I was in teenage hell. Overnight, I went from being completely oblivious to what I looked like, to being obsessed with my appearance. And let me tell you, I did not like what I saw in the mirror. Too tall and too skinny, with an awkward toothy grin, uncoordinated and gangly, and I didn’t seem to know where my limbs were supposed to be around me. I wanted pretty hair and a semblance of curves, like…

Tags: Skin Vitality, Androgen, Contraceptives, Microbiome


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Are Hormones to Blame for My Acne?

As we step into 2017 ready to further our understanding of how hormone imbalance affects health, we wanted to take a brief moment to reflect on the top stories of 2016 that captured your attention on the ZRT Blog. Following is a round-up of 2016's most popular posts for practitioners. Thirty minutes after awakening from a good night's…

Tags: Hormone Balance, PCOS, Cortisol Awakening Response, Contraceptives, Cancer


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Looking Back: Popular Provider Blog Posts of 2016

Practical Takeaway: A recent study found the risk of depression with contraceptive use decreased with increasing age, and was highest in the youngest age group studied, namely teenagers aged 15-19, than in the women aged 20-34. These findings are from a new Danish study suggesting that hormonal contraception might increase risk of depression, and that previous studies may not have highlighted…

Tags: Fertility, Mental Health, Contraceptives, Neurotransmitters, Depression


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Do Hormonal Contraceptives Increase Risk of Depression?

Reliable contraception is a monumental achievement of the last century. Very effective at preventing pregnancy, oral contraceptives, generally referred to as "the Pill," are commonly prescribed to women of reproductive age. Aside from contraceptive purposes, the Pill can also be used to treat gynecological disorders such as irregular or excessive bleeding, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), severe…

Tags: Fertility, Neurotransmitters, HPA Axis, Contraceptives


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How Pill Contraceptives Affect Mood & Behavior

Interpretation of hormone testing using saliva, dried blood spot, or serum can be tricky when women are using oral, patch, or other hormonal contraception methods. The types of hormones in these contraceptives are synthetic, and although they may be close to the molecular structure of our body's own estradiol or progesterone, they are not bioidentical. While bioidentical hormones used as…

Tags: Fertility, Hormone Balance, Contraceptives, Bioidentical Hormones


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Guide for Interpreting Testing Levels for Hormone Contraceptive Users

From the time menses begins, to the time it ceases, a woman must make decisions that affect her fertility. Whether it's viewed as a gift, a curse or just a responsibility, a woman’s right to choose when, how and if a pregnancy occurs is a relatively new experience. Over the last 50 years a woman's access to birth control methods, whether oral, patch, or IUD, has greatly increased. However, such a…

Tags: Contraceptives, Patient Education


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New Oregon Law Allows Women to Bypass Physicians for Contraceptives

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