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Article Review: Birth Control Pills Linked With Depression

In Pregnancy/Postpartum by Stephanie Prendergast

By PHRC Admin    Depression, a common and serious medical illness, affects how we feel, think, and handle daily activities. In recent years, there’s been growing concern over the potential link between hormonal birth control and depression. Join us for a review of an article linking Oral contraceptives (OCPs) to depression! We thank Fiona Riddle for writing on this topic; …

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Birth Control: Reviewing Your Options and Their Differences

In Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy by Elizabeth AkincilarLeave a Comment

By Elizabeth Akincilar, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack    In a post-Roe world, conversations and questions about birth control options are on the rise. Currently, everyone still has a constitutional right to contraceptives. There are many ways to prevent pregnancy, including oral medications, implantable devices, injectable medications, barrier methods, surgical interventions, fertility awareness, and abstinence. There are advantages and disadvantages for …

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Are Oral Birth Control Pills a Cause Of Or Solution For Pelvic Pain?

In Female Pelvic Pain by Stephanie PrendergastLeave a Comment

By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC West Los Angeles A frequent question from social media:    “I have Vestibulodynia and painful bladder syndrome. I am almost symptom free except for near or during my period. My hormone levels are fine. My urologist prescribed testosterone cream because he found atrophy. At the same time I have another doctor telling me that …

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Managing Life on or after “The Pill”

In Female Pelvic Pain by Jandra MuellerLeave a Comment

By: Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas If you are a female reader of our blog, have experienced painful intercourse, and happened to have come to the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center (PHRC) for treatment, then you are probably familiar with our talk about how systemic birth control like oral contraceptives (OCPs) or “The Pill,” may be the underlying culprit. …

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Wrap it Up: Condoms 101

In Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy by Jandra MuellerLeave a Comment

By Jandra Mueller Here at PHRC we talk a lot about birth control. Primarily, hormonal oral contraceptives, but there are so many other options. This post will take an in-depth look at one of our favorite contraceptives: condoms. HISTORY Yes, jimmy hats, rubbers, french letters. They have been called many names, but at the end of the day the condom …

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One and Done: The IUD and the Future of Birth Control

In Pregnancy/Postpartum by Jandra Mueller2 Comments

By Jandra Mueller   Are you currently on birth control? Have you used birth control in the past? These are common questions I ask when doing an evaluation of a female patient who is experiencing painful intercourse, also known as dyspareunia. Most women I see are currently, or have been in the past, on some form of birth control. Typically …

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Jagged Little Pill: Part Two

In Female Pelvic Pain by Joshua Gonzalez, MD7 Comments

  By Joshua Gonzalez, MD   After reading my last post, Jagged Little Pill, many of you who have had similar suspected OCP-related problems may be thinking there’s no hope.  Trust me, you are not doomed if you’ve ever taken an oral birth control and you have symptoms of vulvodynia.  My goal this week is to reassure you that you’re …

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Jagged Little Pill: How Oral Contraceptives Wreak Havoc on the Female Body

In Female Pelvic Pain by Joshua Gonzalez, MD9 Comments

By Joshua Gonzalez, MD   The advent of oral birth control pills in the 1960s was heralded as a huge victory for women’s rights.  Finally, women could take control of their bodies and their fertility.  Since then, oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) have become ubiquitous in reproductive aged women with nearly 10 million women today using The Pill as their primary …