On January 6, 2011, happily pregnant, I went to get an ultrasound.  I left the office in tears, having been told that my cervix was shorter and more open than it should be and that I was in danger of delivering early, which at 20 weeks and 2 days, meant certain death for my baby. Read more…

En-do-me-tri-o-sis is present in one third of women who suffer from infertility and in more than eighty per cent of women who suffer from chronic pelvic pain.  It is a disorder that affects women in their 20s and 30s.  Most women who have endometriosis do not have pain or infertility.  Pain due to endometriosis typically starts a few days before the period only to become excruciating during menses.  Some women complain of constant pain throughout the month.  Also, endometriosis can become imbedded in the bladder and bowel causing bleeding with urination and bleeding with bowel movements. Read more…

Every sexually active woman should know of PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease).  Most women diagnosed with this infection are under the age of twenty five.  Unfortunately, many women find out that they have had this infection, years later, when they are diagnosed with infertility. Read more…

Across the nation about 30% of deliveries are done by caesarean section (c-section). Most c-sections are performed at the recommendation of an obstetrician, but in recent years, more women have asked to be delivered by caesarean and have optedout of labor.

Women request the surgery for a many reasons including a previous painful or traumatic birth experience or tales about the “horrors” of a vaginal delivery. Often though, when asked why they want a c-section, the answer is some variation of…“I don’t want to go through all that…I just want a c-section.”

There is no such thing as just a c-section. Read more…

Last week I had a heated debate with a friend of mine over what she feels is the nonchalant attitude of physicians over the topic of genital herpes.  I have a colleague, a gynecologist, no less, who feels that testing people who have never had any symptoms of herpes only serves to “ruin their lives”.  I include testing for herpes when patients specifically ask to be screened for sexually transmitted diseases.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends routine testing for patients in high risk groups.  If you live in Purity-ville your chances of having Herpes type 2 is less than if you live in Sexanddrugs-town.

Another point to be made here is that there are people who have been given the diagnoses of herpes and make a conscience choice not to tell their partners, usually because they are afraid of losing someone they love or really like.  Here are some reasons that I’ve heard: “It’s not like it’s life threatening”,  ”I’ve never had an outbreak and don’t think that I will” or “I just can’t tell him (or her)”.  Before you weigh in, here are a few facts from the CDC that you should know: Read more…

My dad quit smoking years ago.  He often fell asleep on the couch while ashes from a lit cigarette fell to the floor.  The fact that his bed once caught afire, did not temper his cravings.  Today, in addition to being a cigarette Nazi, he takes to the treadmill regularly and continues to adhere to a vegetarian diet.  His diabetes is under good control but he’s sure that his naturopathic teas will bring him closer to a ‘complete cure’.  My mother, in contrast, flirted with cigarettes when she was a young hot party animal.  She hasn’t smoked since her twenties, but she has an affinity to cheesecake despite her uncontrolled diabetes, her weight and her hypertension.  She has cardiovascular disease.  Ladies and gentlemen, your lifestyle matters. Read more…

Menopause is one of the biggest turning points in women’s lives. It is defined as the permanent cessation of menstruation.  Some women make smooth transitions, while others face torrents of hot flashes accompanied by perfuse sweating, mood swings and debilitating insomnia.  The severity of the symptoms is based on several factors.  Here are a few: genetics, number of cigarettes per day, number of drinks per day, chronic illness, chemotherapy and diet.  What we do about these symptoms is based on cultural background, access to information, fears and believes about what constitutes a good quality of life.

For those who prefer the au natural approach, here is some information on one of the most popular alternative supplements: black cohosh. Read more…

The answer is “yes” but not necessarily every year and not at every age.  Here is why…

Now that we have clearer understanding of how HPV (human papillomavirus) affects the cervix at different points in women’s lives, we can now target certain women while reducing the number of procedures that we do on others.

Every year, millions of women are infected with HPV in the United States — but relatively VERY FEW actually develop cervical cancer.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus. It’s spread through sexual intercourse.  But know that it is easily spread through skin-to-skin contact, so penetration during sex is not required to get HPV.  Infection with HPV peaks between ages 16 and 24.  This is the time when most women are exposed to HPV, which is often when they become sexually active. Read more…

It is such a frightening topic to read about.  Some mistakenly believe that the danger has been subdued.  One could possibly go an entire week without hearing it mentioned on the news.  Even so, in America, it is the 5th leading cause of death for women between the ages of 19-39.  For black women, it is the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 25 and 34.  Most women are being exposed to the virus by having sex with men who are infected.

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) was first reported in 1981.  Two years later, scientists were able to find the cause of this disease: HIV  (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).  The infection has touched lives in every part of the world.  Countries in regions of the world with little resource: Sub-Saharan African, the Caribbean and Asia, have seen millions of their citizens die from this disease.  HIV in contracted by contact with infected blood and body fluids.  The virus then attacks the immune system, leaving the body unable to defend itself against infections that might otherwise be effectively eliminated. Read more…

Have you ever heard of preeclampsia?

I chose this topic because recently I had several patients who were diagnosed with this syndrome and most of them had no idea of what this disease meant for them or for their unborn child.

Simply, Preeclampsia is a type of high blood pressure that affects pregnancy.  It is diagnosed when there is both an increase in the mother’s blood pressure and when a certain amount of protein is found in the urine.

We don’t know what causes preeclampsia and we have not found a way to prevent it.  But, we do know that certain women are more prone to developing this disorder. Here are some of the top risk factors: women having their first baby, those who have had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy and those with a family history of preeclampsia.  Some other really important risk factors include: women who are obese, those who were diagnosed with high blood pressure before they became pregnant (or who were diagnosed in the beginning of the pregnancy), women who have kidney disease, those carrying two or more babies and those who are genetically prone to develop blood clots. Read more…