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.