http://kinseyconfidential.org Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:00:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2006-2007 aschweig@indiana.edu (Kinsey Confidential) aschweig@indiana.edu (Kinsey Confidential) posts 1440 Just another WordPress weblog Kinsey Confidential Kinsey Confidential aschweig@indiana.edu No no http://kinseyconfidential.org/wp-content/themes/kinsey/images/kinsey-podcast-300.jpg http://kinseyconfidential.org 144 144 http://kinseyconfidential.org/birth-control-pill-effectiveness/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/birth-control-pill-effectiveness/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:00:12 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://wfiutest.rtv.indiana.edu/?p=843 http://kinseyconfidential.org/birth-control-pill-effectiveness/feed/ 0 2:57 These days, birth control pills (also called oral contraceptives) are used by women for numerous reasons. Some women start taking oral contraceptives in order to improve ... These days, birth control pills (also called oral contraceptives) are used by women for numerous reasons. Some women start taking oral contraceptives in order to improve their acne. Others start taking the Pill in order to shorten the length of their menstrual periods, regulate their periods or to relieve menstrual symptoms such as headaches or cramps. Though you first started taking the pill for period-related reasons, you now need information about how it relates to your sex life and your protection against pregnancy. Usually About One Month Most birth control pill brands are effective against pregnancy after a woman has taken them consistently for about one month. Depending on the type of pill a woman is taking, and when she starts taking it, the pill may even be effective against pregnancy as early as one full week after starting to take it. Women who have questions about how soon their pill becomes effective against pregnancy should ask their healthcare provider for more information. In your case, however, you've been taking the pill since last year! Since you've been taking the pill for longer than one month, it should already be safe for you to have sex, with a very low risk of pregnancy, assuming that you have been taking the pill every day, as prescribed. About 97% Effective With perfect use, the pill is about 97% effective against pregnancy. It is not perfect - no method is - so if you are concerned about becoming pregnancy, you might use a second method of birth control. For example, some women who are on the pill find that they feel more confident about their pregnancy risk reduction if they also ask their partner to withdraw before ejaculation, or if they use a condom. An advantage of using a condom is that using condoms can greatly reduce one's risk of transmitting several sexually transmissible infections, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV. Learn More To learn more about birth control methods, including the pill, check out our birth control and pregnancy resource pages or Planned Parenthood's web site. To learn more about your specific brand of birth control, and to ask questions related to your personal health or pregnancy risk, please speak with your healthcare provider. Birth,Control,,Content,Type,,Podcast aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/period-length-pregnancy-risk/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/period-length-pregnancy-risk/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:53:29 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/2008/07/21/qa-my-boyfriend-put-his-hands-down-my-pants-could-i-be-pregnant/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/period-length-pregnancy-risk/feed/ 0 3:25 We get a lot of questions from women and men who are concerned about pregnancy risk. If anything, it reminds us how important it is ... We get a lot of questions from women and men who are concerned about pregnancy risk. If anything, it reminds us how important it is to educate young women and men about pregnancy and sexuality and what does (or doesnrsquo;t) put a couple at risk of becoming pregnant. In order to become pregnant, a manrsquo;s sperm need to be able to fertilize a womanrsquo;s egg, and then the fertilized egg needs to be able to implant itself into the lining of a womanrsquo;s uterus, which is called the endometrium. If your boyfriend didnrsquo;t have any recently ejaculated semen on his hand, and if his hand didnrsquo;t go very near your vaginal entrance or inside your vaginal entrance, then I cannot imagine a scenario in which you would become pregnant. He would have had to fresh, wet semen on his hand ndash; which you probably would have noticed - and then somehow have gotten it inside or awfully close to your vaginal opening. If you are worried about sperm somehow being ldquo;leftoverrdquo; on his hand from an earlier episode of masturbation, that is also unlikely ndash; clean, dry hands donrsquo;t keep sperm alive. Letrsquo;s turn now to womenrsquo;s menstrual periods. Even if you usually have 6 or 7 day periods, that doesnrsquo;t mean that you wonrsquo;t ever have shorter or even longer periods. Menstrual periods can change due to stress, weight changes, hormonal changes, health issues or for no apparent reason whatsoever. Periods are especially likely to change during adolescence. Girls who are used to having 5 day periods from age 13 to 16 may find that when they are 17 or 18 or 20, their periods become shorter or longer, or lighter or heavier. These types of changes are actually quite common, and may continue to change even in adulthood. If you are feeling anxious about being sexual with your boyfriend, it may be a sign that you need more information about sexual health, and maybe that you need to communicate more with him about your decision to be sexual together in this way. You may also want to spend more time thinking to yourself what your values, concerns and expectations are related to sexuality, so that you can have experiences that feel more comfortable and enjoyable to you. If you want to continue being sexual with him in this way, consider ways that can make it feel more comfortable to you, such as perhaps touching each other over each otherrsquo;s clothes, rather than under them. That way you can feel more certain that you will not become pregnant. To learn more about womenrsquo;s sexual health and pregnancy risk, consider reading the book Our Bodies, Ourselves. Content,Type,,Podcast,,Pregnancy aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-alleviate-menstrual-cramps/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-alleviate-menstrual-cramps/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:15:21 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/2008/07/07/qa-can-sex-help-to-alleviate-menstrual-cramps/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-alleviate-menstrual-cramps/feed/ 0 2:45 In many cases, yes, sexual intercourse and other types of sex play can absolutely alleviate menstrual cramps or other unpleasant feelings that a woman may ... In many cases, yes, sexual intercourse and other types of sex play can absolutely alleviate menstrual cramps or other unpleasant feelings that a woman may have prior to or during the time of her menstrual period. Several Possible Reasons There are likely several possible reasons for this. One is that sexual excitement and orgasm involve muscular contractions ndash; and eventual releases - that may help to make any muscular cramping feel better. Another possible reason is that during sexual excitement and orgasm, womenrsquo;s minds may be distracted toward more pleasant, fun, and arousing thoughts. Sexual intimacy can help to take menrsquo;s and womenrsquo;s mind off of many types of life stresses and ailments, and menstrual cramps are just one example. Changes In Body Chemistry The experience of sexual excitement and arousal also change a personrsquo;s body chemistry. Men and women both release hormones and chemicals that are associated with feeling good, satisfied and pleasant. Itrsquo;s hard to feel upset or grouchy or pained when one is feeling so good. Speaking of pain, some research suggests that women may experience pain and uncomfortable feelings differently when they are very aroused. As such, it may be that pleasant sexual activity helps a womanrsquo;s body to respond to pain signals differently. Not All Women Enjoy It All that said, not all women enjoy having sex when they are on their period or about to have their period. Some do and some donrsquo;t. If a woman does not want to have sex at any time of the month ndash; cramped or not ndash; she shouldnrsquo;t feel like she should just to alleviate a few cramps. There are certainly other methods of alleviating menstrual cramps including over the counter and prescription medications, warm baths, heating pads, and various complementary and alternative therapies. Women should do what feels most comfortable to them. Bodies,,Content,Type,,Podcast aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-during-period-increased-bleeding/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-during-period-increased-bleeding/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:17:07 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/2008/07/25/qa-sex-during-your-period-and-increased-bleeding/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/sex-during-period-increased-bleeding/feed/ 0 2:46 No, although it may seem like it. Herersquo;s why: Menstruation occurs when a woman's body breaks down and releases parts of the endometrial lining ndash; which ... No, although it may seem like it. Herersquo;s why: Menstruation occurs when a woman's body breaks down and releases parts of the endometrial lining ndash; which is the lining of a womanrsquo;s uterus - that has built up during the previous weeks. This includes both blood and tissue. Since that is what is being released, sexual activity won't "create" any new tissue to be released and it therefore won't make a woman bleed more during those few days of her period. Blood Or Tissue Released All At Once That said, various factors related to sexual activity that a woman experiences by herself or with a partner may cause more blood or tissue to be released all at once, or may give her the perception that her period is heavier than usual (even if it really isn't). For example, sexual activity that is arousing or orgasmic and therefore involves contractions of a woman's uterus may cause more menstrual blood or tissue release at once. Sexual activity that includes penile thrusting close to the cervix (which is the opening to the uterus) might cause more menstrual blood or tissue to release at that time as well. Some women can feel this pressure on their cervix and may find it pleasurable, whereas others feel that it is painful. Other Fluids Involved In Sex In addition, the fluids that are involved in sex can be tinged with blood as it flows out of a woman's body. These fluids include vaginal lubrication, store-bought lubricant, the lubricant from a condom, semen if no condom was used, and such. That might make it look as though a woman is having a heavier period, even though she isn't really bleeding any more than usual. Relief of Menstrual Cramping On the plus side, women sometimes find that sexual activity, either during self-masturbation or with a partner, can help to relieve menstrual cramping. The bottom line is that the total amount of blood/tissue over several days isn't changing, but some women might find the timing or appearance of one's bleeding makes it seem as though that's the case. Bodies,,Content,Type,,Podcast aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/pregnancy-risk-during-period/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/pregnancy-risk-during-period/#comments Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:00:01 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/2008/06/02/qa-can-i-get-pregnant-while-im-on-my-period/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/pregnancy-risk-during-period/feed/ 0 2:38 Generally speaking, a woman is unlikely to become pregnant while she is having her period. However, that does not mean that it is impossible to ... Generally speaking, a woman is unlikely to become pregnant while she is having her period. However, that does not mean that it is impossible to become pregnant when one is having menstrual bleeding. Pregnancy Unlikely The reason that it is unlikely to become pregnant during a womanrsquo;s menstrual period is because a pregnancy cannot occur if there is not an egg and some sperm to begin with. Each month, most women release one egg ndash; also called an ovum - during a process call ovulation. An egg typically lives for about 24 hours or less. Then, approximately 14 days after ovulation, a woman typically begins her menstrual period, meaning that she likely does not have any living eggs that have been released at that time. Irregular or Short Cycles At least not in theory. Sometimes women release more than one egg per month. More often, womenrsquo;s cycles may be irregular or short. Also, sperm live longer than eggs do ndash; some estimates suggest that sperm may live as long as 3 or 5 days. Some suggest that sperm may occasionally live in a womanrsquo;s body for as long as a week. In any case, if a man ejaculates inside a womanrsquo;s vagina while she is on her period, and then she ovulates days later, or even a week later, it is possible that by the time she ovulates, sperm may still be alive in her body and able to fertilize her egg. Likely? No. Possible? Yes. Again, is it likely that a woman will become pregnant while she is menstruating? No. But is it possible? Absolutely. Our Kinsey Confidential web site provides more information about reliable forms of birth control to assist you in decisions related to family planning and safer sex. Content,Type,,Podcast,,Pregnancy aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/pregnancy-without-penetration/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/pregnancy-without-penetration/#comments Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:49:17 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/blog/2007/10/17/qa-risk-of-pregnancy-from-dry-sex/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/pregnancy-without-penetration/feed/ 0