Women's Health Discussions

[sugar_pop]

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true!!! please be guided na lng..

[Princess08]

thanks for the info... specially no. 1... hehehehe... (i'll let my wife read this... )

hahaha!!! nice one bro!


-princess-

[Princess08]

guys && girls sad oi.. heheh

[Princess08]

Don't Be Fooled

Maybe you have heard that you cannot get pregnant on your period, or if you don't have an orgasm, or if your partner pulls out before ejaculation that pregnancy won't occur--these are not true! Perhaps someone has told you that douching will wash away the sperm before pregnancy can occur. Not only does douching not work to prevent pregnancy, it can also lead to pelvic inflammatory diseas and increase your risk of other STDs and infections. Don't be fooled--the only 100% effective method of preventing pregnancy is abstinence.


-princess-

[Princess08]

Pregnancy Rates for Birth Control Methods

(For One Year of Use)

The following table provides estimates of the percent of women likely to become pregnant while using a particular contraceptive method for one year. These estimates are based on a variety of studies.
"Typical Use" rates mean that the method either was not always used correctly or was not used with every act of sexual intercourse (e.g., sometimes forgot to take a birth control pill as directed and became pregnant), or was used correctly but failed anyway.
"Lowest Expected" rates mean that the method was always used correctly with every act of sexual intercourse but failed anyway (e.g., always took a birth control pill as directed but still became pregnant).
Data adapted from: R.A. Hatcher, J. Trussell, F. Stewart, et al., Contraceptive Technology, 17th Revised edition, New York, NY: Irvington Publishers Inc. (in press).
Table prepared by FDA: 5/13/97 Reprinted from the Food and Drug Administration
Birth Control Methods & Pregnancy Rates


Method Typical........................................... ................................Pregnancy Rate...Lowest Pregnancy Rate

Male Sterilization..................................... ............................................ 0.15% ...................0.1%
Female Sterilization..................................... ........................................ 0.5% ..................... 0.5%
Implant (Norplant)........................................ ....................................... 0.09% ................... 0.09%
Hormone Shot (Depo-Provera).......................................... .................. 0.3% ...................... 0.3%
Combined Pill (Estrogen/Progestin)........................................ ............ 5% ..........................0.1%
Minipill (Progestin only)............................................. .......................... 5% ..........................0.5%
IUD-Copper T................................................. ..................................... 0.8% ...................... 0.6%
IUD-Progesterone...................................... ......................................... T 2% .......................1.5%
Male Latex Condoms........................................... ................................ 14% ....................... 3%
Diaphragm......................................... .................................................. 20% ........................6%
Vaginal Sponge (no previous births)........................................... ........ 20%........................ 9%
Vaginal Sponge (previous births)........................................... ............. 40% ........................20%
Cervical Cap (no previous births)........................................... ............. 20% .........................9%
Cervical Cap (previous births)........................................... .................. 40% .........................26%
Spermicide (gel,foam,suppository,film)....................... .......................... 26% ........................6%
Withdrawal........................................ .................................................. . 19% ........................4%
Natural Family Planning (calendar,temperature,cervial mucus)............. 25% ...................... 1-9%
No Method............................................ ................................................ 85% ....................... 85%

[Princess08]

What is vulvar cancer?
Cancer of the vulva involves the outside part of the female reproductive system that opens into the vagina. The vulva includes several folds of skin that protect the vagina. There are two evident skin folds known as the labia majora and two less visible folds called the labia minora. Just above the vulva is the opening of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder.


How many cases of vulvar cancer have been treated at M. D. Anderson this year?
Vulvar cancer is rare - 3,000-4,000 cases nationwide per year. We see about 50 patients or 1-2%.


What is the survival rate?
When limited to the vulva, survival is very high, over 90%. It drops for patients with cancer that spreads to the lymph nodes. (According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the survival rate is 50-70%.)


What are symptoms of vulvar cancer?

Symptoms include:

• Burning
• Itching
• Bleeding
• A lump or sore on the vulva

Who is at most risk of vulvar cancer?
There are two risk groups:

First are elderly patients with a history of chronic irritation of the vulva
Second are young smokers with a history of HPV infection such as venereal warts, abnormal pap smears, or carcinoma in situ (cancer that involves only the cells in which it began and has not spread to other tissues) of the vulva.

