Tag Archives: Gynecologist

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How Not to Get Pregnant: Facts and Myths

Probably you want to know how not to get pregnant in a certain state of your life: you are still a student, you are young and single, you do not have a steady income, or you just do not feel ready to have children. There is nothing wrong with that. You do not have to explain yourself. Nobody has the right to make this decision for you. However, probably you are not interested in methods of how not to get pregnant, because you believe that you cannot get pregnant.

How Not to Get Pregnant: Myths

Lots of girls have become pregnant because they did not know how not to get pregnant. They thought they could not conceive a child when making love for the first time. How wrong they were. There are several myths about how not to get pregnant. Perhaps you think you cannot get pregnant, since you have had sex only one time. You have been on your period. You did not have an orgasm. How not to get pregnant myths are false and dangerous: you believe that you are safe, while you might very well get in trouble. Once you reach fertility age (you have your period) and you have sex with a male, you can get pregnant anytime. You have to think about using protection.

You might think that you cannot get pregnant, because the days when you have sex are not the days when you are most fertile. However, there are so many factors that can affect and alter your hormonal balance: your mood, your health, your weight, changes in your environment, changes in your diet or in your workout program – anything can disturb this very sensitive balance.

You may think that you will not become pregnant, because you are anorexic, or you have been in the past. According to experts, anorexia may cause infertility. May, mind you, not will. Anorexia may cause infertility in rare cases. In reality, anorexia scarcely contributes to infertility. You might be rail thin and still might get pregnant, even if you did not have your period for several months or your anorexia was extreme. As long as you do have your period, you can get pregnant.

You may believe that you are safe, because you have a partner “whom you can trust” and he uses the coitus interruptus as a how not to get pregnant method: he retreats before he could ejaculate. This option is absolutely unsafe. You can never know when your male partner’s self-control will wear off. Should you trust him blindly? Even if he is extremely disciplined and stops before ejaculating, semen could already enter your vagina, so you can get pregnant.

Do not believe that you cannot get pregnant only because you have taken birth control pills for a long while. To tell the truth, as soon as you come off the pill, you can get pregnant at once, and you have more chance to get pregnant than you would have if you had not taken any pills. If you stop taking birth control pills, do seek for other means of protection immediately.

How Not to Get Pregnant Methods that Work

Never trust alternative natural methods like coitus interruptus or body temperature method. They have very high failure rates.

Always prefer hormonal birth control methods over physical barriers. Many people believe that condoms – even female condoms – are just as good as hormonal methods. This is not true. Hormonal methods have much lower failure rates. Condoms are against STDs and not against pregnancy.

Trust your gynecologist. Doctors have graduated from the University of Medicine for a reason. They know what they are doing. Always ask your doctor before you decide on a how not to get pregnant method. A doctor will know what is best for you. Every system is different – one method may work for one person and may not be the perfect option for the other. You do not want to roll the dice when your sexual health, future, and well-being are at stake.

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Diseases that can affect ovaries

Unfortunately women can develop different diseases in their ovaries and besides the physical pain that these diseases bring in some cases they even lead to infertility.

Ovarian cancer is very rare disease and it certainly appears much less than cervical cancer. It is very difficult to detect ovarian cancer and if it is detected early there are fairly good chances for successful treatment. This type of cancer often occurs in women after menopause, in women who have not yet given birth, women that have close relatives suffering from this disease or some similar diseases like uterine cancer, breast cancer and cancer of the end of the colon as well as women who are suffering from obesity. Having all these things in mind, we can conclude that taking birth control pills and breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. This type of cancer can affect one or both ovaries. There are some distinctive symptoms that accompany this disease but they occur very late. Some of those symptoms include – pain in the abdomen, vaginal bleeding, stomach problems, bloating and abdominal tumescence. If the gynecologist during medical examination finds thickenings it is very likely that he will perform laparotomy or/and laparoscopy. Ovarian cancer that is detected at an early stage can be treated with surgical removal of the ovary/ovaries (oophorectomy) and at a later stage with surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy).

Another disease that is more common in ovaries is ovarian cysts. They usually occur because of certain irregularities in the release of the oocytes from the follicle. If the follicle is not torn, it can result in a cyst. The vast majority of cysts are benign and some of them increase size, get harder and can cause irregular menstrual cycle, pain and discomfort in the stomach area. Sometimes the pain can occur during sexual intercourse. Gynecologists can discover cysts very easy during medical examination as he explores the area around the uterus and the ovaries. After that he will perform an ultrasound or laparoscopy. Cysts may disappear on their own but some of them need to be removed. In rare cases when the cyst is very large, a surgery may be necessary.

