Womens Health Tips

All people suffer from exposure to unsafe levels of pollution, but men and women may experience substantially different effects. Female sensitivity to pollutants can be heightened by both physiological and socioeconomic factors. For example, hormonal changes in puberty and menopause increase women’s risk of autoimmune diseases linked to pollution. And more than 70% of the world’s poorest 1.3 billion people are women, according to the World Health Organization. Experts acknowledge that poverty and environmental health problems are closely related.

Women from around the world gathered recently in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held 26 August-4 September 2002. This conference was attended by 22,000 people concerned with issues related to the environment, poverty, and health. Much of the gender-specific dialogue occurred at the “Women’s Tent,” a week-long series of meetings that took place outside the official United Nations-sponsored delegations. Organized by the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, an advocacy group based in New York City, and Ilitha Labantu, a South African women’s advocacy group based in Cape Town, the Women’s Tent featured day-long sessions based on five themes: peace and human rights, globalization, environmental security and health, access to and control of resources, and governance.

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Premature ovarian failure (POF) has been around for a very long time. And for decades, POF has puzzled medical researchers and healthcare providers. The reason why more than a quarter of a million women in the United States become menopausal long before the average age a woman enters menopause (around 51) continues to perplex researchers.

Women with POF stop ovulating regularly, either because the egg-containing follicles become depleted early, or the follicles stop responding normally to changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle.

The good news is that medical researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) are diligently working with the hope of learning more about the causes, symptoms, and patterns of POF. The goal of all of this research is to find safe and effective treatments for premature ovarian failure. Researchers also want to learn more about the factors that play a role in premature ovarian failure, from hormones and genes to the immune system.

5 Things to Know About Premature Ovarian Failure

1. In the United States, more than a quarter of a million women under age 40 have POF.

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A number of conditions may cause pain and / or discomfort during sexual intercourse. These conditions include:

Vaginal Infection

Certain vaginal infections such as vaginal yeast infections and trichomoniasis are often present without noticeable symptoms. However during sexual intercourse, the rubbing motion of the penis against the vagina and genitalia sometimes causes the symptoms of these vaginal infections to intensify causing stinging and burning. Genital herpes sores are another frequent cause of pain during sex.

Vaginal Irritation

Many products contain irritants which can cause vaginal irritation leading to discomfort or pain during vaginal sexual intercourse. These include:

• Any contraceptive foams, creams, or jellies
• Allergic reactions to condoms, diaphragms, or latex gloves
• Vaginal deodorant sprays
• Scented tampons
• Deodorant soaps
• Laundry detergents in sensitive individuals
• Excessive vaginal douching

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The urinary tract is the body’s filtering system for removal of liquid wastes. Women are especially susceptible to bacteria which may invade the urinary tract and multiply resulting in infection.

Although most urinary tract infections or UTIs are not serious, they are painful. Approximately fifty percent of all women will have at least one UTI in her lifetime with many women having several infections throughout their lifetime. Fortunately, these infections are easily treated with antibiotics that cause the symptoms to quickly disappear. Some women seem are more prone to repeated infections than others and for them it can be a frustrating battle.

What Causes Urinary Tract Infections?

The most common cause of UTI are bacteria from the bowel that live on the skin near the rectum or in the vagina which can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Once these bacteria enter the urethra they travel upwards causing infection in the bladder and sometimes other parts of the urinary tract.

Sexual intercourse is a common cause of urinary tract infections because the female anatomy can make women more prone to urinary tract infections. During sexual intercourse bacteria in the vaginal area is sometimes massaged into the urethra by the motion of the penis.

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Menopause and the dreaded hot flashes - it’s almost impossible to think of one without the other. Hot flashes are probably the first symptom we think of when we think of menopause or perimenopause (the years before menopause). Whether you already experience hot flashes, or you are still waiting for your turn, here are ten tips that can help reduce the severity of hot flashes when they happen to you:

1. Research suggests that soy may have some benefit for reducing hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. However it is recommended that you get your soy from foods rather than from supplements. Foods that contain soy include tofu, tempeh, miso, soy milk, whole soybeans, texturized vegetable protein, and soy powder.

2. Black cohosh (20 mg to 60 mg 3 times daily) often provides effective relief of hot flashes, as well as other symptoms of menopause including headaches, heart palpitations, and anxiety. A German study of over 600 women found more than 80% of hot flashes and other symptoms improved within 8 weeks of beginning treatment with Black cohosh.

3. Natural progesterone cream available OTC, in compounded prescriptions, or as a traditional prescription called Prometrium provides relief for hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause for many women.

