Teenage births at lowest number since the 1940s

Official statistics have shown that the number of teenagers giving birth has declined to reach its lowest level in nearly 70 years.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 25,977 women under the age of 20 gave birth in England and Wales, a figure that represents the lowest number since 1946 when 24,816 children were born.

In total, 695,233 births were recorded during 2014, a decrease of the 3,279 births in 2013. Interestingly, nearly half of the babies were born to unmarried mothers – this is the highest amount since records began. Incidentally, for the same time period, the number of deaths (501,424) had dropped 5,366 from 2013.

The decline in the number of teens giving birth could be attributed to better contraception advice for young women and improved access to abortion services, says a leading pregnancy charity.
The ONS birth stats have also shown:

• A small increase in the proportion of births to mothers born outside the UK – from 26.5% in 2013 to 27% in 2014.
• The average age women gave birth was 30.2 years old last year – the highest age since records first began in 1938.
• The number of babies born to mothers aged 40 and above (29,010) was down slightly (1%) on the recent high of 2011.
• Peterborough had the highest fertility rate across both England and Wales.

The ONS report states: “In most developed countries women have been increasingly delaying childbearing to later in life, which has resulted in increases in the mean age at first birth and rising fertility rates among older women.

“Although fertility rates for women aged 40 and above have generally been rising fast, fertility among women in their 40s is still considerably lower than for women in their 30s. Women aged 30 to 34 currently have the highest fertility of any age group.”

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, described the drop in teenage pregnancies as “noteworthy”.

“This is due in part to the huge improvements we’ve seen in contraception advice and services for younger women, with straightforward access to abortion services when their chosen method lets them down,” she said, adding that the data proves that women over the age of 35 still have a fairly good chance of being able to conceive.

Meanwhile, Louise Silverton, the director for midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, noted how the increase in the age of mothers in addition to “climbing levels of obesity” demonstrated a requirement for funding for new midwives in the NHS.

The key statistics for births and deaths were:

Most live births per woman

1. Peterborough: 2.34
2. Harlow: 2.31
3. Forest Heath: 2.31
4. Barking & Dagenham 2.28
5. Pendle 2.26

Least live births per woman

1. City of London: 0.96
2. Westminster: 1.20
3. Camden: 1.24
4. Islington: 1.29
5: Kensington & Chelsea: 1.31

Brits using cling film…instead of condoms?!

Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have heard of some truly ridiculous methods that couples are relying on in order to avoid an unwanted pregnancy – all of which do not work we might add.

For example, alarmingly, some people genuinely believe absurd things like having sex in certain positions (i.e. standing up) can prevent the woman falling pregnant, or that a female can’t get pregnant the first time she has sex, or that somehow if she jumps up and down after sex then she will not fall pregnant. All are complete myths.

And joining these on the shocking list of useless contraception ideas is the fact that it appears many couples in Britain are dabbling in their own do-it-yourself methods of contraception, using household items as makeshift condoms. Cling film, latex gloves and sandwich bags are some of the things being used as condoms, found a new study.

German pharmaceutical giant Bayer Healthcare carried out a survey of 1,500 British women aged 25-34, finding that despite endless government initiatives on sexual health, despite pharmacies like ourselves providing the pill, a morning after pill and a variety of condoms, numerous worrying myths still exist in regards to family planning.

In fact, a quarter of the women that participated in the study were fully aware of couples trying the aforementioned DIY methods, but there were other findings to cause alarm.

A tenth thought women can’t fall pregnant during a period, with 17% admitting to relying on the withdrawal method on occasions.

However, many health experts believe that even with ‘pulling out’, is it possible that pre-ejaculate may collect enough sperm still in the urethra from a previous ejaculation to result in a pregnancy. The pulling out method also relies on a huge deal of trust from the woman and self-control from the man, and the latter is risky if the man suffers with premature ejaculation. Moreover, let’s not forget that without using a condom and simply pulling out will still leave both parties at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection like chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhoea, HIV, and more.

With so many women relying on this withdrawal method, it is no surprise to learn that 30% of the women in the study confessed to having to resort to taking a morning after pill.