Women usually detect that they are suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome when they find out that they cannot conceive. In this case we are talking about disturbance in the process of secretion of pituitary hormones, which trigger the process of developing eggs in the ovary. Some of the most common symptoms of polycystic ovaries are – irregular menstrual cycles, acne, oily skin, excessive body hair and excessive weight. This disease can be treated with medications that provide normal hormonal balance.

Another thing that must be mentioned when we talk about ovary diseases is oophorectomy. This term is used to describe surgical removal of one or both ovaries. This procedure is usually performed in cases of certain types of cancer, large cysts or as part of hysterectomy. Doctors will try every method before they decide that the removal of the second ovary is necessary.

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Why you should not have sex during pregnancy?

Sex is one of the most sensational experiences among couples. But is sex safe during pregnancy? Due to in adequate knowledge and urge to have sex, a pregnancy can result into miscarriage.  Below have been discussed some of reasons for not having sex when your wife is pregnant.

Bleeding through vagina

The above is one of the main reasons of not having sex during pregnancy. After having sex during the period of pregnancy, there can be abnormal vaginal bleeding. The color of the blood that comes out from your vagina will be pink in color. If the bleeding continues then this can be the reason of vigorous sexual intercourse that can result to miscarriage. You must consult your gynecologist if the problem persists for a long period of time.

Placenta previa problem

You must prevent sex during pregnancy if your gynecologist diagnoses that you are suffering from a complication known as placenta previa. The above is a condition in which the placenta lies in the lower part of the uterus. If you have sex during this period then it may result to bleeding.

Premature baby

If you ever have delivered a premature baby in the past then you must suppress your urge of having sex during pregnancy. Too much sex can stimulate the contraction activity in your uterine line. This may also again result in delivery of a premature baby.

Amniotic fluid leakage

The above is also one of the important reasons for not having sex during pregnancy. Amniotic acid is a fluid that surrounds the fetus when it grows in the uterus. The fluid serves as a cushioning for your baby. Due to vigorous sex there may be leakage of the above fluid. Your baby can also be affected by various infections after the sac containing the amniotic fluid ruptures. The above condition can also result in delivery of a premature baby. You must consult your doctor if the above fluid gets leaked.

Weaker cervix

The above is also one the vital reason for not having sex during pregnancy. The above complication is termed as cervical insufficiency. This condition happens when the cervix is weaker or softer. Due to weaker cervix, it becomes difficult for the mother to handle the weight of the baby.

Cramp

If you have vigorous sex during pregnancy then you can experience cramp. It is a condition when there is contraction of muscles. If the cramping becomes severe and is also associated with bleeding then you must contact your gynecologist. This can also lead to miscarriage.

Multiple pregnancies

The above is also one of the reasons for which you must prevent sex during pregnancy. During the above condition both the above fetuses share the same amniotic fluid and also the placenta. The above amniotic fluid and placenta may get affected due to vigorous sex during pregnancy.

You must immediately consult your doctor if you face one of the above problems after having sex during the nine months of your pregnancy period to prevent miscarriage. If possible try to control the desire to have sex during pregnancy. You can also try the various safe positions of sex to prevent miscarriage during pregnancy.

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Excessive vaginal wetness

When it comes to vaginas and moisture, we usually talk about vaginal dryness. However, there are cases when women have to deal with excessive vaginal wetness a situation that brings a lot of unpleasant situations.

Vaginal dryness usually causes painful sex because the skin of the vagina and the penis can suffer from bruises and tissue damage. That’s why partners are usually excited when they notice that the vagina is wet. But just like any other excessive thing too much wetness can cause problems. Too much natural wetness can lower the pleasure in both partners. The walls of the vagina may get so wet that there is no rubbing/friction. This is a huge problem for men too because they have the feeling like the penis is swimming inside the vagina and don’t feel any pressure at all. There is an optimal level of friction, which is necessary for sexual pleasure in both partners. Of course, the partners can always divert the sexual intercourse from the vagina to the clitoris. This also means that the woman should find another way to please her partner. Some partners find this solution unacceptable while others see this only as a temporary solution because nothing compares to vaginal intercourse.