Is there a way to prevent vulvar cancer?
Primary prevention would include not smoking and reduction in sexual partners. Condoms do not protect against vulvar cancer. Of greater importance is early detection. See your gynecologist if you see or feel something new or abnormal on the vulva.

How is vulvar cancer treated?
Treatment for early vulvar cancer is surgical removal of the tumor and lymph nodes in the groin. Postoperative radiation is given to patients with positive nodes. Larger tumors can be treated with chemoradiation before or after surgery. Our primary research focus has been development of less radical surgical techniques to reduce the morbidity of surgery while maintaining equal or better outcomes.

What are treatment side effects?

Radiation side effects include irritation and redness like a sunburn during treatment. Delayed side effects include scaring and thickening of the skin. During treatment special care is taken not to disturb bowel and bladder function. All patients have some side effects however serious side effects are not common.

[Princess08]

If you've ever been troubled with inflammation and infection of the vulva and vagina, you are far from alone. This problem, known as vulvovaginitis, is the most common gynecological disorder in the United States today. Fortunately, vulvovaginitis, while uncomfortable, is essentially harmless and usually responds promptly to simple treatment. Its symptoms include itching, irritation, or pain in the external genital area (the vulva) and pain in the vagina during intercourse. The vaginal discharge is often heavier than usual. It is frequently discolored (yellow, gray, or greenish), and may have an unpleasant odor.



Healthy vaginal discharge is made up of aging cells cast off from your vaginal walls, secretions from the cervix that help protect your uterus from infection and aid in fertility, and chemicals produced by vaginal bacteria and fungi ("yeasts"). Normally the discharge has no odor.
Some changes in vaginal discharge are normal, and bear no relation to a possible infection. These changes are governed by your menstrual cycle and the shifting hormonal patterns of puberty and menopause.
Relatively high levels of sexual hormones are necessary to produce vaginal discharge. So, during both childhood and menopause when hormone levels are low, discharge is minimal.



Because girls have little or no vaginal secretion before puberty, parents who note a discharge in their child's diaper or underwear should consult a pediatrician.
During the reproductive years, your discharge changes in response to your monthly cycle. As your hormone levels drop after a menstrual period, the discharge becomes light. Then, as new eggs begin to develop in your ovaries, estrogen and progesterone levels increase, stimulating production of a white, milky or creamy discharge. At ovulation (approximately two weeks before your next menstrual period), this discharge changes abruptly and dramatically, becoming transparent and stretchy rather like egg white. This "fertile mucus" announces peak fertility of your monthly cycle. Fertile mucus generally lasts for only a day or two. Your discharge then turns white and creamy again and may be slightly heavier than earlier in the cycle. With your next menstrual period, the entire process begins once more.

[Princess08]

There is probably not a woman in the country who does not know what the initials PMS stand for; and few are the women who have been completely spared the physical and behavioral changes that characterize Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). Estimates of the number of women affected by PMS vary widely. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that 20 to 40 percent of women experience some premenstrual difficulties, while an estimated 5 percent suffer from the depressive illness called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Some medical experts maintain that up to 90 percent of American women experience one or more symptoms of PMS. Whatever the actual figures, women and their doctors agree that the problem is real.
PMS symptoms can begin anytime after ovulation, which occurs approximately 2 weeks before the start of your period. During the last three to 14 days of your cycle, you may notice a variety of changes in your body or disposition that can cause some degree of distress. These include:

• swelling and tenderness in the breasts;
• a "bloated" feeling or temporary weight gain of a few pounds;
• skin blemishes or acne;
• swelling of hands and feet;
• headaches;
• nausea or constipation, followed by diarrhea at the onset of menstruation;
• increased thirst or appetite;
• a craving for certain foods—especially sweets and items high in salt;
• increased irritability or mood swings;
• insomnia or fatigue;
• forgetfulness or confusion;
• feelings of anxiety or loss of control;
• sadness or uncontrolled crying.