It seems better communication on the part of GPs is required after only 58% of women said their doctor had explored all avenues of contraception with them.

Contraceptive pills such as Yasmin and Dianette were by far the most popular choices of contraception, with 48% choosing the pill as their regular contraception method. Meanwhile, nearly a third of those surveyed were not aware of the existence of a hormonal implant and 27% did not know there was a contraceptive injection available.

Contraception carelessly shunned by women over 40 leading to more abortions

Although the menopause typically hits women at about the age of 50, a good number of women experience this ‘change of life’ in their 30s or 40s, where their ovaries no longer produce eggs, monthly periods are no more and it is very unlikely the woman will become pregnant.

Therefore, this could be behind an increasing number of women in their 40s undergoing abortions, as their attitude towards contraception and fertility becomes more lax in comparison to women in their 20s.

According to abortion provider The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), over four in ten women over the age of 40 who undergo an abortion have carelessly not been using any contraception. Despite being younger and viewed as potentially more immature, less than one in three women in the 20 to 24-year-old age bracket found to not be using contraception then went for an abortion.
In 2002 there was 6,531 abortions carried out for women aged between 40 and 44, but by 2012 this had soared to 7,737.

BPAS say a large number of women are under the impression that by their 40s, it is so difficult to fall pregnant that they can avoid using any contraception altogether. This is inexplicable and quite absurd when considering the wide variety of options out there for women in the present day, such as Dianette, Marvelon, Yasmin, Zoely, or the Levonelle 1500 morning after pill – an emergency contraception pill that can be taken within 12 hours of unprotected sex and no later than 72 hours after.

In addition, experts also say that as women are commonly warned about a lower chance of motherhood in their 30s due to declining fertility, this message has been taken to extremes and now means women older than this are simply foregoing safe sex in the assumptions they will not become pregnant.

Prof Neil McClure, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen’s University Belfast, says: “Women should not rely on their increasing age as a method of contraception.”

BPAS are responsible for conducting the majority of abortions in Britain paid for by the NHS, with more abortions seen for women aged over 35 than for females under the age of 18.

Ann Furedi, bias Chief Executive said: “Over the past few years we have seen much scaremongering about older women’s fertility. From ‘career women’ leaving it too late to older women ‘banking on IVF’ to conceive, these stories lead many women to dramatically underestimate their own fertility later in life.

“At bpas we see more women over 35 with unplanned pregnancy than we do women under 18. We know from speaking to women that stories and campaigns suggesting it’s hard to get pregnant after 35 – even if well intentioned – are having a real impact on women’s perception of their own fertility, and therefore their use of contraception. Women deserve accurate, impartial information to make their own choices about family planning in their 30s. Fertility does decline as you get older, but the drop is not as great as we are sometimes led to believe. For women who don’t want to fall pregnant the message is simple: use contraception until you have passed your menopause.”

Prof McClure added: “The message needs to be that fertility is lower in older women when compared with younger women, that fertility does decline after the age of 35 but women over the age of 35 are still fertile and need to use contraception right up to the menopause if they do not want to conceive.”
Data from the Office of National Statistics show that since 1990 there has been more than a double rise in the conception rate for the over-40s, jumping from 6.6 to 14.0 conceptions for every thousand women. The number of over-40s becoming pregnant increased from 12,032 in 1990 to nearly 29,000 by 2011, whilst conception rates in women aged 35 to 39 almost doubled in the same time frame.

The astonishing wonders of the female contraceptive pill Yasmin

With so many versions of the contraceptive pill currently available, it may be a little confusing and even daunting for many women when trying to decide exactly which is the right choice for them.
Many people may not be aware, but ‘The pill’ first came to prominence 56 years ago (1956) in Puerto Rico and in the present day there are approximately 3.5 million women in the UK alone who choose this as a contraception method.

Contraceptive pills are chosen often in conjunction with the male still wearing a condom as normal in what could be regarded as a ‘belts and braces’ safety precaution. More and more women could turn to contraceptive pills for their incredibly high rate of pregnancy prevention.

