Until recently, most women, when they thought of birth control, thought of the pill, condoms, abstinence or the calendar method.  It used to be that IUD’s, or intrauterine devices, never came to mind.  There is an increasing awareness of the IUD as a viable and effective method of birth control.

IUD’s were used commonly, as a form of birth control, until in the 1970′s, a type of IUD, called the Dalkon Shield, caused a host of serious health problems for women.  These problems included increase in PID, or pelvic inflammatory disease, miscarriage, sterility or even death, in extreme cases.

This device was pulled from the market over 30 years ago.  Because of this scare, IUD’s fell out of favor with the medical profession and the general public.  There was a basic flaw in the design of the Dalkon Shield that allowed infections to travel into the uterus.

Due to research and redesigning, safer and improved IUD’s are now on the market and FDA approved.  The demand by the general public for IUD’s is starting to increase and women are asking about them and for them again.

One of the reasons women are asking more for IUD’s is because of their effectiveness.  With  human error factored in, the hormonal methods of birth control such as the pill, the ring or the patch, effectiveness of preventing pregnancy is reduced.

Another factor that could make the IUD a desirable method of birth control is for women who smoke.  Smokers should not be using estrogen based birth control methods as it increases chances of serious side effects from blood clotting too readily.

The health care profession needs to catch up with a new and increasing demand for IUD’s.  Providers need to list them as an option so women can make an informed choice how to prevent an unplanned pregnancy effectively.

An IUD is inserted into the uterus and it affects the way sperm moves to prevent them from joining with an egg.  The two latest FDA approved types of IUD’s are the Paragon and the Mirena.

The Paragon costs about $600.00 and is effective, 99.8%, for up to 10 years.  It contains no hormones and is a better choice for smokers.  Major side effects with the Paragon are heavier or longer periods and increased menstrual cramping.

The Mirena costs about $700.00, is 99.8% effective for up to 5 years and does contain synthetic progesterone.  The major side effects with the Mirena are lighter or missed periods and ovarian cysts.

IUD’s need to be inserted and removed professionally by an experienced clinician.  They can be removed at any time before their contraceptive duration expires.  According to research, fertility returns almost immediately, so they are a reversible form of birth control.

Of course, neither the pill or IUD’s prevent sexually transmitted diseases, so consumers need to use precautions to prevent STD’s.

Well, I guess this time there is not any direct evidence that this guy has literally screwed around on his wife (not as of this writing, but there very well may have been breaking news I’m not yet aware of), but Congressman Weiner is in a lot of trouble in the media because of his apparent lack of discretion in his tweeting of lewd photos and remarks to other women.

He’s fairly new at being married, and he happens to be married to a top aide to Hillary Clinton – and she’s pretty!  So, why would a congressman, who has a high profile life and profession, be tweeting lewd photos and messages online, the most public forum there is?

I keep questioning why these celebrities and politicians keep doing things that are so risky and hurt the ones they love, not to mention, embarrass the hell out of them.  Is it because they can get away with it? Or is it going to be another “sex addict” excuse?

There are even articles now on whether sexting and tweeting suggestive messages or pictures to people electronically is cheating. Um yeah. Because it is typically the first step of a cheater. Usually someone who is doing things like this, but not completing the act yet with a person outside their marriage is pretty much going to follow through with physically cheating one day.

It’s almost a certainty. And not only that, I think a lot of women and men consider sexting, tweeting and having suggestive conversations or photo exchanges with people other than your spouse or significant other is cheating. I know that I consider it cheating. It’s the intention, not the actual physical act.

I mean, I guarantee that this guy Weiner was thinking about cheating or has cheated on his spouse already. Guys like this usually don’t just stop at the suggestive stuff, especially when they’re tweeting or involved in multiple conversations with several different women.

Some people may not consider this type of communication “cheating” because there is no physical interaction, but usually when a person engages in this type of behavior, it’s just about inevitable that they will eventually go through with physical cheating.

I know that sounds like a broad statement, but it’s just true most of the time.  Relationships are definitely complicated, and we all have a wandering eye at times, heck we’re all human!  It’s just knowing what the boundary of trust is that sustains true, intimate, trusting relationships.

Hey guys, Jill here for a woman’s perspective on things to lighten it up every once in a while. I attended an art show the other day, and it started a conversation between me and another woman about how our ideals of what the “ideal man” would be. The topic got started because one of the pieces of art mentioned something about finding the perfect man, or ideal man.

I was joking how when I was younger, say in my late teens and through my twenties, looks mattered. I wouldn’t date a guy if he wasn’t “my type” looks wise. I guess you always picture yourself with a person who looks a certain way. Maybe you only like brunettes, or you really dig green or blue eyes. Or you like guys who are big and muscular.

Or conversely, you may like guys who are smaller and more ripped, or who don’t work out at all. You may like tall guys only, or you may prefer that they are 5’10″ and under. There are all kinds of physical traits we could go through right now.

