Glossary

Acne:
A common skin disease caused by inflammation of the skin glands and hair follicles that is often marked by pimples especially on the face.

Active pills:
The pills in a birth control pill pack that actually contain the hormones that prevent pregnancy. When the active pills run out, you take inactive pills and usually get your period within a few days. The YAZ^® pill pack contains 24 active pills and four inactive pills. These differ in color so you can easily tell them apart.

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome):
A potentially fatal sexually transmitted disease caused by infection with the HIV virus. The virus attacks and weakens the body's immune system, making it susceptible to many kinds of infectious diseases it would normally fight off.

Androgens:
A category of male sex hormones that includes testosterone. Androgens are found in men and, in small amounts, in women. In men, androgens are responsible for reproductive development. But in women, these hormones can cause unwanted facial hair. Androgens have also been known to cause acne in both men and women.

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Birth control pill:
A reversible method of birth control that is over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy, when used correctly and consistently. Also known as oral contraceptives (OCs) or the Pill, birth control pills contain hormones that prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg. If an egg is released, however, birth control pills also make it difficult for sperm to fertilize the egg.

Breakthrough bleeding:
Bleeding that is sometimes as heavy as a normal menstrual period but takes place between periods.

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Cervical cap:
This reversible method of birth control is a small, soft rubber cap a woman inserts in her vagina before having intercourse. The cap must be left in place for at least eight hours after intercourse and removed within 48 hours.

Cervical mucus:
A fluid secreted by the cervix, cervical mucus changes in both quality and quantity just before and during ovulation. Birth control pills help to thicken cervical mucus, slowing down the movement of sperm.

Cervix:
The narrow, lower end of the uterus that serves as a pathway between the uterus and the vagina.

Chlamydia:
The most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the United States, chlamydia is a serious health threat because it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Since there are no symptoms, chlamydia often goes undiagnosed but is easy to treat with antibiotics.

Combination pill:
The most commonly prescribed kind of birth control pill, combination pills contain both estrogen and progestin.

Condom:
A reversible birth control method worn over a man's penis during intercourse to prevent sperm from getting into the vagina and fertilizing the egg. A condom is made from thin latex rubber, plastic, or animal tissue.

Contraceptive effectiveness:
A percentage that rates the effectiveness of a birth control method. Birth control pills, for example, have a contraceptive effectiveness of 99% when taken as directed. This means that one out of 100 women taking the Pill will become pregnant when using the Pill correctly and consistently.

Cycle control:
The effort to attain regular, predictable menstrual periods. For instance, some women on birth control pills find that the Pill also significantly affects their menstrual cycle. Their periods may be shorter, lighter, and less painful than those women who are not on the Pill. Some pills, however, cause spotting or breakthrough bleeding for some women. A pill is said to have "good cycle control" if it keeps a woman's period regular without causing too much bleeding between periods.

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Day 1:
One of two methods for taking birth control pills. With this method, a woman takes the first pill in her pill pack on the first day of her period, no matter what day of the week that is. The other method for taking birth control pills is called Sunday Start.

Diaphragm:
A reversible method of birth control in which a soft rubber dome with a flexible rim covers the cervix and blocks sperm from entering the uterus. A diaphragm should be used along with a spermicide.

Dosing schedule:
Also known as a dosing regimen, this is the prescribed frequency or interval for taking a specified amount of medication. Examples of a dosing schedule might be: "one pill, three times per day" or "two pills every six hours, not to exceed eight pills in any 24-hour period".

Drospirenone or drsp^®:
Also known as drsp, this is the progestin in YAZ.

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Ectopic pregnancy:
A pregnancy that develops outside the uterus, most often in the fallopian tubes. Also known as a tubal pregnancy, it can be life threatening.

Embryo:
A developing human baby, from the time it is implanted in the wall of the uterus until the eighth week after conception. After 8 weeks the embryo is called a fetus.

Emergency contraceptive pill or ECP:
There are 3 types of birth control pills: the combination pill; the progestin-only pill, also known as the mini-pill; and the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP). Emergency contraceptive pills are not meant to be used as a regular birth control method. They are only to be used in an emergency to prevent pregnancy after another contraceptive method has failed, or if no method was used at all.

Endometrium:
The inner lining of the uterus, part of which is shed during a woman's period. At the start of a normal pregnancy, the fertilized egg is implanted in the endometrium.

Estrogen:
A hormone produced primarily in a woman's ovaries, estrogen aids in the development of female secondary sex characteristics and plays an important role in reproduction.