In cases when excessive vaginal wetness is caused by some medical condition the solution may be a surgery. Since this is the most radical solution it’s always better to try some other solutions first like vaginal laser therapy (known for reducing the wetness in many cases), electro-stimulation, vaginal freezing therapy and magnetic therapy. Keep in mind that some of these therapies can be painful, expensive and that they don’t guarantee any results.

According to some doctors anything that dries the mouth should act in the same way when it comes to vagina too (antihistamines, alcohol, cigarettes etc.) so it’s wise to avoid these things. Don’t forget that kissing with a dry mouth is not the most pleasant thing that you can do to start foreplay. You can always choose condoms in different shapes (wrinkled). Although they don’t affect the wetness, they can help both partners feel the penetration of the penis into the vagina. But don’t overuse this type of penis because after a while the vagina might become less sensitive.

In the past women that had such problem used towels to wipe the vagina before they have a sexual intercourse. Although this is an effective method, it’s really unpleasant and it can kill the passion. Some women use hair dryers and certain tablets, but all these things act only as temporary solutions. Vaginal muscles training is always a good idea because they can increase the sensitivity during sex and make the vagina appear tighter – something that suits both partners in situations like these. All these methods are not scientifically proven but they can give you some ideas about how to deal with this problem.

If the problem doesn’t go away and you just can’t live with it, you can always visit a doctor and seek for help. Excessive vaginal wetness is a complicated problem and there is no permanent solution for it, but your gynecologist can certainly help you ease this problem.

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Recognizing the First Signs of Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be recognized even in the earliest stage if you know some of the signs. It is very important to find out if you are pregnant because this state requires special regime (diet, physical activity etc.)

Those who practice unprotected sex should be aware that there is a relatively high possibility that they can conceive a baby even if the male partner pulls out (pull out method) the penis before he reaches an orgasm (ejaculation). Of course, the most obvious sign that a woman is pregnant is the absence of the menstrual period or some irregularity during the menstrual period – short and weak bleeding. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the woman who is experiencing these things is necessarily pregnant thus there is no room for panic. Absence or weak menstrual period can be caused by many things such as stress, unhealthy diet, excessive physical activity, certain types of birth control pills etc.

Besides absence of menstrual bleeding there are few other signs that you need to e aware of if you think that you may be pregnant. For example, unexplained fatigue is a common condition in the early stage of pregnancy. This fatigue can also lead to fainting and feeling of dizziness. Some of the physical changes can cause pain in the back and headaches. Pain in the back is something that can occur during the whole pregnancy while headaches are result of the hormonal changes. Another physical change happens in the breasts. The breasts during early pregnancy are usually very sensitive and they can even change their physical appearance (the nipples can appear darker). Some women describe this condition as a feeling that their breasts are heavier. Another common sign of early pregnancy is the well known morning sickness. Despite the words used to describe this phenomenon these sicknesses can happen throughout the whole day. Women during this period are more sensitive to smell and flavor and any specific aroma can cause sickness. Frequent urination is another common sign as well as cramps in the abdominal area. Finally, during this period women experience not only physical changes but psychological changes too. Something that happens often is mood swings. Although they are a sign of premenstrual syndrome, similar behavior can be noticed in early pregnancy too.

All these signs can point to pregnancy. If you have only one of these signs or even more of these signs that suggest that you might be pregnant, it is time to take a pregnancy test. These tests are usually reliable. If you want to get the best results wait for one week so that the level of hormones is increased and the test will be more precise. Even if the test indicates a negative result that doesn’t mean that you are not pregnant. These tests are correct in most cases but exceptions are possible. That’s why it’s best to take another test few days later if the period is still absent. If the test shows a positive result visit your gynecologist.

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Vulvodynia – Causes and Treatment

Vulvodynia is a rare disease that is still being researched by many experts. The burning sensation and pain in the vagina can be clear signs of vulvodynia.

Vulvodynia is actually a very long-lasting feeling of discomfort in the vagina, which is usually accompanied by pain, burning sensation and itching. Of course, the intensity of pain and the symptoms is different in each woman; the feeling of strong burning sensation is the most common symptom of all. Besides the intensity, the pain is different in its duration and location in each woman. The occurrence of vulvodynia can certainly affect a woman’s sex life, but it can also affect her everyday life. Vulvodynia has not been researched very well so far because it occurs very rarely. This is also the reason why there is no medication on the market that is specialized in treating vulvodynia.

