REDBOOK, can we date?

Interestingly enough, after my explosive attack on the Ladies Home Journal yesterday, I went home to pour through more magazines and found yet another article on Birth control in Redbook, August 2010 by Aviva Patz.

Redbook, however, did not propose an article on preventing pregnancy but more on “Birth Control with Benefits.” They actually CITED where their statistics and research came from, talked to Dr.’s and OBGYN’s and highlighted each method they discussed, what other benefits it had for your body, and effectiveness against pregnancy. While they did mention a few cautionary tidbits, they did not highlight the downsides as much as I would have liked and they did not mention Monitoring your fertility at all. I can forgive them for that last though as the aim of this article was to discuss options of birth control that can help with “other” issues such as PPMD, Bloating, Mood swings, heavy flow etc., not necessarily your options for preventing pregnancy.

Quick Highlights:
“Nearly half of the pregnancies in this country are unintended, according to research from the Guttmacher Institute, and MORE than half of pregnancies in women in their 40s are unintended, according to a study in the journal Family Planning Perspectives. ‘If you’re not committed to having a baby right now, you need to find birth control that you’ll use consistently and correctly,” says Anita L. Nelson, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles.” Now I don’t know if these statistics are all true but THANK YOU for citing your sources. “Redbook talked to top ob/gyns and contraception experts to find out which method will give you the benefit you need most right now.”

One thing that this article did do was dispel the myth that you actually have a period while on the pill. I think this is a misconception many women have. “The period you have on the Pill isn’t a real period—it’s just bleeding, and it’s not really necessary,” Nelson says. Since the contraceptive hormones suppress ovulation, the lining of the uterus doesn’t thicken and there is no need for your body to slough and expel it with a monthly flow.”

The article highlights the Mirena hormonal IUD, Extended-use oral contraceptives, even a few name brands such as Yaz, yasmin and Ocella, NuvaRing and the ParaGard copper IUD. Each of these were described (and thank you for telling exactly how they are inserted/taken and what they do) in association with what they help: superheavy periods, major pre-period bloat, breakouts, mood swings, vaginal dryness, and options without hormones.

All in all, a very well written article with a point of view. You (and I mean I) can always find something lacking if I look hard enough but if something has a point, is written well and not deceptive, I can give kudos where kudos are due.

REDBOOK, can we give this relationship a trial run? I like your style. (and that goes to show how much I have aged since I used to think of REDBOOK as the “adult” magazine. Crap, when did I become an adult? Must have been when I hit 30).