Another persuasive factor could also be the fact that only two months ago, the Implanon contraceptive implants hit headlines for all the wrong reasons when it was revealed that the small biodegradable rod had become lost within the body of hundreds of women after doctors are struggling to locate them, leaving the woman infertile.

Long term patients with Medical Specialists Pharmacy may already be aware that we have provided oral contraceptive treatment for women for a number of years now, in the form of the wonder drug Dianette. For those unfamiliar with Dianette, it is a pill taken by women for everyday for 21 days of their menstrual cycle, followed by a 7 day break when no pills are taken at all (also known as ‘cyclic treatment’). During this break, women are still protected against unwanted pregnancies. In the 7 day rest period, hormone levels in the blood begin to decrease and women will experience a withdrawal bleed that is just like a normal period. Regardless of bleeding, the next pack of 21 tablets is begun after the week is up.

However, there are now more options than ever for women in regards to contraception. One such option is another contraceptive pill, named ‘Yasmin’. Taken by thousands of women across the UK and even millions more worldwide, it has recently been introduced by Medical Specialists along with Marvelon and the Morning after pill, Levonelle 1500.

A Yasmin tablet contains two active ingredients; ethinylestradiol and drospirenone. These are synthetic forms of the naturally occurring female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. The drospirenone within Yasmin works as a diuretic, meaning it helps to flush the body of excess fluid and reduce the symptoms of bloating which stem from this problem that arises when a woman is pre-menstrual. One tablet is taken every day for 21 days and you then have a seven day break from pill-taking, exactly the same as Dianette.

In addition to battling the problems of water retention, Yasmin can also help to maintain or even lose weight and just like Dianette, has been shown to be incredibly effective at easing skin conditions such as acne.

Don’t take our word for it though, this is what Dr Diana Mansour, head of fertility services for Newcastle Primary Care Trust, had to say about Yasmin: “It is not unusual for women to come back to us and say that Yasmin is the best contraceptive option they’ve had so far. Some of the other contraceptive pills they’ve been on have made them feel awful. Women have not only put on weight but have felt moody, too. If you ask women why they give up taking the pill, it is usually the side-effects, or perceived side-effects, and one of those is weight gain.”

In fact, trials conducted in June 2000 pitted Yasmin against Microgynon 30; another main contraceptive pill used by women in the UK. Both contraceptives were found to improve acne symptoms. However, it was discovered that women taking Yasmin actually lost between 1lb 10oz and 3lb 10oz over the course of a year. In comparison, women taking Microgynon 30 managed to put on 1lb 8oz.

One delighted user of Yasmin is 28-year-old Kathy Hart, a marketing director based in Kent. At aged 17, Kathy began to take the low dose contraceptive pill Mercilon. Initially happy, she began to gain weight with Mercilon. Kathy says: “But after ten years I started to gain weight and at that point the low dosage pill was no longer deemed suitable. I started to get intermittent bleeding between periods, tender breasts, awful headaches and a real feeling of bloatedness – something I’d never experienced before. I was about to get married at the time, so was under a lot of personal stress. The condition of my skin deteriorated and I started getting lots of spots, which left me feeling very depressed. It felt like a nightmare vicious circle. When you’re getting married, you’re desperate to look like a princess – but my body seemed be refusing to cooperate. At one point I thought I would not be able to fit into my wedding dress because I was so bloated all of the time. Eventually, I decided I’d had enough and went to see a family planning adviser. After listing all my problems, she mentioned the new contraceptive pill, Yasmin. I was told Yasmin would help my skin look better, that my hair would be less oily and more glossy, and, most importantly, that it would help stop the bloating. Although it wasn’t available on prescription at the time, I was told I could take it on a trial basis. I didn’t even hesitate. The combined package of benefits was exactly what I needed. I jumped at the chance. For the first month of taking it, I actually felt quite nauseous and the pills didn’t seem to agree with me at all. But my family planning adviser said that the nausea was completely normal. I’d been taking a different contraceptive pill – and therefore a different drug – for nearly ten years, so there was bound to be an adjustment period. After the first month, the improvement was fantastic. I stopped getting the “spotting” between periods, and over the next few months my skin cleared completely. It helped me regain all the confidence I’d lost. Now, 13 months on, I’m 100 per cent happy with Yasmin and I recommend it to all my friends. The base level benefits – such as not getting pregnant and the cycle control – work exactly as they should. But above and beyond that is the fact that Yasmin controls the bloatedness and all the other awful things I was experiencing on my previous contraceptive pill.”
If Kathy’s story wasn’t enough, just listen to what Dr Mansour had to say in her praise of Yasmin, where 90% of the 60 women taking Yasmin prescribed by Newcastle Primary Care Trust, were still on the treatment after three months. Dr Mansour comments: “That’s a much higher rate than with the standard pill we prescribe, Microgynon 30, when only 78 per cent of patients are still taking it after three months. Basically, if you’re using a pill that actually has a health benefit, then you’re much more likely to stick with it and the women we’ve prescribed Yasmin to, are far happier using it than previous contraceptive pills they’ve been on.”