The reasons for appearance of vulvodynia are not yet well researched, but experts that work in this field are convinced that vulvodynia is caused by a variety of diseases and injuries of the vagina and the consequences of those injuries/diseases. A very common cause is irritation of the outer parts of the genitalia, allergy, yeast infection or muscle spasms. In rare cases vulvodynia can be caused by the presence of oxalate crystals in the urine. So far there is no evidence that this disease can be transmitted (it is not a STD), although this option is still opened because as we have mentioned before vulvodynia is still not researched very well. There are few signs that can point to vulvodynia like red and swollen skin of the vagina. In order to confirm the presence of vulvodynia, the gynecologist must remove fungal diseases, bacterial infections and genital herpes from the list of possible causes. Only after these medical conditions are excluded, the gynecologist can suspect vulvodynia presence.

Treating vulvodynia is not easy because there is no specialized medication on the market that deals with it. There aren’t any separate therapies for this disease either. Some doctors suggest taking standard measures in cases of similar infections. For example, using special soap, wearing underwear made of pure cotton and using lubricants based on water. In order to ease the pain, women can use cooling gel. Some pills can also be helpful in these cases but they should be taken only with prescription. According to some experts vulvodynia can be treated with a surgery too. Women suffering from vulvodynia should undergo surgery only after all other methods are exhausted and they didn’t provide any positive effects.

There are also few measures that every women can take in order to prevent appearance of this rare and very unpleasant disease. For example, using underwear that doesn’t irritate the skin is always a good idea. Although underwear made of synthetic materials might look more appealing, cotton underwear keeps the hygiene on a higher level and it doesn’t irritate the skin. Take care of your vagina by having occasional baths with some herbs that can improve your sexual health like chamomile. You can also use a soap with neutral pH value and remember that you should never use the soap inside your vagina.

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How to deal with frigidity?

If you don’t have any sexual desire, you can’t get aroused and you can’t even dream of having an orgasm, you are probably suffering from frigidity.

But it’s important to determine if you are surely frigid. The term frigidity doesn’t apply in situations when the woman doesn’t enjoy the sexual intercourse when she is tired, sick, in periods when she has too much work, when she is with a partner that doesn’t excite her or in periods when she doesn’t have any private space. Many men don’t understand women and their sexuality. They think that women are always ready for sex and with little effort they can engage sexual activity. Some of them even think that the process can start as soon as the penis enters the vagina. That has nothing to do with frigidity; this only means that these men don’t understand female body and their partner. You are not suffering from frigidity if you are not ready to have sex every time your partner asks. If frigidity was all those things we have mentioned before, every woman in the world would be considered to be frigid. Frigidity is something very different and far more serious. To be more precise, a frigid woman is the one who loves her partner and is not afraid to try anything in sex but can’t really enjoy in it even though she tries hard to achieve pleasure with her partner.

Although some people compare frigidity with impotence, but the fact is that these two things are completely different. The most common cause for this condition is stress or even something more banal. It is important to understand that frigidity is an individual problem for every woman and that’s why you can hardly find a universal solution in some book or from an advice from a friend. Some rare cases of frigidity are very simple. Sometimes the reasons are some medications like birth control pills that cause low sex drive. Motherhood and pregnancy can be another reason for this. If the pain during the sexual intercourse is one of the reasons, you can find the solution to your problem by visiting a gynecologist. These problems are easily solvable and they are completely logical. If all these examples are not part of your problem and you have already talked honestly with your partner about your problem but the situation remains the same maybe it’s time to visit a therapist with whom you can share the problem. Sometimes a combination of physical and mental reasons might be the root of this problem. Find a successful therapist and start with the therapy. Remember that this process is often long.

However, there is one method that can be used before you visit a specialist and that’s exploring your own body. Masturbation that leads to orgasm in women is a lot longer and more complex process compared to men’s masturbation. Take your time, relax and explore your body. If this doesn’t help than it’s probably the best time to visit the therapist.

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Few Things That You Should Know About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome is one of the most common hormonal disorders among women in reproductive age. We are talking about multitude of small cysts that can usually be found on the edges of the ovary. It is still unknown how and why polycystic ovaries appear but it is considered that the hormonal changes are one of the main reasons for that.

One of the causes of development of polycystic ovary syndrome is the excessive amount of androgen hormones produced by adrenal glands and ovaries. These androgen hormones are closely related with estrogen. Many women during their adolescence period are suffering from polycystic ovaries which is manifested with prolonged and irregular menstrual cycles, overweight, acnes, unusual bodily hair growth etc. However it is good to know that there are many women who never or rarely experience periods of troubles with polycystic ovaries. There are also women who never had problems with such ovaries when they were young, but started to develop this syndrome later.

