Word: diaphragms
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Sensors like those made by Delco were the first to combine microelectronics and micromachines on one chip. The typical microsensor is a thin silicon diaphragm studded with resistors. Because the electrical resistance of silicon crystals changes when they are bent, the slightest stress on the diaphragm can be registered by the resistors and amplified by electronic circuits...
...Catholic Church teaches that no outside agent, be it pill, diaphragm or condom, can be used to prevent conception, which is the "natural" end of sexual intercourse. But a couple may licitly refrain from conjugal relations during a woman's fertile period, which usually lasts ten to twelve days during each menstrual cycle. The improved way of precisely determining those days is known as the ovulation method, or Billings mucus method, which was introduced by and named for an Australian Catholic couple in the 1970s. Using it, a woman carefully monitors changes in her cervical mucus to determine when...
...devices, which must be fitted by doctors or midwives and cost around $25 each, are equally effective in preventing pregnancy (failure rate: about 15%). Enthusiasts claim the cap has several advantages. For one thing, it is more durable: a diaphragm can tear and needs to be checked for holes regularly. But the chief benefit of the cap is that it allows greater sexual spontaneity and gratification. Women can wear it for up to 48 hours, compared with 24 hours for the diaphragm. And because the cap fits tightly and rarely leaks, the reintroduction of spermicide before intercourse is unnecessary. Declares...
...varied as opium, gold and ivory. Dr. Friedrich Wilde, a German gynecologist, developed the modern rubber version in 1838, and it quickly gained widespread popularity in Europe. In the U.S., however, it never caught on, mainly because Margaret Sanger, a pioneer in family planning in the 1900s, favored the diaphragm...
...tests showed that women who use cervical caps rather than diaphragms initially have a higher rate of abnormal Pap tests, a possible sign of infection as well as cervical cancer. Consequently, the FDA recommends that the cap be prescribed only for women with normal Pap smears. It also suggests that a Pap test be performed after three months of cap usage. Even so, researchers see no health drawbacks to the cervical cap. However, they are quick to note that the newly approved contraceptive will not be for everyone; some women, for example, may find the device difficult to insert...