Hormonal birth control has been available to American women since the early 1960s with the introduction of "the pill." Since then, birth control via hormones can also be accomplished with injections, patches, implants and rings, although pills remain the most popular method and the most studied.

The recovery after vasectomy is usually quick, and most men experience few side effects after the procedure. On occasion, some men may notice a lump in one or both testicles after a vasectomy. Some causes for testicular lumps after vasectomy include sperm granulomas, hematomas and inflammation.

Birth control pills come in multiple forms consisting of different mixtures of reproductive hormones. Although birth control pills are widely used and effective, like all medications there are risks and benefits associated with their use.

After going through childbirth, the last thing on many women’s minds is getting pregnant again. These women should begin birth control before resuming sexual activity after childbirth to prevent another pregnancy, according to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals.

Vasectomy is a surgical procedure that is used by men wishing to become permanently sterile. When a man is sterile, he is no longer able to impregnate his partners. After vasectomy, most men experience few long-term side effects, but a small percentage of men will have lasting problems after the surgery.

The only birth control patch that is marketed in the United States is the Ortho Evra patch, though most methods of hormonal birth control work in a similar way. The Ortho Evra patch is a method of hormonal contraception, similar to "the pill."

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, is a complex endocrine disorder that affects up to one in five women of reproductive age. The syndrome typically manifests with various symptoms, including menstrual irregularities, insulin resistance with weight-gain.

Hormonal birth control methods are effective in preventing pregnancy, but can cause hyperpigmentation in some women. Hyperpigmentation, also called melasma, occurs when changing hormone levels cause patches of brown or grayish skin to appear on the face.

A textbook period occurs every 24 to 29 days, notes the Women to Women website, but not everyone has a textbook period. Most periods last from 3 to 5 days, but a period lasting anywhere from 2 to 7 days is considered normal.

Birth control pills suppress your menstrual cycle and the accompanying production of female hormones from your reproductive system by supplying them in pill form. This hormonal suppression means you have the benefit of determining when your period occurs by altering how you take your birth control pills.

Once they are certain that they do not want to have children, many people start looking for effective, long-term birth control solutions. Male sterilization, called vasectomy, is a permanent form of birth control.

The connection between birth control pills and weight loss sparks a contentious debate in the medical community.