There are two most noticeable symptoms of this syndrome. The first symptom is a disrupted menstrual cycle. Polycystic ovaries can cause menstrual cycle to last longer than 30 days but it can also make it disappear. Another symptom is hair growth on unusual places for women – their chin for example and overall excessive body hair growth. The reason for this is the higher amount of androgen hormones like testosterone.

No matter what symptoms you might notice you should definitely perform a gynecological examination. Early diagnosis of this syndrome means that you will be able to deal with it more easily. If you start treating this syndrome later you might suffer from some permanent damages.

So what exactly causes these polycystic ovaries? There are many causes and some of them include: taking excessive amounts of insulin (it can increase the level of androgen hormones), abnormal fetal development, hereditary characteristics (there is a high possibility to develop polycystic ovary syndrome if your mother or grandmother had it too), smoldering inflammation (bad diet and bad lifestyle can trigger inflammations and protection from white cells which deplete the body) and more.

Besides these causes, polycystic ovary syndrome is linked with few medical issues such as: diabetes, high level of cholesterol and lipids, high blood pressure, insomnia, excessive amount of C-reactive protein, excessive bleeding during the menstrual period, endometrial cancer caused by exposure to large amounts of estrogen, gestational diabetes etc.

All these medical problems should be taken seriously no matter if they are directly or indirectly linked with polycystic ovary syndrome. Make sure you consult your doctor and certain specialists. Gynecologist will certainly know how to advise you about polycystic ovary syndrome. They can give you several treatment options like – regulation of menstrual cycle with birth control pills, help with ovulation with anti-estrogen medications or hormonal injections, help with hair growth problem with certain contraceptive pills etc. In most serious cases, a surgery is the most helpful solution. The procedure is called laparoscopic surgery of ovaries that will help women to ovulate and conceive.

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The Causes And Treatment Of Infertility

Unfortunately pregnancy, maintenance of pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy baby can be very difficult for some couples. Average healthy woman has 20 to 25 percent chance to get pregnant during each cycle and more than 80 percent of fertile couples will successfully conceive a baby in a period of one year if they have regular unprotected sexual intercourses. Unlike them some couples are faced with lots of challenges when it comes to conception.

Infertility is considered to be an inability to conceive after more than a year of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse. It is estimated that just over 10 percent of women of reproductive age have trouble conceiving. Both female reproductive system and male reproductive systems can cause this unpleasant situation and sometimes the problem lies in both of the partners. After a specialist research and treatment of both partners nearly 35% of couples can conceive a baby in a period of two years.

But what are the main causes of infertility? It is still fully not clear why some people are infertile but for most of the people the causes can be identified. There are several causes why some women are infertile and these are some of them – ovaries do not produce eggs, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease might damage or block fallopian tubes. Sometimes the mucus in the cervix can be “hostile” to the sperm. Unlike women where there can be several causes for infertility men are usually infertile because of the problems with their sperm quality.

In order to find the source of the problem you should take detailed physical exam and research family history. Obesity and menstrual irregularity will certainly be listed and the doctor will probably ask you about occupational hazards, eating disorders, stress, sexual intercourses, previous methods of contraception, physical activity and previous life habits like drinking alcohol, smoking and usage of medicaments. Blood tests may be conducted in order to investigate the known reasons for infertility: excessive levels of prolactin (a hormone that regulates the menstrual period), excessive levels or lack of thyroid hormone or excessive presence of androgens, such as testosterone.

If you have endometriosis, cysts or polyps, the doctor may refer you to a gynecologist or endocrinologist for evaluation and further examination.

When it comes to men patients, the doctor may suggest a sperm analysis. Low level of sperm or poor  sperm quality may be responsible for the situation.

If the doctor suspects that sexual problems may be the cause he may recommend therapy.

If the ovulation is a problem, there are medications that can stimulate ovulation easily. Disorders such as polycystic ovaries, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease can be treated. Damaged fallopian tubes in some cases can be repaired by surgery and in vitro fertilization is another method that can be efficient in this situation.

It is very important to understand the monthly menstrual cycle because in that way you can know what days are the best for sexual intercourse and getting pregnant.

As we can see infertility is not something that can’t be treated, it just takes time and patience but the results will eventually come.