Birth Control Considerations for Teenagers

Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult experience amidst a young person's life. It can interrupt school or other plans in their young lives. It can create an emotional crisis resulting in feelings of depression, shame and fear.  The stress of how a teenager go through to break this news to her parents might be even greater, and finding help may seem an impossible task.


There are researches that indicate that sex education and access to effective contraception are essential in preventing unplanned pregnancy in the teenage population. Some teenage pregnancies occur as a result of young women's sexual inexperience and an inadequate understanding of their reproductive cycle. Th research suggests that knowledge about reproductive matters and access to contraception are necessary to prevent unintended adolescent pregnancy.


According to another research, it has shown that the number of births to teenagers has decreased considerably over the last few decades. This decrease is most likely due to the increased availability of abortion and birth control, rather than a decrease in sexual activity.

There has been an increase in abstinence and the use birth control methods among teens in the late 90s, although this does not attribute the changes to sex education alone. With so many methods available and so many factors to consider, choosing birth control can be difficult. Teenagers now have a lot of options and making a choice can be a bit difficult, if not outright confusing.  The key is to carefully check available product literature and sources of information about birth control methods. Making an informed decision is the consumer's responsibility before using a birth control product or whatever product there is.

One of the first considerations a teenager might wish to have is whether she wants a permanent or temporary birth control.  This is a decision that will affect the rest of her life and can be made only after thinking it through carefully. If a teenager knows that she will not ever want to conceive or get pregnant, tubal ligation or tubal implants may be the appropriate method to use.

An unplanned pregnancy would seriously impact a teenager's plans for the future and thus, choosing a birth control method that is highly effective is a must.
Some people argue that sexual abstinence is not a true form of birth control. But, birth control is any act, drug, or device that is intended to prevent pregnancy.

This means that choosing to abstain is really a contraceptive. Among teens, abstinence is the most popular method of birth control. Among people aged 15-19, fewer than half have ever had sex. Over one in ten women of reproductive age have never had sex at all.
If a teenager has health problems or other risk factors, some birth control methods may not be right for them. Other health problems that might keep one from using a particular birth control method are relatively rare, especially in young women. However, before using any method, it is definitely important for a teenager to seek and talk with a health professional.

Bodybuilding And Overtraining

One of the biggest problems a newbie bodybuilder faces is determining how much to train. When they start a bodybuilding program, after having never exercised with weights before, the body generally responds relatively fast. The new bodybuilder can see gains in muscle size and a firming of the body within the first few weeks and this encourages them to train harder.

This is where the problems start to begin. After the initial burst of muscle development, the body will begin to plateau for a while, and increasing the training will only lead to a case of over training. Over training occurs when the muscles haven't had sufficient time for recovery.

When the muscles are subject to weight training, the main process of development occurs during the recovery period when the muscle cells are rebuilt, to cope with the increased demands of the weight lifting. It is during this 'rebuilding' process that the muscles become bigger, and without sufficient recovery the muscles won't have time to rebuild the cells.

This leads to the muscle getting over worked and growth is stunted. Without the correct knowledge, the newbie bodybuilder thinks that they need to train even harder to maintain the gains that they were seeing in the initial stages of their weight lifting program. Thus begins the downward spiral of more and more over training, and the resultant lack of muscle growth and fatigue.

With correct guidance the bodybuilder will be able to see when they are getting into a state of over training and allow themself a little more time to recover. This might involve having a few days rest from exercise, or more rest days between training sessions. Alternatively, the over trained bodybuilder might need to reduce the amount of weights lifted during a training session.

Reducing the intensity of the training will help to eliminate the possibility of injury and other health related problems as the body's immune system is put under stress.

People who are just beginning bodybuilding for the first time need to be made aware of this process before they start training so they can plan their weight lifting program in such a manner that they will continue to see gains in muscle size and fitness and reduce the possibility of the plateau periods where they appear to be making little or no progress.

Acquired Brain Injury

There are two main ways brain injury can occur, insidious onset (tumors, neurological diseases, and substance and alcohol abuse) or outside onset (infection, lack of oxygen, trauma, and strokes). Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is brain damage suffered after birth.  




