Surgical tools

Birth Control Options – Surgical Methods

These methods are considered permanent birth control or voluntary sterilization options because they involve a surgical procedure that’s generally difficult or expensive to reverse. Additionally, reversing this procedure does not ensure that your fertility will return to pre-procedure levels. And it’s important to note that these options do not protect against STIs.

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Birth Control Options – Lifestyle Options

While lifestyle options are typically the least effective at preventing pregnancy—aside from abstinence—they are often the most cost effective. However, they might involve some planning or communication between sexual partners to prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg. Lifestyle methods of birth control do not prevent against STIs, so be sure to use a barrier method if you are looking for protection.

View Resource Birth Control Options – Lifestyle Options
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Alcohol: When is it a problem?

Patterns of alcohol use can change over the course of a lifetime or even over a semester. Deciding if your patterns of use are problematic can sometimes feel difficult. One way to conceptualize alcohol use is to think of it as behavior falling on a continuum.

View Resource Alcohol: When is it a problem?
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Abortion Safety and Privacy

In an increasingly digital world, there are more records of what type of information people are searching for and where they are searching for it. It's possible that this type of data can be used to prosecute those who are seeking an abortion or helping someone else seek an abortion.

View Resource Abortion Safety and Privacy

Is there a connection between cortisol, depression, and weight loss?

I recently went to my doctor because I've been unable to lose weight. I've been on a successful diet, accompanied with a reasonable exercise plan, but I've seen no real results. A series of tests were run — I've got optimum blood pressure, low cholesterol, and I am not diabetic. But, when my cortisol levels were checked — they were very high. The doctor suspected there was a possibility that I might have Cushings' Syndrome — but another test was run and that came up negative.

I was doing research on the internet, and I found that there was a link between excessive cortisol and depression. I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 12 (I am now 21). And I am currently untreated. What is the link between cortisol levels and depression? Are excessive cortisol levels a physical manifestation of depression? Or does an excess of cortisol for some other reason cause depression? Does an excessive amount of cortisol cause weight gain, or in my case prohibit weight loss? And if there is a connection — will treatment for my clinical depression (in the form of prescription pills) help me?

I've been unable to find answers anywhere, or at least a good source to tell me to stop worrying — any help would be appreciated.


How do I talk about ableism without losing friends?

I have an invisible disability and I'm really getting into disabilities activism. Even in liberal circles ableism is still pretty accepted and this upsets me. However, when I try to educate people around me, it sometimes goes awry. I had one friend get upset when I called her out for using the word "retard." Another got upset when I pointed out that her Facebook post of inspirational people with disabilities (that just showed people with disabilities doing normal things) was a little offensive and tried to tell her about "inspiration porn." I get that using the word "retard" is normal as is "inspiration porn." I just don't think it should be.

I know my friends are caring, socially conscious people. I expect people to be a little upset, but ultimately I would also expect them respect the fact that it's really not OK to objectify people with disabilities in the way that inspiration porn and the use of words like "retard" do. What I want to know is how do I point out that people are expressing a harmful social bias, without having them get so upset that they write me off as an over sensitive concern troll?