Health Expert Dr. Zev Williams shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/15832/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/15832/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/15832/index http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/149378/pros-cons Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:34:00 -0500 Dr. Zev Williams When a woman chooses not to become pregnant, she has many options from which to choose. Usually, picking the right one requires weighing the pros and cons of the different option. In this article, we will review the pros as cons of the intrauterine device (IUD) as a form of birth control. To help organize the pros and cons, we will group them all by category.   Reversible Pro: The IUD is reversible which means that if a woman decides that... http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/149378/pros-cons http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/149374/risks-iud Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:32:00 -0500 Dr. Zev Williams First, it is important to realize that IUDs are a very safe and effective form of birth control. However, like everything in medicine, there are some risks. In deciding whether or not an IUD is the right form of birth control for you, it is important to understand these risks and compare them with the risks of other forms of birth control.   Two of the most concerning risks are for infection and uterine perforation. For the first three... http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/149374/risks-iud http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/149373/iud-faqs Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:26:00 -0500 Dr. Zev Williams What is an IUD?An IUD is a type of contraceptive (birth control). IUD stands for Intrauterine Device. This form of birth control can also be called an IUC (intrauterine contraceptive). An IUD is a reversible form of birth control.   What does an IUD look like?IUDs that are available in the United States are T-shaped. The stem is about 1 inch long and the arms are each about 0.5 inches long. A thin thread is attached to the bottom of the... http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/149373/iud-faqs http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/141533/emergency Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:46:36 -0400 Dr. Zev Williams While there are several options for emergency contraception, they generally fall into two categories:  hormonal and non-hormonal-based approaches.  Choosing which option is best for you requires consideration of several factors, including the availability of the contraceptive, drug side effect profiles, risks, costs and long-term contraceptive needs. It also depends on the time elapsed between unprotected sex and availability of the... http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/141533/emergency http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/141532/morning Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:41:49 -0400 Dr. Zev Williams Realizing that you are at risk for an unwanted pregnancy is a very scary experience. The time leading up to your next period can be filled with anxiety and worry. Thankfully, emergency contraception dramatically reduces the likelihood of an unwanted pregnancy- especially if taken shortly after unprotected intercourse.  While older versions of emergency contraception ("the morning after pill") contained estrogen and progestin, the newer... http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/141532/morning http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/141531/emergency Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:40:00 -0400 Dr. Zev Williams While no medication or treatment is without risks, the first and most important thing to know about emergency contraception is that all the risks associated with them are far less than those associated with pregnancy.  In fact, the World Health Organization states that there is no medical condition in which the risks associated with emergency contraception outweigh the benefits.   This includes women who have heart disease,... http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/15832/141531/emergency