The main causes of ABI include disease (AIDS, Alzheimer, cancer, Parkinson or sclerosis), alcohol or drugs, prolonged lack of oxygen, physical trauma (such as those suffered in car accidents or fighting sports) and strokes (the breaking of a blood vessel causing brain tissue destruction).

Acquired brain injury affects patients in numerous ways. Many patients experience mental and physical fatigue, visual dysfunction and slowed mental processes such as problem solving or planning.  Personality and behavior modifications can also appear, with some people even becoming a threat to society.

It is published that 1.5 to 2 million Americans suffer a brain injury each year, mainly due to falls, acts of violence, sports injuries, and, most frequently, motor vehicles accidents. The even more disturbing news is that 2.5 to 6.5 million Americans are living with ABI. The good news is that thanks to evolutions in medical care, more people are surviving brain injury every year.

Acquired brain injury is a serious matter.  ABI can result in an incredible life change for the suffering party, family disruption, loss of income or earning potential, and expenses resulting from the victim’s lifelong need for support. There are several institutions that offer care for ABI patients, and doctors can diagnose and treat many ABIs, so it is vital that people suffering a head injury get medical attention to prevent or cure symptoms.

A Sleep Aid to Dream About

Just when one thinks that there is just one too many sleep aids available in the market, think again. A new sleep aid that can promote dreaming has been formulated by drug researchers and pharmacologists.  The said is also said to be effective in improving one's memory.

This medication specifically targets the orexin system, which is also associated with the urges connected with feeding and addiction. Orexin is a type of hormone that was discovered in 1998 and is known to control or induce a number of physiological reactions and conditions such as narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder where people can fall asleep several times a day and experience paralyzing musculo-skeletal contractions.

A Swiss drug company named Actelion has also unveiled a new candidate drug known as orexin-RA-1 that can block the orexin system. Laboratory rats slept soundly and performed better in maze tests the following day than rats given with only conventional sleep aids, suggesting that the drug improves memory capacity. Measurements of muscle tone and brain activity revealed an increase in the dream phase of sleep. According to Actelion CEO Jean Paul Clozel, the dream phase is when memory is hardwired in the brain. According to Clozel, older medications reduce REM sleep. Lack of REM sleep makes people still feel tired even after they just woke up.

Shahrad Taheri, a doctor from the University of Bristol, said that orexin has great potential for promoting sleep and regulating appetite. Taheri said that orexin can be used to reduce cravings for food.

The new sleep aid drug is now undergoing stage trials. Clozel says that the drug could be available in the market by 2012.  He admitted that there are plans to extend its application beyond insomnia. Unlike older generations of sleep medications, orexin-RA-1 showed no signs of being addictive or of losing its effects over time. However, this type of medication should have a thorough inspection for possible unwanted side effects.  Existing sleep aids being sold in the market are known to have a number of side effects. Tests should be done in order to fully analze a new drug's effects in the brain, and how it can provide other beneficial effects without harming other human internal systems.

Aside from using medications, people with insomnia should continue receiving non-medical help to overcome sleeplessness.  Among the most common advice given to insomniacs by doctors and behavioral therapists include:

Cutting down on caffeinated drinks especially during hours that are too near sleeping time
Avoiding stimulating activities such as games, exercise, and watching action movies when on is about to sleep
Keeping the bedroom as a private place for sleeping.  An insomniac should not do work inside the sleeping quarters.
The room must be kept dark, free from noise, and comfortable enough to induce relaxation and drowsiness.

In very severe cases of sleep deprivation, the help of medical and psychiatric professionals should be sought.  Insomniacs, however, must make sure to consul these professionals first before using any sleep aid.  Using sleep aids without proper consultation could lead to substance abuse and, worse, to accidental death.  Sleep aid overdose is a very serious risk faced by insomniacs who use medications without the proper prescription.

Soon, however, new drugs such as orexin may help people with severe sleep deprivation gain back the ability to sleep, rest, and dream about better days and nights ahead.