So, there you have it. We hope women now feel a little more clued up about the wide range of contraceptive pills that are available, and the added benefits that some of them have besides their primary purpose. For further information though, feel free to visit the Women’s Health section of the Medical Specialists website where we offer female contraceptives such as Yasmin, Marvelon, Dianette and Levonelle 1500 (Morning after pill), as well as medications for other conditions such as female hair loss and sexual health.

Young women carelessly ignore condoms when taking the pill

A U.S. study has found that when women decide to use a hormonal contraceptives, pills, patches etc.; they often tend to stop using condoms. In addition, the same study discovered that years later if they then stop using the hormonal contraceptives, they will not resume any use of condoms. This is quite alarming and puts these women at a high risk of either an unwanted pregnancy, or possibly contracting a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea or herpes. Only by using effective condoms such as Durex or Skins condoms can the threat of picking up an STI be kept to an absolute minimum.

Researchers from the Stanford Medical School in the U.S. looked at information obtained from almost 1,200 sexually active women. All women were aged 15 to 24 years of age and were visiting Planned Parenthood clinics. They were just beginning to use contraceptive pills, injections, patches or vaginal rings and not planning to fall pregnant in the forthcoming twelve months. When the study first got underway, it was determined that 36% of the study subjects used condoms consistently.
After three months study authors conducted a follow-up and found that the using of condoms had dramatically decreased by a shocking 27%. After a year, many of the women had stopped using any kind of hormonal contraception and worryingly; over half of these particular women did not then resume using condoms with sexual partners.

Those involved in the study advise that the most effective method of protecting against both an unwanted pregnancy and STIs is to adhere to the ‘dual method use’.  This could be described as a ‘belts and braces’ safety measure and is the use of condoms along with other contraception, such as the popular female oral contraception Dianette.

Lead researcher Dr. Rachel Goldstein offered her thoughts on the apparent dwindling number of women who are carelessly not bothering to use condoms, indicating the blame lies at the feet of the male. She says, “It appears that her partner’s feelings may be more important than her perceived risk of a sexually transmitted infection or her own beliefs about dual method use. Although a woman feels like she is at risk for an STI, she may not be able to advocate for herself and successfully negotiate condom use with her partner.”

For those unaware about the previously mentioned Dianette, they are contraceptive pills taken by women everyday for 21 days of their menstrual cycle, followed by a 7 day break when no pills are taken at all (also known as ‘cyclic treatment’). During this one week time period, women are still protected against unwanted pregnancies. In the 7 day rest period, hormone levels in the blood begin to decrease and women will experience a withdrawal bleed that is just like a normal period.
Dianette is available today from Medical Specialists Pharmacy, working out costing just £9.99 per month! In the next few weeks we will have other oral birth controls for women such as Yasmin and Marvelon. Similar to Dianette, both are also used in the treatment of acne. Keep checking the Medical Specialists website about these medications and many more which we are continuously adding to our product base.

Male contraceptive pill could be on the horizon with latest breakthrough

A major discovery by Australian researchers could finally bring a male contraceptive pill to fruition and give men more options to equip them and their partners against unwanted pregnancies. Currently condoms such as Durex and Skins for men or the oral contraceptive pill for women, Dianette, are just a few of the choices that are already presently available.

