From menstruation to sexual problems and pain, find out about what affects you uniquely as a woman.
Premenstrual syndrome, commonly called PMS, is a medical condition that has symptoms that affect many women of childbearing age.
Lots of women get pelvic pain and cramping, but your period isn't always to blame. Cysts, ;constipation, pregnancy -- even cancer -- can make it feel like your monthly visitor is about to stop by.
Women have about 450 periods during their lifetimes. Even so, your period can still manage to surprise you, and not just by showing up when you least expect it.
Don't let your period derail your life. You can still do everything that you would during the rest of the month, if you know how to manage the baggage your monthly visitor may bring.
Menstrual cramps are the leading cause of absenteeism in women younger than 30 years. Although over half of women who have menstrual periods experience some discomfort, 10% are temporarily disabled by symptoms.
Heavy or prolonged menstrual periods, or menorrhagia, are the most common type of abnormal bleeding from the uterus.
Periods vary widely from woman to woman. Some periods are punctual, some are unpredictable. On average, a woman gets their period every 21 to 35 days. A period usually lasts about three to five days. Irregular periods may require treatment.
If your menstrual blood varies in color and consistency throughout your monthly period, it's very likely that it's perfectly normal.
There’s a lot of buzz about this eco-friendly alternative to pads and tampons. But what is a menstrual cup?
Most women experience spotting between their periods at some point. Usually, it’s nothing to worry about. A number of things can cause it to happen.
Breast symptoms are the strongest just before your period starts, and improve either during or right after it.
Mittelschmerz is the pelvic and lower abdominal pain that some women experience during ovulation.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a sudden, potentially fatal condition caused by an overgrowth of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, or staph. TSS affects menstruating women, especially those who use super-absorbent tampons.
TSS symptoms usually come on quickly, about 2 days after the bacteria infects you. The way TSS affects your body depends on the type of bacteria causing your condition.
Vaginal yeast infections are common. Yeast infections, sometimes called candidiasis, develop where a moist environment encourages growth of the yeast fungus, such as the genitals.
Yeast infection symptoms -- such as vaginal itching, burning, and occasional vaginal discharge -- can also be caused by sexually transmitted diseases and other vaginal infections.
Anyone who's had a yeast infection knows the unbearable vaginal itching it can bring. Other vaginal infections share some of the same symptoms, so only your doctor can make a diagnosis by running a lab test on sample fluid and cells from the vagina.
Candida yeast normally live in the vagina. But certain conditions set up an ideal environment for the yeast to "overgrow" out of balance and cause a yeast infection.
Your doctor may diagnose a vaginal yeast infection based on your description of symptoms and possibly a vaginal exam.
In many cases, you can safely treat a vaginal yeast infection with an over-the-counter medication. You can also try treating a yeast infection at home with these tips for self-care to relieve itching, burning, and other symptoms.
You can treat most vaginal yeast infections with an over-the-counter vaginal cream or suppository. You can buy these nonprescription vaginal creams and suppositories at most large drugstores and supermarkets.
You can treat many yeast infections with over-the-counter creams or suppositories that you can buy at a drugstore. But for some women with severe or persistent infections, a different yeast infection treatment may be needed.
While you can't always avoid a yeast infection, you can lower your risk of getting one. Follow these guidelines to avoid the itching, burning, and other discomforts.
Try these following tips to prevent yeast infections.
The cervix is a cylinder-shaped neck of tissue that connects the vagina and uterus.
Cervicitis is inflammation of the cervix -- the lower end of the uterus that opens into the vagina.
Cervical polyps are growths on the cervical canal, the passage that connects the uterus to the vagina.
Your ob-gyn will deal with some of the most health issues in your life, including birth control, childbirth, and menopause. A number of different conditions, from cysts to tumors, can cause ovarian pain.
Ovarian cysts are common, especially with woman who still get their period. They’re solid or fluid-filled pockets in or on your ovary.
Most women at some point have to contend with weight gain. But for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), losing weight can become a constant struggle.
Many different conditions can cause chronic pelvic pain. The main symptom is pain that lasts for more than six months, but there are usually other symptoms, as well. Understanding your symptoms can help you and your doctor begin to pinpoint the cause or causes of your chronic pelvic pain.
Your pelvic pain may not have an obvious cause. It may take some time and effort to figure it out. There are specialists you can turn to and tests that can be done to determine why you have the pain and what can be done about it.
If you have pelvic pain that doesn’t go away, see your doctor. In the meantime, there are a number of things you can do at home to feel better. This article outlines six of them.
When you've been diagnosed with chronic pelvic pain, you and your doctor should work together toward your well-being. Don't be afraid to ask any questions you have about your condition and your care. Here are some important ones to start with.
