Review of a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine
We are all recovering from the impact of the Coronavirus. One thing that should be clear to us all, is that nothing else matters when one's health is on the line. If you are struggling with a GYN issue, don't let lack of funds keep you from getting help.
Now that you are working from home.. Should you schedule that GYN appointment while you have the time?
Abysmal health statistics. Ongoing health disparities. Time to do better.
The most common reason for hysterectomy is symptomatic fibroids. Given the prevalence of fibroids, more women are seeking alternatives to hysterectomy. The science is evolving. More options and becoming available. Before consenting, know your options
POST MENOPAUSE VAGINAL DRYNESS. More common than you might think.. affecting many women who are too embarrassed to speak about it.
Phthalates are endocrine disruptive chemicals. They are present in our food, our beauty, health and home products. They are ubiquitous. They can pose health risks.
Acknowledging that there is a need for a solution is the first step in solving the problem. Female sexual health is important. The following is an update as to what is currently available and what is needed..
Recent changes at the state level are making the availability of having an abortion increasingly more difficult. Collectively, we need to consider if this makes sense for the well being of our society and not get entrenched in ideological battles.
Self love, health care, embracing your sexual power - for TODAYS WOMAN.
Besides being embarrassing, excessive menstrual bleeding can lead to serious medical problems. Many women are having excessive menstrual flow and are unaware that their health issues such as fatigue, anemia are related to their heavy cycles.
Fibroids are very common. It is the number one indication for hysterectomy in the US. Decreased productivity and time off from work makes this a medical issue that should concern all.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Learn the basics and become a superwoman advocating for female health.
At some point you realize that it’s not about longevity but about the quality of your life. Live well.
Frequently asked questions about the novel treatment for vulvar/vaginal changes due to menopause including vaginal dryness, buring, and pain with sex.
Life is too short to be miserable. If you sexuality is important to YOU, seize the opportunity to be a better and happier you.
Survery to help determine whether or not you may want a consultation
A recommended TED talk from Dr. Rahman.
For the past several months, I have been planning a trip to Somaliland.
Life is precious. No woman should die from preventable causes during childbirth.
Edna Adan is working to change this by training midwives to provide the much needed care. She needs our support.
Maternal Mortality is considered one measure of the quality of a country's healthcare. Prior to 2003, only 18 states in the US had a pregnancy question on their death certificate.
Free access to contraception may change with President-elect Trump administration.
President-elect Trump has promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) otherwise known as Obamacare.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In the US, the majority of women diagnosed with TNBC are African American.
There is the vampire face lift and the vampire breast lift*. Now there is the O shot.
Thank you Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey. I celebrate you.
Coronary heart disease has been and continues to be a leading cause of death in the US.
A recent study concluded that 10 minutes of daily stretching done before bedtime decreased symptoms of menopause and depression in middle aged working Japanese women.
Do you think it is possible for a 20 year old woman to vaginally deliver a 7lb 8oz baby and 35 years later be unable to insert a device the size of an egg (similar to the picture) into her vagina?
It's happening world wide.. through the use of assisted reproduction - egg freezing, egg donation and in vitro fertilization - women are having babies in the 50's, 60's and 70's.
Have you ever been advised to practice Kegel exercises?
I recently attended an aesthetic medicine conference. I was impressed with what I saw and amazed at the amount of money people, primarily women, are willing to spend in order to remove fat and to fill in wrinkles.
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has conducted a systematic review of the literature to answer 3 questions about routine pelvic exams in otherwise asymptomatic females.
The reality is that more women lose their vagina than lose their uterus.
A group of 170 peri- and postmenopausal women received acupuncture treatment over a six month period.
Menopausal symptoms are due to a decline in estrogen. Many women are either afraid or confused by the reports and recommendations given even by their various physicians.
A sedentary lifestyle was defined as less than three episodes of physical activity lasting 30 minutes or longer per week.
In 1990, 22% of all OBGYNs were women. By 2010, 49% of all OBGYNs were women. This trend continues. Among the 86,439 med school graduates from 2013-2014, 85% of those choosing to enter into an OBGYN residency were female.
In some countries women are being advised to delay pregnancy until 2018. This might be sage advice if the woman had control over their ability to get pregnant, if they had access and could afford contraception.
The number of documented cases of the Zika virus in the US continue to increase. Cases of the Zika virus have recently been documented in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
As we are now learning in the US that the Zika virus has been present and known to have caused infections in Africa, Asia and the South Pacific for decades.
If Mary and Joseph were living in the US, they would probably be low income persons of color. And Mary would have to work in order to help make ends meet.
The ability to become pregnant declines as a women gets older.
As an OBGYN trained in the US, my knee jerk reaction was to shout “NO!” I have been in too many situations where a seemingly normal delivery turns into an emergency situation.
Whether the health outcome is unintended pregnancies, preterm labor or diabetes related deaths there are glaring disparities between women of various racial and ethnic groups in this country.
The US is the only developed country without paid maternity leave
The medical establishment has accused the makers and proponents of compounded hormone therapy of misleading the women into believing that their products were safer and more natural.
Ask any parent who has a child with sickle cell disease - it can be a devastating genetic disorder.
What they don't say is Hologic has approx 60% US market for mammography units which they sell and service.
A 14 year study was conducted among 2,528 midlife women looking at the association between weight or change in weight and sexual function.
The American Cancer Society recently revised its screening recommendations for mammograms.
A recent article was published in the Economist regarding the presence and potential effects of porn seen on the Internet.
Do white women complain more about their hot flashes than other women? Is menopause a white woman's "disease". These questions sound silly.
Hormone therapy is effective in treating hot flashes, vaginal dryness and helping to prevent osteoporosis.
A basic definition of cancer is abnormal cells growing out of control invading tissue and disrupting normal cell function.
(No image is posted with this blog, you will have to use your imagination.)
A few days ago, Marissa Mayers, CEO of Yahoo announced that she was pregnant with twins and planned only to take limited time off.
Normally this blog is about medical issues affecting women.
This week Flibanserin (Addyi) was approved by the FDA, making it the first medication prescribed for decreased female libido otherwise known as female hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).
I have been thinking a lot about the unique ability women have to conceive and to carry life which is lost over time.
The FDA advisory committee recently recommended approval of Flibanserin (Addyi) for female hypoactive sexual desire disorder.
Perinatal depression reportedly affects 10 - 20% of women, making it the most common birth related complication - more common than preterm birth, pre-eclampsia , postpartum hemorrhage or infection.
We have been recently inundated with reports about how obese we have become. Obesity is defined as a BMI (weight divided by height ratio) of 30 or higher.
From the pharmaceutical databases, it's been determined that anti-depressants are the 3rd most commonly prescribed drug.
A 21 year old white male shoots and kills 9 black people during a Wednesday night Bible Study. God help us.
I normally write about women's health issues. However this was so outrageous! I couldn't resist sharing.
A study of 335 women aged 40-62 years showed that neither low dose estrogen pills nor anti-depression pills improved sex drive, arousal or orgasm.
If I told you that taking a pill would increase your risk for blood clots to 6 out of 10,000 persons, would you consider this to be a great risk?
NPR recently tweeted that the time honored tradition of annual physical examination in otherwise healthy and asymptomatic persons is little value.
It is estimated that if a woman living in the US reaches the age of 55 years, her life expectancy will extend into her eighties.