The latest developments follow other research conducted earlier this year by American experts who wanted to push through a male contraceptive pill as they said: “The lack of contraceptive alternatives for men is partially responsible for the high rate of unplanned pregnancies and contributes to the ethical, social and financial costs associated with abortions and deliveries to single mothers.”

Scientists at Monash University in Melbourne say that their findings mean that a pill could be produced that actually kills off the ability of sperm to swim efficiently, living them twiddling their thumbs instead of arriving at their unwanted destination! Furthermore, their findings could also shed some more light on potential factors behind male infertility.

In what seems to be common practice for laboratory tests these days, Lead researcher Professor Moira O’Bryan and her team chose mice to be their subjects for analysis. The team devised a mutation in a gene that is named ‘RABL2’. This gene works at transmitting protein fuel to the engine (known as the axoneme) in a sperm’s tail in mice.

This engineered mutation then led to a reduction in the size of sperm tails by 17% of their ‘normal’ size, and a 50% decrease in the production of sperm.

Most interestingly perhaps was that it was found these particular mice with the mutated gene were left infertile and their sperm were prevented from swimming or moving about anywhere.
Professor O’Bryan says, “They weren’t wriggling or going anywhere, they were just twitching. With this mutation, we get motors that don’t work properly. To be fertile, sperm need motility or swimming ability.”

O’Bryan worked together with fellow scientists from the University of Newcastle, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the University of Cambridge for the research. The next step now will be crafting a male contraceptive pill that will work to restrict the RABL2 gene instead of changing or damaging it forever.

Professor O’Bryan continued, “The challenge with developing the male pill isn’t rendering the sperm infertile but turning them back on again.”

The biggest hurdle it seems now for the scientists to overcome is the fact RABL2 is also located in other tissues such as those in the brain, kidneys and liver in lower concentrations. Therefore a male contraceptive pill would have to be constructed in a complex way that has an inhibitor specialised for the testes and will not affect other areas of the body.

Perhaps another hurdle to whether or not male contraceptive pills fully take-off, is if women actually trust the man to take it! This is a subject Medical Specialists Pharmacy looked at briefly in our story mentioned earlier. In addition, it is unknown just when a male pill will even be available. Various studies have been conducted in the last few years but it seems nobody has come forth with a definitive date of release. In the meantime, men could simply opt for the tried and test contraceptive method of condoms, which boast a 98% effectiveness rate. For women, the female birth control pill Dianette has an incredible 99% effective at fulfilling its purpose.

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy, men are already spoilt for choice when it comes to their contraceptive needs. In regards to condoms, Durex and Skins in particularly have an impressive range of weird and wonderful condoms to suit his and her preferences. Some condoms are ultra-thin to the extent you can barely feel it, others are designed to have a ‘tingling’ effect for maximum pleasure, whereas there are also even condoms that come in luscious flavours such as chocolate. If all this isn’t enough, a Durex play vibration ring can be used in conjunction with a condom to add to the pleasure!
Make sure to keep checking the Medical Specialists website for further news, developments and the latest products. We are constantly updating our huge product base and in the next few weeks we will also hope to add Marvelon and Yasmin; two additional female oral contraceptive pills that can also help to fight acne.

Female oral contraceptive pills could alleviate menstrual cramps

Oral contraceptive pills such as Dianette are taken by women for everyday for 21 days of their menstrual cycle, followed by a 7 day break when no pills are taken at all (also known as ‘cyclic treatment’). During this one week time period, women are still protected against unwanted pregnancies. In the 7 day rest period, hormone levels in the blood begin to decrease and women will experience a withdrawal bleed that is just like a normal period. Regardless of bleeding, the next pack of 21 tablets is begun after the week is up.

However, some experts are now claiming that women could see health benefits from taking the oral contraceptive pills uninterrupted throughout the menstrual cycle instead of adhering to the usual 21 day block. Specifically, the scientists involved in the study into oral contraceptive pills, allege that this continuous usage can provide women with earlier relief from the symptoms of dysmenorrhea.

