Women's Health. Find daily tips on women's health from Dr. David Samadi. Discover latest news and health benefits for common issues related to women's health such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, female cancer screenings and prevention,
FDA has approved Flibanserin, the experimental Viagra for women. The drug can be found under the name of Addyi. In 2010 it rejected the pill for female libido over side effects concerns. Some of the side effects included nausea, dizziness and fainting. Flibanserin is for post-menopausal women who experience a low sex drive. It is produced by the pharmaceutical company Sprout Pharmaceutical.
Read MoreCervical dysplasia is a condition that women can develop before developing cervical cancer. The condition is precancerous and is characterized by the growth of abnormal cells on the lining of the cervix or endocervical canal. Cervical dysplasia is also known as intraepithelial neoplasia. This condition is often associated with HPV, or human papillomavirus, which is a sexually transmitted infection. The condition is most common among women who are younger than thirty years old. However, women of any age can develop it.
Read MoreA new survey titled the 2015 SKYN Condoms Millennial Sex Survey asked 2,814 women and 2,302 men between the ages of 18-34 a series of questions about their sex lives and found that millennial women are orgasming from sex almost as often as men. nearly 90% of women surveyed said they reach an orgasm during sex, compared to 97% of millennial men. Even further, 44% of women say they typically have at least two orgasms during sex compared to 36% of men.
Read MoreNew research has called a common treatment for early stage breast cancer into question. The treatment can often be disfiguring. According to a study published in the journal JAMA Oncology found that women with stage 0 breast cancer which is also known as ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS who undergo treatment have the same likelihood of dying of breast cancer within 20 years as women in the general population. DCIS is often diagnosed after abnormal cells have been found in the breast's milk ducts. This is most often detected through a mammogram. It not makes up about one in five new breast cancer diagnoses according the American Cancer Society. The good thing is almost all women diagnosed at this stage can be cured.
Read MoreLess than half of women suffering from ovarian cancer who are qualified to get combined chemotherapy treatments only receive it. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. It was a collaborative effort of six leading cancer institutes, including The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
Read MoreMost women know the drill when it comes to screening for breast cancer and skin cancer, but many are unaware of the protocol and risk for ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women. This equates to about 250,000 women newly diagnosed annually, and 140,000 annual deaths from ovarian cancer. Although ovarian cancer can occur at any age, women above the age of 60 are at higher risk. Statistically, about half of diagnoses occur in women 63 years old and above. When diagnosis occurs in younger women, the cases are often more aggressive.
Read MoreA woman suffering from an aggressive form of cancer is suing a New Jersey hospital for using a potentially dangerous device that she says spread cancer cells through her body during what was supposed to be a routine hysterectomy. 43 year-old Viviana Ruscitto was a patient at Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, NJ. She said a power morcellator was used to cut and shred tissue so it could be sucked out through a tiny opening during the minimally invasive operation.During the procedure, it spread cancer cells through her abdomen, according to The Record of Bergen County.
Read MoreIt’s amazing what a simple Instagram photo can do these days to open up what otherwise would be hush-hush health conversations. As part of World Breastfeeding Week, a Pennsylvania mom posted a photo of her breastfeeding both her son and her friend’s son. Deemed “milk sharing,” this approach to breast feeding has been quite controversial and this year a new study showed why you may want to hold back on this.
Read MoreThe FDA has approved the first female libido drug, from Sprout Pharmaceuticals called flibanserin. Many women who suffer from sexual dysfunction and lack of sexual desire are in support of the pill but critics worry that hard side effects may be a major concern. Researchers have been aware for many years that female sexual desire actually stems from the brain, which makes female desire or sexual disorders so difficult to treat.
Read MoreA woman suffering from an aggressive form of cancer is suing a New Jersey hospital for using a potentially dangerous device that she says spread cancer cells through her body during what was supposed to be a routine hysterectomy.