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How much do you know about sexually transmitted diseases or STDs? Chances are that as informed as you may think you are about STDs, misinformation about some of the facts about sexually transmitted diseases is abundant. Learn about some of the most common misconceptions about STDs, as well as the truth before you suffer the potential long-term effects. These effects include damage to your reproductive system, as well as the possibility of losing your life.

1. Myth: “I haven’t been exposed to sexually transmitted diseases because we haven’t gone all the way. We usually only kiss and touch each other – well we did have oral sex, but only once.”

Fact: There are three ways to transmit sexually transmitted diseases. These ways are vaginal or anal intercourse and oral sex. Don’t deceive yourself just because you’ve only had one or a few sexual experiences. Being sexually active even once puts you at risk for both STDs and unplanned pregnancy.

2. Myth: “I’m protected from sexually transmitted diseases because I take The Pill.”

Fact: This myth about sexually transmitted diseases is probably one of the most common and dangerous misconceptions about STDs. While taking The Pill decreases your risk of unplanned pregnancy drastically, when taken as directed, oral contraceptives and other birth control methods never offer protection from sexually transmitted diseases.

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What is a Colonoscopy?

A Colonoscopy (koh-luh-NAH-skuh-pee) lets the physician look inside your entire large intestine, from the lowest part, the rectum, all the way up through the colon to the lower end of the small intestine. The procedure is used to diagnose the causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits. It is also used to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum. Colonoscopy enables the physician to see inflamed tissue, abnormal growths, ulcers, bleeding, and muscle spasms.

For the procedure, you will lie on your left side on the examining table. You will probably be given pain medication and a mild sedative to keep you comfortable and to help you relax during the exam. The physician will insert a long, flexible, lighted tube into your rectum and slowly guide it into your colon. The tube is called a colonoscope (koh-LON-oh-skope). The scope transmits an image of the inside of the colon, so the physician can carefully examine the lining of the colon. The scope bends, so the physician can move it around the curves of your colon. You may be asked to change position occasionally to help the physician move the scope. The scope also blows air into your colon, which inflates the colon and helps the physician see better.

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What is a mammogram?
A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and surrounding tissues which can effectively detect cancers long before you might feel a change during your monthly breast self- exam. Mammography can detect breast changes which could signify very early breast cancer.

Is mammography safe?
A very small dose of radiation is used in mammography, an amount equal to about two hours in the sun which places mammography in the safe range. In the United States, mammography clinics are certified to assure quality and safety. The American Cancer Society can provide a list of certified clinics in your area by calling your local office or 1-800-ACS-2345. It is important to remember where your mammograms are performed so that results in future years can be compared.

I have no symptoms, do I still need a mammogram?
While the American Cancer Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend yearly mammograms beginning at the age of 40, other professional organizations including the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Canadian Task Force on Periodic Health Examination, and US Preventative Services Task recommend annual screenings beginning at age 50. The difference is because the groups who recommend screening mammograms at age 50 believe that earlier mammograms may expose women to unnecessary amounts of radiation.

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Do you know that as women, we all need to have certain medical tests and health screenings throughout our lives? For example, did you know that vision and hearing screenings are recommended during every decade of your life? Learn why we need these and other health screenings.

Pap Test – The Pap test or a Pap smear is important for all women age 21 and above. Sexually active young women under 21 also need Pap tests starting within three years of the first time sexual intercourse happened. The Pap test, originally developed by Dr. George Papanicolaou in the 1950s, detects abnormal changes in cervical cells that may led to cervical cancer if not detected by annual Pap smears.

Prior to the introduction of the Pap test, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer death in women. Thanks to Dr. Papanicolaou’s research and his hard work developing the Pap smear, cervical cancer is now 15th, among causes of cancer deaths in women with about 3,700 women dying of cervical cancer each year.

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Are you stressed?
Stress is the way our bodies and minds react to something which upsets our normal balance in life. An example of stress is the response we feel when we are frightened or threatened. During stressful events, our adrenal glands release adrenaline, a hormone which activates our body’s defense mechanisms causing our hearts to pound, blood pressure to rise, muscles to tense, and the pupils of our eyes to dilate.

A principal indication of increased stress is an escalation in your pulse rate; however, a normal pulse rate doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t stressed. Constant aches and pains, palpitations, anxiety, chronic fatigue, crying, over or under-eating, frequent infections, and a decrease in your sexual desire are signs you may notice which indicate you may be under stress.

Of course, every time we are under stress, we do not react to such an extreme and we are not always under such great duress or fear every time we are confronted with a stressful situation. Anything which overwhelms us can cause us to experience stress — the illness or death of a family member, the loss of a job, and difficulties in relationships, are examples of situations, stressful enough to cause physical or psychological symptoms.

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