But the one constant, a person’s personality, their goals, their dreams, and their morals and ideas of what is fun and not fun. Those are all things that keep you in relationships for the long haul.

If you marry someone strictly based on an explosive sexual chemistry, or based purely on how they look like your ideal mate, you may soon find out that the two of you really are not compatible at all. The lust and passion that come with new relationships quickly fade.

What is left after that initial newness wears off is what truly makes a relationship, and a mutual attraction, last for a long, long time. You can quickly fall out of love with someone who you never really deeply knew or understood much more quickly than with someone who you truly find beautiful, heart, soul, and mind.

They say that a lot of these older men who marry younger trophy wives often get divorced or have serious marital troubles because they didn’t get married for the right reason. They may not even have a lot in common with their chosen wives, except for the fact that they greatly enjoy seeing them naked and sleeping with them – at least at first.

Once that novelty wears off, and someone is not intellectually challenged and stimulated by their partner, the trouble and discontent sets in.

Hey guys, Jill here with a woman’s perspective for y’all. We have a new review for the ladies (and the men who love them), of a female renewal gel called Intivar. This gel is supposed to help a woman renew, rejuvenate, and tighten her vaginal walls, without surgery or kegel exercises (although kegels can always help).

There is such a thing as vaginal rejuvenation surgery for women. As a woman myself, I can say that does NOT sound fun, and I would certainly prefer a natural alternative to vaginal tightening like Intivar! So check out our Intivar review.

Just as the years have proffered several “myths” and wives tales about foods and natural substances that can get you horny, er, in the mood that is, there are actually some foods and supplements that really DO make you get in the mood a lot quicker, and can also enhance your performance and pleasure in the boudoire as well.

Folate, which is a nutrient that is found in leafy green, deeply pigmented vegetables and even some fruits (but mostly veggies), can dramatically increase the quality of your sperm. Some even think it might increase the volume of semen, which is one way to experience more intense, fulfilling ograsms, such as with the popular supplement Volume Pills.

Foods that are rich in folate are spinach, kale, greens, and other dark leafy green veggies (no, plain iceberg lettuce does not fit the bill, it is basically a nutritional void, aside from the fiber it contains), and even some citrus fruits contain folate, which seems somewhat counterintuitive since it seems only green veggies have it.

Another food that actually has merit as a sexual potency enhancer, but is also a well known “wives tale” are oysters. Oysters contain a powerhouse nutrient for the male sexual appetite and performance, zinc. Zinc is a key ingredient in many male sexual enhancement products, and it is a vital nutrient to the male reproductive system.

Dark chocolate is  a sexual enhancer for women, as well as for men.  So, those of us (women and men) who wondered why we love chocolate so much, there are reasons other than its delicious taste that are to credit! 

Dark chocolate is rich in something called L-Arginine, which helps to open up the blood vessels and add more sensation to the nether regions for both men and women. In other words, L-Arginine opens the way for the sexual organs that are responsible for sexual excitement to gorge with blood more easily, and become more sensitive to sensations.

Hey guys, Jill here, to offer a female perspective on something that primarily affects women, because it has to do with the female body and her life after that, but it also can greatly impact a man’s life as well, since most times he will be partly responsible for the support and nurturing of a child that he has taken part in creating.

The choice to be a parent, in my opinion, should be just that – a choice.  I know several women who had abortions in college and high school because they messed up, quite frankly, and they just were no where near being ready to be a mother.

I support the right to choose when it comes to abortion, but I do not support late term abortions since it has been proven that these late term abortions can almost certainly occur when the unborn baby is developed enough to feel pain according to some studies.

Of course, the pro life aspect of our society does not agree with abortion on any level, and I must also respect that side of thinking.  To be honest, I even have some misgivings about any abortion at all, but I still support a woman’s right to make that choice herself, and I certainly, as a woman, would want the righ to choose if I found myself in a precarious situation.

With the questions coming into scope about abortion, and the more conservative groups being totally against it at any level, there are likely to be more restrictions placed on abortions, where you can get them, what term you can ben in to get them, and what types of facilities and practitioners will be able to perform them.

I understand that some of this is for the health and benefit of woman and child, but this also can do something that it may not be entirely intended to do, which is to restrict women from getting an abortion, and force them to seek more dangerous, and potentially black market options.

Apparently spa appointments aren’t just for the outer body experience any more – they’ve slowly migrated to our most intimate and private of spots, and much to some women’s pleasure!  Hey guys and ladies, Jill here to talk about the latest odd trend in personal care and pampering.

No, I’m not talking about going to get a steam facial, or a mani-pedi or hair styling. I’m talking about getting your vagina steamed. That’s right – steaming the good ol’ vajayjay!  Quite an image I’m conjuring up here for you, huh? I know my imagination ran wild when i first heard of this odd spa service that sounds to be a little ahead of my time for me personally.

