Women's Health
Learn about women's health
There is so much to know about the woman’s body. And as your body changes with time, you are bound to have questions you never thought of before.
You can come here to explore a range of women's health issues. Get help with decisions and common concerns on topics such as:
Health Topics
- Abnormal Pap Test
- Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding
- Abortion
- Activity, Rest, and Breast-Feeding
- Asthma During Pregnancy
- Bacterial Vaginosis
- Bartholin Gland Cyst
- Birth Control
- Breast and Ovarian Cancer (BRCA) Genetic Test
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent
- Breast Engorgement
- Breast enlargement
- Breast implant surgery for breast reconstruction
- Breast Lumps
- Breast Pain (Mastalgia)
- Breast Problems
- Breast reduction
- Breast-Feeding
- Breast-Feeding Positions
- Breast-Feeding Techniques
- Breech Position and Breech Birth
- Carbon dioxide laser surgery for abnormal cervical cell changes
- Cervical biopsy for abnormal cervical cell changes
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Effacement and Dilatation
- Cervical Polyps
- Cesarean Section
- Chronic Female Pelvic Pain
- Closure of the vagina (vaginal obliteration)
- Cone biopsy (conization) for abnormal cervical cell changes
- Cryotherapy for abnormal cervical cell changes
- Diaphragm Use and Care
- Dilation and curettage (D&C) for bleeding during menopause
- Dilation and evacuation (D&E) for abortion
- Domestic Abuse
- Domestic Violence
- Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Electrical stimulation for urinary incontinence
- Emergency Contraception
- Emotions and Menopause
- Endometrial (Uterine) Cancer
- Endometrial ablation
- Endometriosis
- Exercise During Pregnancy
- Fallopian tube procedures for infertility
- Family History and the Risk for Breast or Ovarian Cancer
- Female Genital Problems
- Fibrocystic Breasts
- Functional Ovarian Cysts
- Gamete and zygote intrafallopian transfer (GIFT and ZIFT) for infertility
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) During Pregnancy
- Genital Warts (Human Papillomavirus)
- Gestational Diabetes
- Healthy Eating and Menopause
- High-Risk Pregnancy
- Hot Flashes and Menopause
- How to Use a Condom
- Hysterectomy
- Hysterectomy for endometrial cancer
- Hysterectomy for ovarian cancer
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer
- Interactive Tool: From Embryo to Baby in 9 Months
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Due Date?
- Interactive Tool: When Are You Most Fertile?
- Interactive Tool: Which Health Screenings Do You Need?
- Intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control
- Labor Induction and Augmentation
- Labor, Delivery, and Postpartum Period
- Laparoscopic ovarian drilling (ovarian diathermy) for PCOS
- Laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis
- Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for abnormal cervical cell changes
- Lymphadenectomy for endometrial cancer
- Maintaining a Healthy Pregnancy
- Manual and vacuum aspiration for abortion
- Mastitis While Breast-Feeding
- Mechanical devices for urinary incontinence in women
- Menarche
- Menopause and Perimenopause
- Menstrual Cramps
- Military Sexual Trauma
- Miscarriage
- Missed or Irregular Periods
- Molar Pregnancy
- Multiple Pregnancy: Twins or More
- Myomectomy
- Normal Menstrual Cycle
- Nutrition and Weight Gain During Pregnancy
- Nutrition While Breast-Feeding
- Obstetric Panel
- Oophorectomy
- Osteoporosis
- Ovarian Cancer
- Pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises for urinary incontinence in women
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- Physical Abuse
- Placenta Abruptio
- Placenta Previa
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- Postpartum Depression
- Preeclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy After Age 35
- Pregnancy-Related Problems
- Premature Ovarian Failure
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy
- Preterm Labor
- Problems After Delivery of Your Baby
- Radiation therapy for endometrial cancer
- Relieving Menstrual Pain
- Repair of bladder prolapse (cystocele) or urethra prolapse (urethrocele)
- Repair of rectocele or enterocele
- Repair of vaginal wall prolapse (vaginal vault prolapse)
- Retropubic suspension for urinary incontinence in women
- Rh Sensitization During Pregnancy
- Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
- Safe Sex
- Scalp Problems
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Surgery for chronic pelvic pain
- Surgery for ovarian cysts
- Tension-free vaginal tape for stress incontinence in women
- Tissue flap surgery for breast reconstruction
- Toxic Shock Syndrome
- Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
- Travel During Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal ligation and tubal implants
- Urethral sling for stress incontinence in women
- Urinary Incontinence in Women
- Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE)
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
- Vaginal delivery in breech position and breech birth
- Vaginal Fistula
- Vaginal pessaries
- Vaginal Yeast Infections
- Vaginitis
- What to do about missed or skipped birth control pills
- Women and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries
- Women and Coronary Artery Disease
Medical Tests
- Bone Mineral Density
- Breast Biopsy
- Breast Cancer (BRCA) Gene Test
- Breast Self-Examination
- Breast Ultrasound
- Clinical Breast Examination
- Colposcopy and Cervical Biopsy
- Contraction Stress Test
- Endometrial Biopsy
- Estrogens
- Fertility Awareness
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Test
- Hysterosalpingogram
- Hysteroscopy
- Luteinizing Hormone
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Breast
- Mammogram
- Pap Test
- Pelvic Examination
- Postcoital Test
- Progesterone
- Sperm Penetration Tests
- Tests for Bacterial Vaginosis
- Vaginal Self-Examination (VSE)
- Vaginal Wet Mount
Medications
- Alprazolam for PMS-related anxiety
- Antibiotics for bacterial vaginosis
- Antibiotics for mastitis while breast-feeding
- Antibiotics for pelvic inflammatory disease
- Anticholinergic medications for urinary incontinence in women
- Antidepressants for hot flashes
- Antidepressants for urinary incontinence
- Aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer
- Birth control pills for endometriosis
- Birth control pills for ovarian cysts
- Birth control pills for perimenopausal symptoms
- Birth control pills for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain
- Birth control pills, patch, or ring
- Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis
- Bromocriptine
- Bromocriptine mesylate or cabergoline for infertility
- Calcitonin for osteoporosis
- Clonidine for treating hot flashes
- Danazol for endometriosis
- Danazol for premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Emergency contraceptive pills
- Estrogen for osteoporosis
- Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT)
- Estrogen therapy for dysfunctional uterine bleeding
- Gabapentin for hot flashes
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) for severe PMS
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) therapy for endometriosis
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-a) therapy
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for infertility
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Hormone replacement therapy for osteoporosis
- Hydralazine for high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Insulin for gestational diabetes
- Labetalol for high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Low-dose vaginal estrogen for dryness and atrophy
- Magnesium sulfate for seizure prevention during pregnancy
- Metformin (Glucophage) for polycystic ovary syndrome
- Methotrexate and misoprostol for abortion
- Methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy
- Methotrexate for trophoblastic cancer
- Methyldopa for chronic hypertension during pregnancy
- Mifepristone and misoprostol for abortion
- Minoxidil for hair loss
- Misoprostol
- Nifedipine for high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Nystatin for yeast infections while breast-feeding
- Oral medications for vaginal yeast infections
- Oxytocin for breast-feeding
- Parathyroid hormone for osteoporosis
- Progestin for chronic pelvic pain
- Progestin for dysfunctional uterine bleeding
- Progestin for endometriosis
- Progestin hormone therapy for endometrial cancer
- Progestin-only hormonal methods (mini-pills, implants, and shots)
- Raloxifene
- Rh immune globulin
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for PMS and PMDD
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for postpartum depression
- Spironolactone for PMS
- Spironolactone for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Testosterone for women
- Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain
- Tricyclic antidepressants for postpartum depression
- Tricyclic antidepressants for premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Vaginal medications for vaginal yeast infections
Make a Wise Decision
- Breast cancer: Should I have breast reconstruction after a mastectomy?
- Breast cancer: Should I have breast-conserving surgery or a mastectomy for early-stage cancer?
- Breast cancer: Should I have chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer?
- Breast cancer: What should I do if I'm at high risk?
- Depression: Should I take antidepressants while I'm pregnant?
- Dysfunctional uterine bleeding: Should I use hormone therapy?
- Endometriosis: Should I have a hysterectomy and oophorectomy?
- Endometriosis: Should I use hormone therapy?
- Fertility problems: Should I have a tubal procedure or in vitro fertilization?
- HPV: Should my daughter get the vaccine?
- Hysterectomy and oophorectomy: Should I use estrogen replacement therapy (ERT)?
- Hysterectomy: Should I also have my ovaries removed?
- Menopause: Should I use hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?
- Miscarriage: Should I have treatment to complete a miscarriage?
- Osteoporosis: Should I have a dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) test?
- Osteoporosis: Should I take bisphosphonate medicines?
- Pap test: Should I have colposcopy if my Pap test shows minor cell changes?
- Pelvic organ prolapse: Should I have surgery?
- PMS: Should I try an SSRI medicine for my symptoms?
- Pregnancy: Should I have amniocentesis?
- Pregnancy: Should I have an early fetal ultrasound?
- Pregnancy: Should I have an epidural during childbirth?
- Pregnancy: Should I try vaginal childbirth after a past C-section (VBAC)?
- Stress incontinence: Should I have surgery?
- Uterine fibroids: Should I have surgery?
- Uterine fibroids: Should I have uterine fibroid embolization?
- Uterine fibroids: Should I use GnRH-a therapy?
- Vaginal yeast infection: Should I treat it myself?
Take Action
- Breast-feeding: Learning how to nurse
- Depression: Managing postpartum depression
- Gestational diabetes: Checking your blood sugar
- Gestational diabetes: Counting carbs
- Gestational diabetes: Dealing with low blood sugar
- Gestational diabetes: Giving yourself insulin shots
- Lymphedema: Managing lymphedema
- Menopause: Managing hot flashes
- Menstrual cycle: Dealing with cramps
- Osteoporosis: Taking calcium
- Pregnancy and diabetes: Planning for pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Dealing with morning sickness
Last Updated: May 21, 2008
Author: Sandy Jocoy, RN
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
