Women, and even our doctors, often shrug off an irregular period as no big deal. We go on birth control to regulate it and don't give it a second thought. But, warns gynecologist Lawrence Nelson, an irregular period could be indicative of a serious problem called primary ovarian insufficiency, or POI. One in 100 women under the age of 40, says Nelson, may suffer from this disruption in hormones, Read more

With fish in DC's Potomac River increasingly displaying intersex traits, scientists are now pointing fingers at toxins found in products like birth-control pills. The culprit, endocrine disruptor, comes from birth-control toxins released into water supplies, either through urine or whole pills flushed down toilets (more often than you'd think!). Yet the pill is not the sole perpetrator. Read more

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions. DrSugar, I just read your post about getting off of the pill and having irregular periods afterward. I am thankful for your article as I had experienced two to three months of no period! I am looking to conceive possibly in the next three to four years and wondering if you were able to do so after being on the pill for Read more

Anne Marie Eakins, a 34-year-old history teacher in Grafton, OH, developed blood clots in both lungs in 2007 and even lost partial use of her right lung. The cause, as she sees it? The newish oral contraceptive Yaz, the top-selling birth control pill in the US, which she switched to after a decade of using different kinds of birth control pills without incurring health problems. She is now suing Read more

Having a baby changes everything, including birth control for many new mamas. When visiting the doctor for a postpartum checkup, one subject sure to be discussed is birth control options going forward. For women who've been on birth control pills for many years, the idea of remembering to take the lil tablets each day is simply too much. For others, the convenience of something they only have to Read more

From the pill to nonhormonal birth control, there are various ways for women having regular sex to prevent pregnancy. But what about a single woman who doesn't want to commit to contraception if she's not having sex often? There's always the condom, which will protect against STDs, but she might want to use the morning after pill too to decrease her risk of pregnancy — women who take the Read more

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's offering advice on when you've missed a dose, or two, or three, of birth control pills. We receive countless questions from women who have inadvertently skipped a birth control pill, so I will be giving a general overview on what to do when you realize you have missed a dose. While this week's column will have general information on oral contraceptives and Read more