IUDs are a Safe and Effective Birth Control Option for Teenagers

A study following over 90,000 women using long-term birth control methods found that IUDs are safe for teenagers.

"It (the study) shows exactly what many of us have thought all along, that IUDs are great options for teens," said James Trussell of Princeton University in New Jersey who studies birth control methods.

Some doctors even think they are the best option for teenagers. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said IUDs and implants saying quoting that they are reliable and reversible.  Teenagers can be forgetful, so options like the pill or the patch are not always optimal. It just takes them forgetting the pill or the patch one time to make a major reproductive mistake. Once the IUD is inserted the patient will not have to worry about birth control for another 5 to 10 years. 

Where Can I Get Plan B?

After unprotected intercourse women should seek out Plan B "morning after pill" to prevent any unwanted pregnancy in the future. It is vital to the success of the pill that you get the pill as soon as possible. The sooner you get the pill the higher the success rate, and it is recommended to take it somewhere between 24-72 hours after the unprotected incident.

Due to the short timeframe many women are frantic about getting access to the pill, especially if it is there first time using it. One of the most common questions we get about Plan B is “Where can I get Plan B?” For your convenience we have provided all our clinic’s locations and their addresses below in the section “Where can I Get Plan B In California?”

Plan B is easy to get for patients who are over the age of 17. It is behind the counter of all pharmacies around the United States. Asking for Plan B can be a deterrent for many patients who are embarrassed to ask a pharmacist for it, and we recommend those patients visit one of our clinics. 

Currently people purchasing Plan B must prove to pharmacies they are 17 years old or older, and anyone younger than that must see a doctor for a prescription before purchasing the pill. This might all change thanks to a ruling on Friday.

A federal judge ruled there should be no restrictions on who can buy Plan B including the current common requirements of a prescription or setting an age limit. The judge, U.S. District Jude Edward Kormon of New York, called the current set of rules “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable.” He ordered that the restrictions be lifted within 30 days.

If the ruling stands, Plan B One-Step and all other versions of this pill will no longer be behind the counter, but on the shelves along with other pregnancy preventative tools like condoms and spermicide. This means women will no longer need to go through the inconvenience and discomfort of asking a pharmacist for Plan B.

We are so proud and excited to let you know that our clinics were rewarded with continued accreditation from AAAHC, Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Every single one of our clinics had to go through rigorous assessment that includes on-site surveying, self-evaluation, testing and peer review to get the accreditation through May 31, 2014. Family Planning Associates just didn't just pass by the skin of our teeth either, the surveyor found no deficiencies in any of our facilities.    

It takes years for staff and doctors to prepare for a test of this magnitude, and part of getting ready requires everyone to always work with patients at their highest level of ability. Before the main evaluation, our clinics’ staff worked extremely hard to improve up on the quality of our patient care.

 Welcome to the Family Planning Associates Medical Group new Blog!

We are thrilled to have this blog as a new way to share the health and wellness information that we are so passionate about. Join us in a conversation about womens health, research findings, stories, and ways to make healthy changes for yourself and your family.

Every STI is preventable. The spread of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B, HIV, and trichomoniasis could all be put to a halt with condoms.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control released two studies showing the spreading of knowledge to wear a condom has not put a stop to the rapid spreading of STI’s. More people need to practice safe sex to put an end to this epidemic.

One of the studies revealed that in 2008 alone, there were 20 million new incidents of infection in the United States.  The spreading of the STI’s is rapidly increasing; studies previously examining the number infected found 18.9 million in 2000 and the 15 million in 1996.

The most common of the infections was HPV and Chlamydia. The spreading HPV is especially unfortunate, because there is a vaccine to completely prevent the disease given to young girls. Sadly only 35% of young girls in the United States complete the vaccination before the age of 17, leaving the rest open to the infection.