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birth controllatest news & developments
Tender delays have pushed a shortage of the popular birth control shot Nur-Isterate into its second year. (Reuters)

‘It’s not a feminine thing. It’s a family thing’: How men can boost contraception use

Family planning and the resulting demographic dividend are easier to achieve when men join the contraception conversation.

Find out what today’s Echo Trial results could mean for people who use the Depo-Provera birth control shot. (Tomas Bravo)
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What are Echo Trial results does Depo-Provera birth control shot increase risk of HIV

For 25 years, scientists have wondered whether the Depo-Provera could increase people’s risk of contracting HIV. Today, we find out if it does.

A South African study may have proved to the scientific community that Depo-Provera does not fuel HIV risk. Now, to tell women, activists say. (Reuters)
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BREAKING: Study confirms this popular birth control does not increase your HIV risk

We now know the answer after more than 25 years of guessing, but will women believe it?

Declines in fertility rates are consistent across all Arab countries regardless of wealth. (Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters)

The Arab world’s silent reproductive revolution

Changing household structures, economic growth and contraceptives prompt dramatic drop in fertility rate, study finds

Tender delays have pushed a shortage of the popular birth control shot Nur-Isterate into its second year. (Reuters)

This popular birth control shot is out of stock for the second year running. Read why

Women who have been forced to go without their usual birth control shot are now facing the consequences of months-long shortages.

Killing two birds with one stone. In Kenya, getting cattle vaccinated is used to bring healthcare to men. (Christabel Ligami)

What do a herd of goats, a few cattle, and a baby have in common? Find out

Here’s how northwest Kenya gets nomadic families to health services.

Guess who: Can you name this birth control? Only 40% of women can, shows a recent household study. (PATH)

Birth control: Six things you should ask your doctor

What’s left unspoken: If you expect your healthcare provider to lay out your birth control options, you may be in for a long wait

Is the rumour mill standing between you and better birth control? Find out.

This implant offers all the protection from unwanted pregnancies with almost none of the clinic visits. So why did many say, ‘thanks, but no thanks’?

Could birth control injections come out of the clinic and into homes? A new study could pave the way for easier

Women can now inject themselves with ‘the shot’ at home

Could do-it-yourself birth control injections take off in South Africa?

Former Bhekisisa reporter

Birth control: Which one’s best for you?

Former Bhekisisa reporter, Amy Green, explains what the top five forms of contraception on the continent are, and why.

The world needs midwives, now more than ever

Comment: May 5 is International Midwife Day: a day to acknowledge the vital impact midwives have on maternal health in South Africa.

Expanding contraceptive options for SA’s women

The long-acting implant contraceptive Jadelle is being made available at 50% of its original price to women in developing countries.

Birth control back on the agenda

The HIV crisis shifted attention from the issues of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

World celebrates several seven-billionth babies

World celebrates several seven-billionth babies

The United Nations has chosen Monday to mark the globe’s seven-billionth birth symbolically, sparking a string of festivities worldwide.

Dire lack of birth-control education

World Contraception Day puts spotlight on limited reproductive health information for South African women.

Church grabs chance to attack birth control pill

Carl Djerassi, one of pill’s inventors, claims contraceptive responsible for ‘demographic catastrophe’.