Close

ARTICLES / Valerie French, MD

view all features »
Your questions answered

Provider perspectives:That burning feeling when you pee: Urinary tract infections 101

UTIs can be related to sex and birth control, but no worries: you can stop them in their tracks.
by Valerie French, MD

tags:

problem solving, sexual health & wellness, health, provider perspective, PtD, health care, how-to

You just peed, yet you feel like you have to go back to the bathroom. No matter how many times you sit down on the toilet, you can’t shake that feeling. And when you do pee, it burns. We’ve all...

Your questions answered

Provider perspectives:Will over-the-counter birth control pills ever happen?

There’s been lots of talk, but when will we actually be able to get birth control pills without a prescription?
by Valerie French, MD

tags:

combination birth control pill, minipill (progestin-only birth control pill), public policy, provider perspective, birth control, birth control pill

In recent years there have been plenty of headlines about the birth control pill becoming available over the counter. There has even been a proposal about it in Congress. But what does all of this...

Your questions answered

Provider perspectives:Can you get an STD from oral sex?

There's good news and bad news: You can’t get pregnant from oral sex, but you can get a sexually transmitted infection.
by Valerie French, MD

tags:

chlamydia, HPV, HIV, sexual health & wellness, condom, health, gonnorhea, herpes, provider perspective, how-to, sexually transmitted infections (STIs/STDs)

While you can’t get pregnant from oral sex, you can get a sexually transmitted infection (STI, a.k.a. STD). The risk of getting an STI from oral sex is a little different from the risk of vaginal...

Your questions answered

Provider perspectives:How to: Birth control and the pharmacy

Your one-stop shop for the pill, the patch, the ring, barrier methods, and emergency contraception.
by Valerie French, MD

tags:

emergency contraception, public policy, diaphragm, condom, health, provider perspective, birth control, birth control pill, birth control ring

UPDATE: Pharmacists in Oregon and California can now prescribe and dispense certain kinds of birth control! —- Whether you have a prescription from a health care provider or just need to stock up...

Birth Control Basics

  • Why should I?

    A few of our favorite reasons why birth control is a very good idea.

  • Hello, birth control

    When it comes to birth control, you’ve got a lot of options.

  • Avoid the gap

    Birth control between boyfriends is smart just in case things get spontaneous.