Blog Archive

Historically, unfortunately, thought to only affect affluent, white females, it’s now known that eating disorders widely affect anyone, from any sex, gender, race, ethnic, or socioeconomic background. Actually, disordered eating has been discovered as more prevalent among those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning. It is not...

For women who are looking to start a family or add to their existing one, optimizing fertility is a top priority. A recent article published in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine discussed some very interesting and, oftentimes, surprising new information regarding fertility. The article dispels certain widely accepted myths...

This week, I want to give an overview of the Zika virus that has been so popular in the media. For those currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant, this new virus can be quite frightening. As with all topics in health, despite the fear associated with them, knowledge is...

Metabolism. It’s one of the most popular and least understood topics of discussion between us women. It’s talked about as though it’s a car, easy to steer, manipulate, speed up, or slow down as you please. It’s frustratingly blamed for a lack of weight loss, or on the other side...

This week, I want to take the time to clear up and explain a misconception women frequently have with a common operation, the hysterectomy. A hysterectomy is when a woman’s uterus is removed for medical reasons. These medical reasons include fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine prolapse, and more. Frequently, if a...

This week, we are going to do something a little different. As women, it’s important that we understand how our bodies work, especially hormones. It just doesn’t seem fair that we go around blaming our hormones every month without much understanding of them. By now, your hormones may quite possibly...

Jumping jacks, coughing, laughing...they all seem a little wetter lately. Or perhaps when you need to go, you really need to go. And I mean now. Right now. Whatever the reason for your urine leakage, it can be frustrating and embarrassing. Many women might feel as though they are alone...

Each year, 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the 5th deadliest cancer in American women; but, did you know that your ovaries may not be the true source of this cancer? With a name like ovarian cancer, one can pretty safely assume that yes, this type of cancer comes...

Happy Thanksgiving! Perhaps by now you’ve all enjoyed your wonderful Thanksgiving meals and are now spread out over the couch, groaning in discomfort, feeling quite sleepy and blaming it on Tryptophan. What exactly is Tryptophan? Does it actually make you sleepy? What else does Tryptophan do and is it in...

You were in the shower, minding your own business, washing up as usual when suddenly...a bump. A bump?! What does that mean?! Your first reaction: panic. Your second: doctor. There are a few things wrong with this situation here, but the most important is not to panic. There are many...

Nothing that hurts is very fun. That’s why it’s so frustrating when your intimate moments are interrupted with an “ouch!”. Along with this pain can come many feelings including worry, embarrassment, and self-consciousness. Many also feel as though they are alone when they experience this. Women should be reassured that...

It happens. Sometimes there’s an accident: a condom breaks or you forget to take the pill. Or other times you may just get caught up in the moment. Whatever the reason, emergency contraception (EC)-- also known as “the morning after pill” -- is a safe and effective method of birth...

This week we’ll discuss 9 signs that indicate that - yes finally - you may be approaching menopause. All women are different in the age that they go through menopause and it is actually already determined by the time you are still a growing fetus in your mother’s womb. About MenopauseEven...

When the topic of hereditary cancer is discussed, usually the big player in conversation is the BRCA gene; however, what many people don’t realize is that there is another type inherited of cancer. It just carries less celebrity baggage with it than it’s counterpart. This other type of hereditary cancer...

As women, we know that it’s common to get that occasional little irritation “down there”. In fact, about 1 in 3 women will experience this sometime in their life. Sometimes it’s an itch, sometimes it’s a burn, sometimes it just feels wrong overall. Then along with that there might be...

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are extremely common and primarily affect women. About 1 in 10 women report at least one urinary tract infection to their doctor per year. In their life, more than half of all women will have a UTI and some have recurrent UTIs that are come back...

Every three seconds, a fracture occurs due to osteoporosis. That means by the time you finish these two sentences, about three osteoporotic fractures will have occurred in the world. Osteoporosis is a disease caused by deterioration of bone tissue and low bone mass and it drastically increases your risk for...

Only three weeks after conception, an embryo begins the formation of organs and the structure that eventually develops into its brain and spinal cord. Three weeks after conception, most women are still unaware that they are pregnant. So, if you are planning to have a baby soon, it’s important to...

Being screened for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be confusing. For many, the situation goes like this: you go into a testing center, declare whether or not you are exhibiting symptoms, pee in a cup, and then are told that you will be notified if anything comes back positive. If...

Like many other screening guidelines recently, the Breast Self-Exam (BSE) has come under some scrutiny, with some experts suggesting it may not provide any benefit in breast cancer detection and treatment. My views are concurrent with many other experts, like those at BreastCanger.org, who believe that BSEs are an important...

Most of us know what it’s like to feel as though you’re riding a rollercoaster, but you’re alone, and it’s a miserable rollercoaster - a misercoaster one might say. For those few days before our period, some people even seem to become a different person entirely. A previously stoic business...

A simple google search inquiring about the yearly pap smear will produce thousands of results. Many top news sources have headlines such as “Say Goodbye to the Yearly Pap Smear” and “Less Frequent Pap Screening Recommended”, yet at my office, I still highly recommend the annual pap smear. Experts, including those...

The name of this syndrome distracts from the true issue and ignites fear with the words ‘ovarian cysts’. Oftentimes, women who are diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) don’t realize that this problem is really about their hormones. Not their ovaries. At the time of diagnosis, many may think, “dear...

Fibroids. They sound like something an alien flies around in on its way to abduct a cow in rural Kansas. Maybe they are those small, green, shiny pieces on the inside of your computer that store all your passwords. Or maybe it’s a common medical condition that affects about three...

Many people know that IUDs and birth control implants exist, but few are using them. Many of the reasons for its shortage of use are due to lack of awareness about its safety, higher effectiveness, and ease of use. Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) are wonderful advancements in technology that everyone...

Many people are hesitant and possibly ashamed to discuss this topic, but sexual dysfunction affects nearly half of all women. 43% of women will experience some form of sexual problem during their life while only 31% of men will experience difficulty. Yet there is still no FDA-approved intervention for women....

Though all women are different from their body composition to their metabolic rate, gaining weight around the midsection during menopause is likely unless lifestyle changes are made. The word “change” can be quite intimidating, but with this blog we hope to educate about the changes to your body that occur...

Vitamin or Hormone? Many studies suggest the latter and professionals around the world have begun to accept this concept. Views about Vitamin D are shifting and its importance in several areas of health are becoming more understood. It's truly a fascinating compound. So what's the need-to-know about the "Sunshine Vitamin"?...

This week we’re going to review a controversial topic. Along with this topic comes many associated fears and suspicions. The media has done a great job at creating fears about estrogen. What they gain from it is more attention and more views at the detriment of the female population. My...

It may not seem like it, but “Human Papillomavirus (HPV)” and “Cervical Cancer” are two words that often go together. HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer, but lucky for you this type of cancer is highly preventable in Western countries due to screening tests and vaccines against the...

If you've followed any pop-media lately, you may have heard the acronym "BRCA". So what does that exactly mean? BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that, when mutated, may cause breast and/or ovarian cancer. This is called Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome and it is an inherited syndrome that causes...