Overall, more than 150 physical and behavioral symptoms have been associated with PMS. This complicates diagnosis and makes it difficult to classify the condition as a specific disease. And the mild premenstrual changes that many women experience have added to the confusion over PMS. Multiple severe symptoms that persist over a period of days, month after month, are more likely to be recognized as PMS than a single symptom or infrequent complaints. In addition, because the variety of symptoms and their causes are not well understood, doctors have no reliable method to determine who is susceptible to PMS, and why.
Unrelated medical problems can also mimic PMS and mislead you and your doctor. These include:

• fibrocystic breast changes, in which noncancerous lumps in the breast become swollen and painful;
• endometriosis, in which tissue from the lining of the uterus can cause pain elsewhere in the lower abdomen;
• unrecognized pelvic infections such as chlamydia;
• dysmenorrhea, or painful menstrual cramps, that can also prompt nausea and diarrhea;
• diabetes, which can cause excessive thirst or hunger;
• endocrine disorders such as an overactive thyroid;
• emotional or psychological disorders, which can be confused with the mood changes of PMS;
• allergies.

In recent years, PMS has generated a great deal of controversy in the media. While some physicians and researchers have portrayed nearly all women as suffering from PMS, generally the medical community acknowledges a significant difference between the more serious "syndrome" and the PMS "symptoms" experienced by many women.
Unfortunately, the politics of the debate have deflected attention from the very real difficulties caused by PMS. While some of the outbursts attributed to PMS have been casually dismissed as "raging hormones," family, social, and work relationships may, indeed, suffer when a woman experiences the physical discomfort and emotional peaks and valleys of PMS. Truly violent tendencies, however, are usually caused by psychological or medical problems completely unrelated to PMS.
In fact, the most convincing evidence of PMS is its cyclical nature. All symptoms—both physical and behavioral—should disappear rapidly once menstruation begins. If physical changes continue for more than a few weeks or fail to subside once your period begins, it's important to contact your doctor to rule out other possible medical causes. Likewise, if you feel depressed premenstrually and your mood doesn't lift when your period starts, you should bring this to your doctor's attention.

[Princess08]

Most women begin to menstruate between 11 and 13 years of age and continue until they reach menopause some 40 years later. Although the "normal" cycle is 28 days, there is no cause for concern if periods are spaced 25 to 34 days apart, since precise regularity is rare. During the "typical" 3-to-5 day menstrual period, the average woman loses less than 2 ounces of blood.



The first menstrual period separates childhood from adolescence. Along with breast enlargement and the growth of pubic hair, it signals a young woman's sexual maturity. This monthly vaginal discharge of blood, secretions, and cells from the surface of the uterus is the final step in a complex cycle that prepares the body to conceive a child.
Each cycle begins when, responding to a cascade of hormones, a dormant egg cell within one of the ovaries begins to ripen. Cells around the maturing egg release the female hormone estrogen, prompting the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) to thicken in preparation for receipt of a fertilized egg.
When it reaches maturity, the developing egg bursts from the ovary and begins its trip down the fallopian tube to the uterus in a process called ovulation. The supporting cells left behind after ovulation then begin to manufacture another hormone, progesterone, in addition to estrogen. This second hormone fosters further growth in the lining of the uterus.
If fertilization does not take place, the ovum dies and production of estrogen and progesterone stops. Robbed of its sustaining hormones, the thickened lining of the uterus begins to break down. The dead endometrial cells, along with a little blood, are then discharged in the menstrual flow.
Normal menstruation depends on the delicate orchestration of the hormones that govern development of the egg. The menstrual cycle can also be affected by disease, diet, emotions, and defective development of the reproductive organs.

[Princess08]

Many women experience discomfort (sore, swollen breasts, minor pain in the lower abdomen, nervousness) before their periods. They may also have mild cramps when the menstrual flow starts. In most cases, these symptoms do not interfere with their normal activities and can be alleviated by diuretics ("water pills") and salt reduction to reduce bloating; plus pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).



For some women, however, symptoms can be more severe, signaling a condition that needs medical attention. These problems include:

• Premenstrual irritability and mood swings (PMS) and its more severe form, PMDD
• Very painful periods
• Heavy bleeding
• Unusually short or long cycles
• Failure to menstruate
• Early menstruation
• Toxic shock syndrome

Should you or your daughter experience any of these menstrual abnormalities, consult your doctor. He or she will take a complete medical history, perform a thorough physical examination, and conduct tests to diagnose the cause of the menstrual problems and determine the best course of treatment.