Ethinyl estradiol:
The synthetic version of estrogen that is found in many birth control pills.

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Fallopian tubes:
Two tubes linking the ovaries to the uterus. Once an egg is released, the fallopian tubes are where fertilization of the egg usually takes place.

Family practitioner:
Also known as a general practitioner, this is a doctor who focuses on general medical care for individuals of all ages.

Fetus:
A developing human baby from about 8 weeks after conception to birth.

Fluid retention:
Excess retention of water and salt in the body, also known as bloating. Fluid retention can occur before and during menstrual periods.

Follicle:
A fluid-filled place inside the ovary where, each month, an egg develops. The follicle releases the egg into the fallopian tube where fertilization usually takes place.

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Gonorrhea:
A sexually transmitted disease (STD) that often has no symptoms. Some women may notice a yellowish or bloody vaginal discharge or other symptoms. Left untreated, gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Gynecological (GYN) exam:
Performed by a gynecologist or other healthcare provider, this is a checkup that concentrates on a woman's reproductive system.

Gynecologist:
A doctor who practices gynecology.

Gynecology:
A branch of medicine that deals with the diseases and routine physical care of the reproductive system in women.

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Hair follicle:
A sheath underneath the skin that surrounds the lower part of the hair root.

Hemorrhage:
To bleed uncontrollably or heavily.

HIV:
The virus that causes AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV is passed from one person to another through bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and saliva. HIV (AIDS) infection is incurable at this time.

Hormone:
A substance produced in the human body that circulates in bodily fluids (such as blood) and causes a specific effect on the activity of cells in another part of the body. As an example, hormones help regulate reproduction and growth.

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Implantation:
When a fertilized egg is attached to the endometrium or wall of the uterus.

Internist:
A physician who practices internal medicine, or the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of disease. Some internists have additional training that allows them to undertake routine gynecological care.

Intrauterine device or IUD:
A birth control device, usually made of flexible plastic, that is put in a woman's uterus by her healthcare provider. It is not known exactly how IUDs work. They seem to prevent pregnancy either by stopping sperm from reaching the egg or by stopping the egg from attaching to the uterus. Most healthcare providers use IUDs only in women who have already had a baby.

Iron-deficiency anemia:
A type of anemia caused by a lack of iron in the blood. Symptoms include weakness, and brittle fingernails. Menstruation causes anemia in some women because blood is lost during a woman's period.

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Low-dose birth control pills:
Today's birth control pills have lower doses of estrogen than the first birth control pills introduced in the U.S. in the 1960s. A birth control pill is considered low dose if it has 0.035 mg or less of estrogen.

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Menstruation:
A woman's period, or menstrual flow. During a typical cycle, if the egg is not fertilized within a certain amount of time, estrogen and progesterone levels decrease and about two-thirds of the uterus lining is shed as menstrual blood.

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Obstetrics:
A medical specialty that concentrates on childbirth.

Oral contraceptive (OC):
One of the most effective reversible birth control methods when taken as directed, oral contraceptives are also known as the Pill or birth control pills. Birth control pills contain hormones (usually synthetic estrogen and progestin) that prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg. Even if an egg is released, birth control pills also make it difficult for sperm to fertilize the egg.

Ovarian cyst:
A fluid-filled mass on the ovary. Ovarian cysts are relatively common and can be detected in a routine gynecological exam. This kind of cyst usually develops when a follicle has grown large (as one or more do during ovulation) but has failed to release an egg. Most ovarian cysts are benign, but those that are judged to be abnormal or cancerous should be removed.

Ovaries:
The pair of female reproductive organs that produce and release eggs and release the hormones estrogen and progesterone into the body.

Ovulation:
The release of a mature ovum, or egg, by an ovary. At birth, a woman's ovaries contain about a million follicles, each with an immature egg in the center. Over the course of her reproductive life, only a few hundred follicles will actually develop into mature eggs. After ovulation, the egg is swept up by one of the fallopian tubes and begins traveling toward the uterus, where it can be fertilized by sperm.

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Pap smear:
A test in which cells are taken from the cervix and examined under a microscope for abnormalities and cervical cancer.

Patch:
A reversible method of birth control in which a patch, worn on the skin, releases hormones into the blood stream to prevent pregnancy. Most patches are worn continuously, and changed once a week, for three weeks. During the fourth week, no patch is worn and a woman usually gets her period.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID):
One of the most common causes of infertility in women, PID is characterized by inflammation of the female reproductive tract, especially the fallopian tubes. It is often caused by a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and tends to occur more often in women who use intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Perfect use:
The correct and consistent use of a birth control method, as directed by a woman's doctor or healthcare provider. Birth control pills, when used correctly and consistently, are over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.