Women like the relaxation that this relatively inexpensive spa treatment gives them, and it’s only offered at certain salons who are more into the oddball sort of stuff. Some claim that it has helped them relax and reduce anxiety, others claim that they have enjoyed better sex or even an easier time getting pregnant.

Quite a way to get some female sexual enhancement in, right!?  I admit, it sounds interesting, but also sounds like it could potentially be a bit dangerous is the steam is too hot. The process goes like this.

You sit on top of a chair like thing with a hole in it, whence the steam comes up, it goes into the vagina, apparently giving a relaxing feeling and helping to make the body feel more cleansed and awake.

Some say that it’s a bunch of hogwash as to the benefits, but who are they to say that it doesn’t work. After all, half of these spa like treatments are in a person’s head anyways.  If they enjoy it and it provides some sort of relaxation, then the beauty of it is all in the eye of the beholder.

And it may make it easier to get pregnant if it’s relaxing, because the body just has different pH levels and a whole different chemistry when the body is relaxed, so it’s not that far fetched that it would help in that arena as well.

The medical establishment has recently come out and said, flat out, that for most pregnant women, sex is perfectly acceptable and safe, even in later terms.  This is a good thing for women, because us women (yes, Jill here today) actually get a lot more out of sex when we are pregnant.

It may not seem that way, because we are larger and have this big belly in the way of the natural body contact that usually comes with sex, but in reality, our vulva, vagina, and clitoris are all very swollen from the natural side effects of pregnancy. This means one thing : a lot more sensation in the feminine regions!

We are much more sensitive down there, in fact, during pregnancy, so touches are much more felt, and the sexual satisfaction that comes with having sex can be much more pronounced, as long as a woman can put aside her insecurities about how she looks when she is pregnant and her altered shape during this time.

Of course, that’s the trickiest part of sex for most women – those damn emotions always seem to get in the way of a jolly good orgasm!  So, essentially, pregnancy acts as an aphrodisiac and libido booster for women in many ways for a woman, as long as she can mentally get herself in the sexual mood as well.

The only times doctors would warn pregnant women against having sex is in rare occurrences of pregnancy complications that might be aggravated or triggered by sexual intercourse. Other than that, doctors pretty much give the green light to sex during this time.

Hey guys, Jill here again.  I wanted to talk about a subject that lots of men seem to be confused about when it comes to their partners and what they might like when it comes to nipple stimulation.

Some women absolutely love to have the nipples of their breasts stimulated during sex, before sex as foreplay, or whenever they are trying to get in the mood. Some women though, really don’t care for nipple stimulation or touching.

In fact, some women have nipples that are so sensitive to touch that they prefer not to have their nipples stimulated sexually at all by the touch of their partner’s hands.

One thing that you NEVER want to do is twist, turn or suck them too hard. If a woman likes you to play rough with her nipples, she’ll probably tell you.

Otherwise, it’s best to play it safe and only be gentle.  Especially be careful for twisting the nipples or pressing on them too hard.

Our nipples are a very sensitive part of our bodies. As such, they can be very useful as an erogenous zone in getting us ready to have sex and enjoy it.  But they can also be a source of pain or irritation if they are over stimulated. So be cognizant of your lover’s reactions and expressions to your nipple stimulation.

If you’re unsure of what she enjoys and what she dislikes, then ask her, don’t be shy – sometimes women like to be asked because they may be shy about telling you about what they like. Asking what they like shows that you care and you want to be a good lover for them.

Hey guys, Jill here to offer once again a woman’s perspective on a hot topic of the female anatomy, the clitoris.  For men, and many women too, this part of the female erogenous zone (aka crotch area), this tend to be thought of as the end all, be all, “magic spot”.

However, what many men and women do not know is that the clitoris is not the only place that a partner needs to stimulate when he wants to get his lady friend in the mood.

Sure, it’s a big part of sexual stimulation for a woman, that will never be denied, but depending on the woman, it may not be the right area to touch her and get her all riled up for intercourse. The “little man in the boat” is powerful, but not omnipotent, that’s for sure.

The clitoris is definitely an area that men want to focus on GENTLY working – never get too rough with this area.

While most men respond to more rough touching on their penis and other erogenous zones, most women do not.

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, but this is a general rule of thumb.

Try gently rubbing this sensitive little organ with your finger tip. Get into the right rhythm and you will probably drive your lady wild – it’s better than almost any female aphrodisiac out there if you know the technique.

The clitoris is so sensitive during sexual arousal because it engorges with blood when a woman is excited. If you want her to get excited more quickly so that the clitoris is more easily stimulated, try a female sexual enhancement product that will help send more blood to her nether regions.

With this and the right manual stimulation of the clitoris, you almost can’t go wrong!