Read MoreCervicitis is a condition that causes inflammation in the cervix. The cervix is located at the lower part of the uterus which opens into the vagina. There are millions of women that develop cervicitis in the United States every year. More than 50 percent of women will be affected by the condition at some point during their life. Cervicitis can be acute or chronic, meaning it can occur suddenly for a short period of time, or it can last for several months.
Read MoreVulvodynia is a condition that is characterized by chronic pain near the opening of the vulva (also known as the vagina). There is no known cause for vulvodynia. Women who experience vulvodynia often have symptoms such as burning and pain that may be severe enough to make it difficult to have sexual intercourse or even sit in a chair. Vulvodynia can last for months or even years. There are about six million women in the United States have vulvodynia. Vulvodynia may also be known as vulvar pain syndrome, vestibulitis, vestibulodynia, or clitoridynia.
Read MoreVaginal dryness can be an embarrassing topic to broach, but can negatively affect the lives of many women. Because it is not openly discussed, women may not know that it is a common problem especially for women during and after menopause. Although less common, it can also happen to women who aren’t menopausal. Are you suffering from vaginal dryness? Here are some common symptoms that might help you figure that out.
Read MoreBartholin’s cyst is a fluid filled sac that develops in the Bartholin’s glands. The Bartholin’s glands are located on each side of the opening of the vagina. These glands are responsible for secreting fluid that provides lubrication for the vagina. The Bartholin’s glands can sometimes become blocked, which causes fluid to get backed up into the glands. As a result, a cyst forms called a Bartholin’s cyst. A Bartholin’s cyst is mostly painless but can swell. In some cases, a Bartholin’s cyst can become infected if bacteria gets trapped in the cyst.
Read MoreThere has been a significant increase in the number of women requesting double mastectomies after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Some people are even calling it “the Angelina effect” after Angelina Jolie, who had a double mastectomy after finding out she was a carrier of the BRCA1 gene. The BRCA1 gene increases the risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Jolie explained in an op-ed piece that her having the BRCA1 gene mutation gave her an estimated 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer and 50 percent risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Read MoreDid you know the morning after pill, usually from the brand name Plan B, can be purchased by teens without a prescription. One would assume this could lead to overuse. More than 1 in 5 sexually active teens have used the morning-after pill which experts have deemed that this increase is major and likely reflects how easy it is to obtain emergency contraceptive. A new report released this week concluded teens use the morning-after pill increased from a decade earlier where it was 1 in 12. Now all teens can purchase it without a prescription.
Read MoreRecently a study published in JAMA Neurology found some indications that a man's memory actually worsens over time moreso than a woman's. But now two significant new studies are showing that women with memory loss are more likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It is important to note that Alzheimer’s is not a part of normal aging.
Read MoreMany of us may have never knew that fetal tissue can be donated until these past few weeks but since the pro-life organization, Center for Medical Progress, released videos that ignited a battle on some of these reproductive issues around abortion and Planned Parenthood, we're learning that this is quite common. What is fetal tissue donation? It's a little known byproduct of abortions where the use of organs and tissue from aborted fetuses and embryos are donated for both technical and monetary research.
Read MoreOvarian cysts are a common condition among women, especially during their childbearing years. They occur on the outside of a woman’s ovaries and develop in the form of sacs that are filled with fluid. Ovarian cysts may not pose any problems or discomfort, but sometimes, they can be quite painful. Follicular cysts are the most common type of ovarian cysts. They often go away on their own but some may require treatment. Women have two ovaries that are located on each side of the uterus. Their role is to act as a host to the eggs that develop and mature when a woman is trying to have a baby.
Read MoreFibrocystic breast disease is a benign, or noncancerous, condition that occurs in women and is characterized by painful lumps in the breasts. More than half of women get fibrocystic breast disease at some point in their lives. For this reason, the condition is now more often called fibrocystic breasts or fibrocystic breast changes instead of fibrocystic breast disease. The condition is basically harmless, but may cause some discomfort. Regardless of this, women should always have their breasts examined for any changes they experience in their breasts. About 60 percent of women have some fibrocystic changes. However, most cases are mild.
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