The Cervical Cap

The Cervical Cap

The cervical cap is a method of birth control for women. It is to be inserted under doctor’s supervision. It has many advantages over other methods of birth control. Read on to know more about cervical cap.

The cervical cap operates on the same premise as a diaphragm, i.e. it prevents the sperm from getting into the uterus. It is 85% effective. As in the case of the diaphragm, you will need a prescription to get the right size and it will have to be inserted under doctor's supervision the first time. The difference is that it is smaller and more rigid and fits snugly over the cervix.

The cervical cap has certain advantages over the diaphragm. It can be left in for up to forty-eight hours. Spermicide need not be reapplied for repeated intercourse. In addition, the cervical cap can be inserted at any convenient time and not necessarily just prior to intercourse. It provides moderate protection against venereal disease and does not affect the sensation during sex. However, it is more difficult to insert and remove than the diaphragm. As there are limited sizes, there is a greater risk of dislodgement as result of not getting the proper fit.

You must have normal Pap smears before you can wear the cap. The cap cannot be worn during menses, or in the first few weeks after delivery or an abortion as there is a slightly increased risk of toxic shock syndrome during these times.

The 25 All-Time Best Men's Health Tips

Here's a chronology of some of our best.

Save your back, lift more, run more: It all starts in your middle, man.

1990: Tilt up your rearview mirror . just far enough to force yourself into an upright sitting position to see behind you, which is good for your posture and your aching back. We've used this simple tip ever since that year, when we drove a Geo Metro (55 miles a gallon, baby!).

1991: Never eat out of the original container

How many times have you dipped into a pint of ice cream only to find yourself staring at the bottom of the container 15 minutes later?

1992: Accept the latexed finger

We called prostate cancer "the overlooked disease," and encouraged more testing and research. Have you been probed lately?

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LDL cholesterol numbers.

At least not as a stand-alone stat. That's because it doesn't take your "good" HDL cholesterol, which may counteract the bad kind, into account. A better gauge of heart-disease risk: your ratio of total to HDL cholesterol, a notion confirmed by a 2001 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

1994: Make them wait for your best offer

Go to the bargaining table understanding what you're willing to concede. The longer you sit on your hands, the more they're likely to cough up.

1995: Don't check in for surgery in July

If you're scheduling elective surgery in a teaching hospital, shoot for late spring, when residents have more experience.

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1996: Tape a golf ball to the back of your PJs

It'll stop your snoring by forcing you to sleep on your side or front. Back sleepers often have blocked airways, and that leads to a host of troubles.

A cup of green tea.

Few beverages (with beer as the possible exception) have been celebrated in these pages quite as much as green tea, that antioxidant-rich elixir that may help prevent prostate cancer, lower your heart-disease risk, and find your missing slippers.

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1998: Compliment her on what counts

"You're beautiful" isn't a compliment. If you want to impress a woman, praise what she's made, not what God's made. "Lovely dress." "Terrific memo." "Incredible insight." "Great joke!"

1999: Use a blow-up workout partner

We're not sure when we fell in love with our curvaceous assistant (the Swiss ball, that is), but the affair was consummated when we devoted a feature to pushups and presses performed with our inflatable friend tight against our bodies.

2000: Don't blow your nose when you have a cold

It can force mucus and germs back into nasal passages and prolong the cold. Use antihistamines. And please—wipe.

2001: The bicycle crunch is the greatest abs exercise ever

Imagine our thrill when biomechanics researchers at San Diego State University used electromyograph machines to measure muscle activity and figure out the best abs exercise. Fortunately, we've since discovered a whole slew of new abs moves the scientists didn't test.

2002: Use the stall nearest to the door

It has the fewest germs and the most toilet paper, because everyone walks past it.

2003: Everybody needs a best friend

Spending time with a pet is more effective at reducing stress than spending time with friends, girlfriends, or alcohol.

2004: Lose your gut, because belly fat kills

Visceral fat (the stuff that settles in your abdomen) lets toxins seep into your vital organs. Which is why round-bellied men die sooner than flat-bellies. So eat six small meals a day instead of three big ones—you'll stave off hunger and avoid overeating. The Abs Diet makes perfect sense.

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2005: Drink chocolate milk

We found a study that says it's a nearly perfect postworkout drink. You're welcome.

2006: Hard and fast is best

The quickest way to burn fat and build fitness is with the Tabata Protocol, which sounds like a Robert Ludlum novel but is a Japanese exercise technique that involves bursts of intense activity and short rests. It works with body-weight exercises, sprints, or exercise bikes. Less time, better body.

2007: Eat the bacon

Fat doesn't make you fat. Too many calories does. Fat is good. Just not too much.

2008: Earn the promotion

Forget your rivals: Do your job and do it well. Where are you looking? At the scoreboard? At the other guy? Or at the assignment in front of you? In any competitive endeavor, team or otherwise, success comes down to the man in the mirror and how he completes his assignment.

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2009: Strength before cardio

Japanese scientists found that guys who lift weights before their cardio session burn twice as much fat as those who just do cardio.

2010: Do unto others

It doesn't guarantee reciprocation, but you'll never lose. No one's going to scoff, "You delivered as promised? Congrats on being elected mayor of Chump City!"

2011: A close shave

If you have an oblong or oval face shape, trim your hairs closer on the underside of your chin, but leave a bit of length on your cheeks. Round face? Create length by leaving more hair on your chin and less on your cheeks.

2012: Run Softly

The louder your footfalls, the less efficiently you're running. Try running more quietly; you'll be unconsciously switching to a midfoot strike and a shorter, quicker stride.

2013: Leave her be

She says she needs space? Start investing more in your own identity, whether it's going out with the guys or hitting the gym. Giving her this breathing room not only allows her to spend her time how she pleases but also helps your connection in the long run.