Permanent birth control method:
A birth control procedure that causes sterilization and cannot be easily reversed if a person changes his or her mind and decides to have children. In women, sterilization is done through a procedure called tubal ligation (tying off the fallopian tubes) and in men it is called a vasectomy (surgical resectioning of the vas deferens).

PMDD:
PMDD, or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, is a recognized medical condition that causes women to experience a combination of emotional and physical premenstrual symptoms that occur regularly before menstruation starts and go away within a few days following the start of the period. These symptoms are severe enough to impact daily activities, school, work or personal relationships.

Potassium:
A nutrient the human body needs for healthy nerves and muscles as well as the regulation of fluid in the body's cells. In people with kidney disease, potassium levels may be high. Therefore, drugs that may increase potassium (such as the drospirenone, or drsp, found in YAZ) should not be taken by women with kidney or liver problems, or when problems exist with the adrenal glands. See Safety Information for important details.

Progesterone:
The hormone in a woman's body that helps prepare the endometrium or lining of the uterus for implantation of a fertilized egg.

Progestin:
A synthetic hormone and one of two hormones found in combination birth control pills. Progestins help prevent ovulation and also help slow the motion of sperm.

Progestin-only pills (POPs):
Birth control pills, also known as mini-pills, that do not contain an estrogen.

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Reminder pills:
The placebo pills in a birth control pill pack, also known as inactive pills. These do not contain hormones and are a different color from active pills. The purpose of reminder pills is to keep a woman in the habit of taking the Pill every day. The YAZ pill pack contains 24 active pills and four inactive pills. When you start to take the inactive pills, you usually get your period within a few days.

Reversible birth control method:
A method used to temporarily prevent pregnancy. Examples of reversible birth control methods include birth control pills, hormonal injections, and barrier methods such as condoms, spermicide, diaphragms, cervical caps, and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Ring:
A reversible method of birth control, the vaginal contraceptive ring is a thin, flexible ring that a woman inserts into her vagina for three weeks of each cycle. The ring releases hormones that prevent pregnancy. After three weeks of using the ring, a woman must remove it for one full week. Once the ring is removed, her period will usually start.

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Sexually transmitted disease (STD):
Any disease passed from person to person through sexual contact. Some common STDs are gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV (AIDS), and trichomoniasis. The most common areas of the body to contract STDs are the penis, vagina, anus, mouth, and throat. STDs are also known as venereal disease, or VD.

Spermicide:
A non-prescription birth control method in the form of foam, cream, jelly, film, or a suppository. Spermicides need to be inserted deep into the vagina 10 to 15 minutes before intercourse and are effective for only about one hour. Some condoms come with spermicide already in them.

Spotting:
Small, light bloodstains that occur between a woman's menstrual periods.

Sterilization:
A permanent method of birth control. In women, sterilization is done through a procedure called tubal ligation (tying off the fallopian tubes) and in men it is called a vasectomy (surgical resectioning of the vas deferens). Reversing sterilization in both men and women is difficult and may not be successful.

Sunday Start:
One of two methods for taking birth control pills. With this method, a woman takes the first birth control pill in her pill pack on the first Sunday after her menstrual period starts. The other method for taking birth control pills is called Day 1 Start.

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Testosterone:
An androgen or male sex hormone found in small amounts in women. In men, testosterone is necessary for reproductive development. In women, it can cause unwanted facial hair. Increased levels of testosterone can lead to acne.

Trichomoniasis:
A sexually transmitted disease (STD) which is usually transmitted by having sex without a condom with someone who is infected. Trichomoniasis is caused by an organism called Trichomonas vaginalis. Symptoms include pain and itching during urination, an unpleasant odor, and a watery, yellowish discharge. The condition is most often treated with antibiotics.

Typical use:
Use of birth control pills that is not always consistent and correct. Most pregnancies that occur while women are on the Pill are due to missed pills. This happens when a woman does not follow the instructions that accompany her prescription or the directions given to her by her doctor or healthcare provider. With perfect use, birth control pills are over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. With typical use, they are about 95% effective.

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Uterus:
Womb. The uterus is the female reproductive organ where a baby is nourished and develops before it is born.

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Vagina:
The canal between a woman's vulva and cervix. The penis is inserted into the vagina during intercourse and a baby passes out of the woman's body through the vagina during childbirth.

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Womb:
Uterus. The womb is the female reproductive organ in which a baby develops before it is born.

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