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Study: Birth Control

Study Details

You Body, Your Birth Control Options

Research studies evaluating potential new birth control options are enrolling now. Healthy, sexually active adult females may qualify to participate at no cost, no insurance required.

Qualified participants may receive:

• Access to potential new birth control options at no cost, no insurance required.
• Compensation for study-related time and travel.

How to Apply

DFW-East Clinical Site & Corporate Headquarters

Three Forest Plaza
12221 Merit Drive
Suite 350
Dallas, TX 75251 Call: 214-253-8170

Participant Feedback

We encourage study participants to leave feedback on their experience with this trial. You can use the comments section below to rate your experience with Cedar Health Research. This helps others when choosing a trial to participate in.

The post Texas: Birth Control Clinical Study Participants – Women’s Health appeared first on Medika Life.

“I don’t want to take birth control”

I get it. Taking contraception can be frustrating for many patients. Women don’t want to use contraception for a variety of reasons. Some do not like the idea of having a foreign object such as an arm implant or an IUD (intrauterine device) in their body.

Others do not like the hormonal changes associated with birth control pills. Some gain weight on the Depo-Provera shot. Others experience a decrease in their sex drive when on birth control.

The sperm and the egg do not care what we think

The preference to avoid birth control must be weighed against the desire to avoid pregnancy. I 100% support any woman’s right to choose what she wants to do with her body. If she chooses to be sexually active with men, then it is imperative for her to decide if she is ready and willing to get pregnant. Statistically, 90% of couples will get pregnant within 12 months of unprotected intercourse.

We often have to do things we don’t like to achieve our goals

Throughout our lives, we must make choices. Some are easy, and others are tough. We must be willing to accept certain things that we don’t like to be able to do the things we want. I would love to eat cookies and cake and not gain weight. Unfortunately, the scale in my bathroom does not agree.

We must accept that our actions have consequences

Most prefer the physical sensation of intercourse without condoms. But when we are not in a safe, monogamous relationship the safer choice is to use condoms. Condoms decrease the risk and prevent sexually transmitted infections. We sacrifice some pleasure now to protect ourselves against future problems.

Birth control gives you freedom

If you want to have sex and do not wish to be pregnant, then selecting a birth control method that works for you is a critical step to empower you to be in control of your body. Many argue about which form of contraception is best. My answer is the best birth control is the one that you will use.

There is no right answer for everyone. Finding a method that suits you allows you the freedom to take control of your fertility.

The post No One Likes Taking Birth Control appeared first on Medika Life.

She is looking for a nonhormonal contraceptive option where she is in control. 

She is not alone. Many women are looking for alternative birth control options. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Phexxi, a new, hormone-free contraceptive gel. This new vaginal on-demand contraceptive option is FDA-approved for the prevention of pregnancy 

What is Phexxi?

Phexxi is not a spermicide. It is a first-in-class vaginal pH modulator (VPM) designed to maintain an acidic vaginal pH to reduce sperm’s ability to fertilize the egg. Sperm does not like an acidic environment. 

The three active ingredients (lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium bitartrate) keep the vaginal pH in the range of 3.5 to 4.5. This high acidity level creates a toxic environment for sperm and reduces pregnancy risk when used immediately or up to 1 hour before each act of vaginal intercourse.

Phexxi is packaged in a box containing 12 pouches of individual prefilled single-dose applicators. Each applicator contains 1 dose of Phexxi.

Up to one hour before sex, the vaginal gel is self-administered into the vagina like a tampon. The bioadhesive gel is designed to stay in place in the vagina during sex. It will not leak out of the vagina during or after vaginal intercourse, but rather absorbs into vaginal tissue and drains after sex in the mix of semen and vaginal secretions.

Phexxi is not an emergency contraceptive or “morning-after” method. It does not work when used after sex. It must be used before sex occurs, and each applicator may only be used once. If sex occurs again, an additional dose of Phexxi should be applied.

Women may continue to use other forms of hormonal or nonhormonal contraception safely except for the vaginal ring. 

Does Phexxi work?

The Ampower trial supplied the FDA with data for approval. This study was a phase 3 clinical trial evaluating pregnancy rates in 1384 women aged 18 to 35. Participants in this open-label, single-arm study self-administered a 5g dose of Phexxi intravaginally up to 1 hour before each intercourse episode for up to 7 menstrual cycles.

Pregnancies occurred in 101 women. There were 1183 participants monitored for seven months, equal to 4769 monitored menstrual cycles.

The 7-cycle typical use cumulative pregnancy rate was 13.7% (95% CI, 10.0–17.5), and the estimated Pearl Index was 27.5 (95% CI, 22.4–33.5).

The Pearl index is a commonly used method of comparing various contraceptive options. It is a mathematical formula to calculate the number of contraceptive method failures per 100 woman-years of exposure.

The cumulative pregnancy rate shows that Phexxi is much less effective than long-acting reversible methods such as the IUD and arm implant, but more reliable than the withdrawal method, fertility awareness tracking, or spermicide.

The clinical trials demonstrate women liked using Phexxi. 87% would use it again, and 93% would recommend to a friend. 

What are the side effects of Phexxi?

In the clinical trials, less than 2% of women stopped using Phexxi because of adverse reactions. 

9.8% of male partners reported symptoms of penile irritation during the clinical study.

The most common adverse reactions for women were vulvovaginal burning sensation and pain, vulvovaginal itching, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, vaginal discharge, genital discomfort, and painful urination. 

More options give more women control. 

Phexxi is an exciting new addition to the list of available birth control methods. For women who want to avoid hormone exposure, this on-demand method may be an option to explore. 

Phexxi does not protect against sexually transmitted infections. Phexxi avoids hormonal side effects and is more effective at preventing pregnancy than traditional spermicide, fertility awareness, and the withdrawal method.

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