PID is one of the most serious complications of a sexually transmitted disease in women: It can lead to irreversible damage to the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or other parts of the female reproductive system, and is the primary preventable cause of infertility in women.
Your pelvis is the lower part of your belly, below your navel and between your hips. Sometimes, the muscles and other kinds of tissue that hold everything in place get stretched out, weak, or torn.
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) doesn’t always have symptoms. When it does, they depend on what kind of prolapse you have. In most cases, symptoms are mild in the morning, but get worse as the day goes on.
There are a few different types of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). They’re named after where they happen in your body and what organs are involved.
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) happens when organs like the bladder, uterus or rectum drop down and press against the vagina. There are several ways to treat this condition -- both with and without surgery.
If you have pelvic organ prolapse, you probably wonder what can be done to treat it. While medical procedures are available, there are things you can do on your own that may help you to feel better from day to day.
Physical therapy can offer long-term relief from your pelvic organ prolapse symptoms by strengthening core muscles. These exercises are used in addition to Kegels to strengthen muscles on your pelvic floor.
Kegel exercises (also called “pelvic floor exercises”) strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
A sexual problem, or sexual dysfunction, refers to a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents the individual or couple from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual activity.
While vaginal bleeding after sex can be alarming, it’s also fairly common and probably no cause for concern. But it can also be caused by an infection, and in rare cases, it's a sign of cervical cancer.
Vaginoplasty is a procedure that aims to "tighten up" a vagina that's become slack or loose from vaginal childbirth or aging. Labiaplasty changes the size or shape of the labia, typically making them smaller or correcting an asymmetry between them.
When a woman has vaginismus, their vagina's muscles squeeze or spasm when something is entering it, like a tampon or a penis. It can be mildly uncomfortable, or it can be painful.
Adenomyosis is a condition in which the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium) breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus (the myometrium).
An enlarged uterus can be a symptom of a variety of medical issues. Learn what could cause an enlarged uterus.
Your uterus is normally held in place inside your pelvis with various muscles, tissue, and ligaments. Childbirth or difficult labor and delivery can cause these muscles to weaken. Also, as a woman ages and with a natural loss of estrogen, their uterus can drop into the vaginal canal, causing a prolapsed uterus.
Learn the reasons your doctor may advise a D&C (dilation and curettage) and what to expect during the procedure.
A hysterectomy is an operation to remove a woman's uterus. A woman may have a hysterectomy for different reasons.
After a hysterectomy, you will have a brief recovery time in the hospital. Your recovery time at home will vary depending on the procedure you had.
If you have painful periods with excessive bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, or another pelvic health problem, you should know that there are alternatives to hysterectomy to consider.
You know it’s important to do regular breast self-exams to check for lumps or other changes. But did you know a vaginal self-exam can be just as important?
Some objects are designed for use in a woman's vagina. These include tampons, vaginal suppositories, and medications delivered through the vagina. Others are not intended to be inserted and may be placed there accidentally or intentionally.
Learn the leading causes and types of vaginal infections -- and what to do about them.
Both “good” and “bad” bacteria live in your vagina. If this delicate balance is upset, you can get an infection called bacterial vaginosis, or BV, for short.
The Bartholin’s glands are located on each side of the vaginal opening. If they become blocked, fluid can back up into them. This forms a swelling -- a cyst.
You can find cysts just about anywhere on the body, including the vagina. A vaginal cyst is usually located on or under the lining of the vagina.
An estimated 20% to 40% of American women between ages 15 and 44 say they use a vaginal douche.
Most of the time, vaginal discharge is perfectly normal. The amount can vary, as can odor and hue, depending on the time in your menstrual cycle.
It may seem like a minor irritation. But the lack of vaginal moisture can have a huge impact on your sex life. Fortunately, several treatments are available to relieve vaginal dryness.
Itching or irritation anywhere on the body can cause discomfort. But when it occurs in an area as sensitive as the vagina and vulva, it can be especially uncomfortable.
A vaginal fistula is an abnormal opening that connects your vagina to another organ.
Constant and knife-like. Burning. Stinging. Soreness. Stabbing. This is how women with vulvodynia describe the pain they feel around the opening of their vagina.
Women with vulvodynia have chronic vulvar pain with no known cause. Until recently, doctors didn’t recognize this as a real pain syndrome.
Vulvodynia is chronic pain around the opening of your vagina in the area of your vulva. Use these self-care tips to control the pain and keep it from getting worse.
Vulvodynia can be complicated. If you have this condition, prepare to experiment with a lot of different treatment methods.
Vulvovaginitis is inflammation of your vulva and vagina. It’s also called vaginitis.
Vulvar vestibulitis is a type of vulvodynia, or pain around the vulva – the sex organs outside a woman’s body.