Dysmenorrhea is one of the most gynaecologic complaints amongst younger women, with an estimated three quarters of them suffering from such problems and the term can basically be defined as ‘painful periods’. For roughly a fifth of women, the pains are so severe and unbearable that it can actually prevent them from going about their day to day activities. Dysmenorrhea happens during menstruation and is thought to occur because of three main reasons; unusual uterine contractions, more pressure on the pelvic region and a heightened sensitivity to pain.

Dr Richard Legro, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Penn State College of Medicine, says, “Between 50 and 90 percent of women suffer from this condition, and it can really limit work, school, or athletic performance. Previous studies have estimated that dysmenorrhea accounts for 600 million lost work hours and $2 billion annually.”

The women involved in Dr Legro’s study, were all experiencing inexplicable menstrual pain. This means that health experts could not pinpoint their pains to typical common problems such as ovarian cysts, endometriosis, any past surgical procedures, or other pelvic or bowel diseases.

Dr Legro commented on the aims of his study and said, “Oral contraceptives are often prescribed to treat this condition (dysmenorrhea), since reducing menstruation is a relatively straightforward way to relieve this cramping. However, we wanted to determine whether there was a measurable difference between cyclic and continuous oral contraceptive treatment methods.”

To judge the effects of a cyclic course of treatment vs. a continuous method of taking the contraceptive pills, Dr Legro split the female subjects into two groups and each group spent half a year on that particular therapy. After the evaluation, it was discovered that both groups had actually seen a decline in menstrual pain over this time. Interestingly though, the group assigned the continuous treatment, overall stated they had experienced substantial pain relief earlier on compared to the others.

Despite the promising indications shown in this study, Medical Specialists Pharmacy do not advise women who are taking Dianette to make any alterations to the recommended course of treatment before consulting their own GP first. We believe further analysis is warranted to fully determine the risks and benefits involved with continuously taking oral contraceptive tablets.

Dangerous fake ‘Olympic condoms’ amongst a £10,000 haul in London

On the same day we have reported about £117 million of counterfeit drugs being seized in China, we can also confirm that the major problem of counterfeit goods is rife on these shores too!

If you are currently in London and enjoying Team GB’s successful Olympic campaign, please make sure you are always vigilant for fake, poorly made goods and Olympic souvenirs. We are issuing these warnings because since the start of the Games on 27 July, there have been seizures of fake goods totalling roughly £10,000 according to the Westminster trading standards.

Included in the haul were fake ‘Olympic branded’ condoms, mobile phone covers, t-shirts and shoes. Sue Jones, head of Westminster trading standards, hit out at the criminal activities and said, “This isn’t about taking anyone to court, but when traders are trying to trick tourists with shoddy or fake Olympic merchandise, we need to take action. Buying bogus Olympic goods is a false economy – they don’t look right, they break easily, and tourists will go away from London with a poor experience of the Games. We want to make sure that people have the best possible experience of the Games and of Westminster.”

Unfortunately, what Sue Jones didn’t explain in detail is just how dangerous it is purchasing cheaper counterfeit condoms. If the low price attracts you to purchase fake condoms, perhaps the risks you face with them could deter you, and instead opt for genuine, quality-made Durex or Skins condoms.

For example, there is a massive risk the fake condoms will not even do the job they are meant for in the first place! With a lack of good protection on offer, the risk of catching and spreading a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia or herpes is massive, as well as unwanted pregnancies.

Male and female contraception should only be purchased from a highly reputable source such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Every medication or product dispatched to our patients is 100% genuine and their health is at the core of our business practice. We have a wide range of both Durex and Skins condoms at great prices from our chemist shop. However, if you suspect you may have used a low-quality fake condom, we offer a Clamelle chlamydia test kit for just £24.85 which can be used in the privacy of your own home to prevent an embarrassing visit to your GP. Or, if you have been confirmed as having this or gonorrhoea, the antibiotic Azithromycin can prevent the spread of the bacteria so that your body’s natural defences can fight back and remove the infection from your system. We also have the medication Valtrex working out as costing just £3.50 per tablet, which works by slowing the spread of the herpes virus.