contraception

The pope firmly ruled out abortion for pregnant women who fear effects of the Zika virus — but said that "in certain cases," contraception might be a lesser evil, without directly approving its use.

The possibility that the Zika virus is linked to the birth defect microcephaly has sparked a public debate about women's reproductive rights in Latin America.

It's funny, family planning researchers aren't that comfortable talking about ... s-e-x. But two of them did in a study about the impact of contraception on "coital frequency."

That's what health care educator Jane Otai had to tell a group of teenage girls to correct their mistaken ideas about being sexually active.

The number of U.S. women choosing long-acting, reversible birth control methods has more than quadrupled since 2002, data suggest. Use of the pill, condoms and female sterilization has dipped a bit.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Essure for sale in 2002. But with health complaints on the rise from women using the device, the agency's expert panel now urges more study on complications.

Thousands of women say they've been harmed by the permanent contraceptive. But it's unclear whether the problems were caused by the device. The Food and Drug Administration is taking a closer look.

And when the use of intrauterine devices and hormonal implants by young women goes up, the number of unplanned pregnancies sharply drops, researchers find.

Most school sex education programs stick to the nuts and bolts of biology. Teenagers who also talk about what makes for a good relationship are more likely to avoid pregnancy and STDs, a study finds.

Last February, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago backed a lower court's ruling that dismissed Notre Dame's challenge. That decision was vacated Monday.