Sexual and Reproductive Health

1. Eat Well, Eat Often Eat frequent, small meals throughout the day to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. This should help alleviate your morning sickness. Take small bites and chew your food thoroughly. Stay away from refined carbs, greasy…
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1. Determine the Course of Treatment Treatment for placenta previa depends on several things, all of which your doctor will take into account. Your health and the amount of vaginal bleeding help determine the treatment plan. In addition, the age…
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1. Support Tender Breasts Tender breasts during pregnancy, caused by increased levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen, is a common complaint of pregnant women. For many women, coping with tender, painful and swollen breasts during pregnancy starts with a…
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1. Breastfeeding as a Birth Control Method It can be confusing for new moms to choose birth control while breastfeeding. Exclusive breastfeeding is considered to be 98 percent effective as a method of birth control for up to six months…
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1. Give Up Your Medical History When a pregnant woman has placenta previa, the placenta attaches itself to the lower part of the uterus either near or covering the cervix. This condition can cause heavy bleeding during pregnancy or delivery…
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Overview According to Merck, the definition of family planning is using a variety of methods to prevent pregnancy. The only way pregnancy can be 100 percent avoided is through abstinence. Family planning can be based on personal beliefs and, in…
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1. Uncertainty Causes Fear Pregnancy is a time of great change. As a woman’s body changes, her emotions change as well. When you experience negative feelings or fear during your pregnancy, your first instinct may be to hide or suppress…
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Kegel exercisers are devices used to perform Kegel exercises, which strengthen the pelvic floor, prevent the prolapse of pelvic organs, help with urinary incontinence and can increase sexual pleasure. Kegel exercisers can vary and weight and size. As the muscles…
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1. Prime Your Body Childbirth is a physical activity. Staying fit and healthy are important ways to prepare for labor and delivery. Maintaining a healthy pregnancy weight, doing prenatal exercises, taking prenatal vitamins and following your practitioner’s advice are all…
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Overview Athletic supporters (also known as jocks or jockstraps) help cradle the testicles against the body during high-impact sports like running. Athletic supporters also provide a good support system for soft or hard protective cups. Supporters may also be used…
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Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, notes BabyCenter.com, including cyanide and lead, as well as at least 60 cancer-causing compounds. During pregnancy, all these things enter your bloodstream, which is your baby’s only source of oxygen and nutrients. Some…
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The only way to positively confirm a pregnancy is by visiting your physician and undergoing the appropriate tests, but there are some early signs of pregnancy that may appear as early as one to two weeks after conception. Once the…
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Ovarian cysts are usually benign and are one of the leading causes of pain, excessive menstrual bleeding and infertility in women, according to The Herbal Encyclopedia website. Women of all ages can experience ovarian cysts. The ovaries, two reproductive organs…
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In 1948, Arnold Kegel, M.D., a California gynecologist, developed pelvic floor exercises to help women restore vaginal tightness and function after reconstructive surgery and childbirth, according to Medline Plus. When the pelvic floor muscles are weakened, the results can lead…
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Many women believe they are having pregnancy symptoms that go away with the arrival of their menstrual cycle or a negative pregnancy test. In 1 to 6 of every 22,000 pregnancies, the person continues to believe she is pregnant without…
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Overview Pregnancy levels are measured by testing blood or urine levels of beta hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, which is produced by cells that form the placenta. Only blood tests give an exact reading of hCG levels, and are often…
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Early symptoms of pregnancy vary from one woman to another and even from one pregnancy to another in the same woman. The most apparent sign of pregnancy however is a missed period, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Some women…
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Overview HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that can be transmitted by bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal fluids. This virus infects and kills immune cells, which causes a gradual depletion of the immune system called AIDS…
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Egg donation to infertile couples is often an attractive option for young women wanting to do something for someone else and make money at the same time. While egg donation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures in general are quite…
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During a 38-week pregnancy, one fertilized egg cell develops into a fetus that is soon ready to become a newborn baby. The process of fetal development consists of a set of stages that unfold with consistent order and timing. Fetal…
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The human fetus develops in the mother’s womb over the course of approximately 38 weeks. The development is remarkably complex and follows a precisely-timed set of steps. The growth stages have been characterized in great detail, but several of the…
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There are several different forms of birth control including pills, shots, patches and devices such as an IUD (intrauterine device). A woman may decide to use birth control to prevent starting or expanding her family. