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Hormonal Birth Control Colors Women’s Memories, Study Finds
by Cristen Conger | September 14, 2011
A new study out from the University of California, Irvine found that hormonal contraception influences how women remember emotionally provocative events, compared to women who aren’t on birth control. Specifically, naturally cycling women may retain more details about an emotional event (i.e. the type of car involved in a fatal car accident, the accident setting, etc.), whereas women taking birth control pills may better recollect central information, or the “gist” of it.
Better Babies Contests: Eugenics Goes to the Fair
by Cristen Conger | September 8, 2011
In the 1920s baby parades evolved into Better Babies Contests, marketed as public health initiatives. At these contests, often held in rural fairgrounds, babies would be disrobed, measured, weighed and evaluated for temperament and intelligence. Winning babies might claim titles such as “Heaviest Boy Under 1 Year of Age.” If this sounds a lot like livestock competitions at homegrown fairs that’s because it was!
In the Stuff Mom Never Told You episode on douching, Caroline and I discussed the advertising history of feminine hygiene products that revolved around scare tactics. In those early days, Lysol and Zonite pushed their wares as feminine hygiene products by convincing female consumers that if they didn’t douche, their husbands would lose sexual interest.
The newest episode of Stuff Mom Never Told You tackles a question that my mama certainly never discussed with me: Does semen make you happier? And by you, I mean heterosexual women who are sexually active. Though potentially blush-inducing, Molly and I didn’t cull this question from some crude bathroom humor source…
Indeed, women can be pregnant without even knowing it, as discussed in the Discovery Health article 10 Reasons You Might Now Know You’re Pregnant (Until You’re in Labor).
Since it seems like such a far-fetched notion, we asked listeners to send in any real-life anecdotes. And they’ve been rolling into our MomStuff Inbox — at an admittedly startling rate.
Last week, Councilman David Catania, of the District of Columbia Council, put forward a bill that would allow pharmacies to offer birth control pills, patches and rings over the counter without a prescription. Catania’s plan has a lot of big question marks hanging over it: Who would be eligible? Will the Food and Drug Administration be involved? Would it even pass? That said, Catania says the measure is important for low-income communities that don’t have access to health care providers.
Councilman Catania will find something to like — as well as a cause for concern — in a study coming out today (hat tip to Feministing).
Are European Sex Ed Campaigns More Effective?
by Cristen Conger | November 1, 2010
Europe approaches sex a bit differently than the United States — probably not a big surprise there. A Slate slideshow of American and European public sex ed and contraceptive ads demonstrates how countries abroad treat teen sex, STD prevention and condom use in a much more straightforward, honest and possibly more effective way.
A Friendly Reminder About the Pill, Periods and Pregnancy
by Cristen Conger | October 28, 2010
A while ago, Molly and I talked about “Can you get pregnant on your period?” on Stuff Mom Never Told You. And in brief, yes, you can. Sometimes, ovulation and menstruation can overlap just enough to where sperm hanging around after intercourse could possibly fertilize an egg. Oops.
But what about being on birth control, you ask?
Immunocontraception is a humane type of birth control that’s used to control wild animal populations. In this episode, Allison and Robert discuss the pros and cons of immunocontraceptives — and whether they’ll ever be used to control human reproduction.
Birth control is an effective contraceptive, but it may also dampen a woman’s sex drive. Tune in to find out what studies and anecdotal evidence have to say about birth control and side effects in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.
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