little patient recovery time. Several thousand physicians have performed the Essure procedure and nearly 2,000 physicians adopted the technology last year alone.

Approximately 36 percent of the Essure procedures are now being performed in physician offices under minimal anesthesia. The Essure procedure takes about 10 minutes is easy to perform and does not involve the burning or scarring of the Fallopian tubes, which can contribute to significant pain and a longer recovery. Studies show that with the Essure procedure, women experience very little discomfort, often less than what is experienced during monthly menstrual cramps. The Essure device is 99.80 percent effective at 4 years of follow-up, with zero pregnancies reported in clinical studies.

All major private payers and Medicaid programs in 43 states are covering the Essure procedure. “We’re proud to say that the Essure procedure is a covered benefit for 93 percent of women in the United States,” said Mark Sieczkarek, president and chief executive officer of Conceptus. “With Essure everyone wins, including payers who have a proven procedure performed on an outpatient basis, physicians who face favorable economics when performing the procedure especially in an office setting, and the patient who has a minimally invasive option with comparatively very quick recovery time. We have made major strides with payers and physician adoption, and are extremely proud of our long-term clinical data, which is strengthening by the day. Conceptus is increasingly becoming known as a leader in women’s healthcare.”

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The company was recently named as the fourth fastest growing medical equipment company in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 program, and MSN money reports “the company is uniquely positioned in the female contraception market as it has the only FDA approved permanent birth control device on the market.”

On April 30, 2007 Conceptus announced first quarter 2007 revenues of $13.8 million, an increase of 73 percent over the same period last year, and affirmed that it is on track to reach profitability in the fourth quarter of 2007.

About the Essure® Procedure

The Essure procedure, approved by the FDA in 2002, is a sterilization procedure that replaces tubal ligation for women. A soft micro-insert is placed into the Fallopian tubes through the cervix using a hysteroscope. Once in place, the device is designed to elicit tissue growth in and around the micro-insert to form an occlusion or blockage in the Fallopian tubes, over three months. An Essure procedure does not require cutting into the body and can be performed in the doctor’s office, a less costly procedure setting, with just a local anesthetic. A woman is able to leave the office about 45 minutes after the procedure is completed. The Essure confirmation test is performed three months after the procedure to confirm that the micro-inserts are in the correct location, the tubes are blocked and that the woman can discontinue temporary birth control. The Essure procedure is 99.80% effective (based on four years of clinical study follow-up data). The probability of pregnancy in 1000 women at 4 years is only 2.0 as compared to 11.8 for surgical tubal ligation procedures studied in CREST.

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