Sex in the news: March edition

We’ve rounded up our 10 favorite articles about sexual health and birth control from the past month to make it really easy for you to get the facts on the things that could affect your health.

  1. 5 Things Your Gynecologist Wants You To Stop Doing ASAP (mindbodygreen)

    Practicing good vaginal and vulvar health may not be as easy as it seems. Here are the deets on the best practices for people with vaginas to follow.

  2. This Is The Best Time Of The Month To Have Sex If You Don’t Want To Get Pregnant, Experts Say (Elite Daily)

    Having unprotected sex around the time of ovulation can lead to pregnancy. Learn from experts how to use your cycle’s patterns and signs from your body to help you determine when your chances of getting pregnant are the highest.

  3. 4 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Taking A Pregnancy Test (REFINERY29)

    It can be tempting to do a home pregnancy test before you’ve even missed a period if you’re worried, but the test will be more accurate if you wait until the missed period. Here, an endocrinologist/ob-gyn gives you four questions to ask yourself before you do a home pregnancy test.

  4. Can The Rhythm Method Really Keep You From Getting Pregnant? (Bustle)

    The rhythm method (aka the calendar method or fertility awareness method) is a form of natural family planning that uses different ways of predicting when you are ovulating to determine the days you’re most likely to get pregnant. In this article, a sex educator answers common questions about the rhythm method.

  5. Why You Should Use Condoms, Even If You’re On Hormonal Birth Control (Elite Daily)

    This article covers all the benefits of using condoms, with or without another form of birth control. Condoms and internal condoms are the only types of birth control that also provide STI prevention. And condoms aren’t just for covering penises—they can prevent the spread of STIs and other types of infections if you use them with your sex toys too.

  6. These Are the Safest, Most Natural Lubricants, Including the Ones You’ll Find in Your Kitchen (POPSUGAR)

    Lube can make sex feel way better, but which one should you use? Aside from the options you’d see at the pharmacy, there are more “natural” lubes available, including those you may already have at home. Just keep in mind that generally speaking, it’s not a good idea to use oil-based lubes (or lubes that are literally just oil) with latex or polyisoprene condoms since they can weaken these kinds of condoms and make them more likely to break.

  7. How Do You Transmit HPV? A New Study Shows Hand Contact Probably Doesn’t Make a Difference (Bustle)

    Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI in the U.S. This article discusses a new study that found that HPV isn’t likely to be transmitted between hands and genitals. Most new infections are caused by genital-to-genital contact. However, that doesn’t mean hand-to-genital transmission isn’t possible. Luckily, HPV can be prevented with vaccination.

  8. 2 Gynecologists Reveal The Top Questions They Get About Condoms (Elite Daily)

    Gynecologists are tasked with answering sexual health questions all day every day. Needless to say, they’ve heard it all. In this article, hear from two ob-gyns about the most common condom-related questions they hear.

  9. How Effective Is Pulling Out? (REFINERY29)

    While pulling out (also called withdrawal) is not the most effective method of preventing pregnancy, it’s used by many people and it can be more effective, when done correctly, than many people give it credit for. Find out if it’s right for you and how to improve its effectiveness.

  10. This Is The Age Your Doctor Will Ask You About Pregnancy, According To OB/GYNs (Elite Daily)

    Your health care provider may ask you about your reproductive plans at any stage, whether or not you’re on birth control. Take a look at how this practice helps to ensure that you and your provider are on the same page and that you’re getting the best care possible to support your goals.

Written by Amiya Perkins

Amiya Perkins is the Communications Coordinator at Power to Decide and a contributing writer for Bedsider. When she’s not working, you can find her lying on the beach, shopping at the nearest mall, or binge-watching reruns of her favorite 90s sitcoms.