Young Irish women tend to to stick to traditional methods of birth control rather than using effective, long-term contraceptives that cut out the risk of forgetting to take a daily tablet, says Ailin Quinlan.

Testing for chlamydia, the most common sexually transmitted infection, is now back at Celtic Tiger levels, prompting warnings about the dangers of unprotected sex after office Christmas parties.

The cyclical mood swings experienced by many women can be due to hormonal imbalances, though GPs may not see the full picture, says Helen O’Callaghan.

Women over the age of 40 are less likely to present for smear tests or use contraception, according to data from the Dublin Well Woman Centre.

One in three Irish women do not use any form of contraception and almost one in 10 rely on natural methods.

A third of Irish women do not use any form of contraception.

IRISH women are shunning the pill, opting for long-acting methods of birth control, according to figures from the Dublin Well Woman Centre.

TEN years ago, three times more women attended Dublin Well Woman to talk about menopause than do today.

Taking the pill to ward off dementia is not advised, says Arlene Harris.

The debate goes on as to whether PMS exists, writes Arlene Harris.

For many teenage girls, there is nothing more sobering than an unwanted pregnancy - and the contraceptive pill has been providing security against this eventuality for the past five decades.

The number of women attending sexual health clinics has plummeted, with emigration as well as the availability of emergency contraception over the counter a factor in the reduction.

WOMEN are putting off gynaecological check-ups and skimping on contraception to save money as the recession bites, a leading sexual health clinic has warned.

WOMEN using newer versions of the contraceptive pill are at greater risk of developing potentially serious blood clots, according to two separate studies.

A WOMEN’S health expert has questioned research that found calcium pills increase the risk of heart attack.

Young people are putting themselves at risk of sexually transmitted diseases because they will not talk about them, a report claimed today.

THREE-in-five 18-35 year olds believe abortion should be legalised, according to a sex survey which found one-in-four women has experienced an unplanned pregnancy.

THE most popular oral contraceptive in Ireland is not the safest, research suggests.

MORE than half of Irish people did not use contraception when having sex for the first time with a new partner, a study shows.

More than half of Irish people did not use contraception when having sex with a new partner for the first time, it was revealed today.

A LEADING health charity has called for a national screening programme for one of the most common sexually transmitted infections after discovering that one in five young people attending one of its clinics had the fertility-threatening bug.

MORE THAN one in 20 Irish women are now thought to have chlamydia even if they have no symptoms of the sexually transmitted disease that can cause infertility, a study published today shows.

THERE has been a dramatic decrease in the number of women seeking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) since studies established that the most common form increased the risk of breast cancer.

GROWING numbers of women in their 50s and 60s are seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and are less savvy than teenagers about sexual health.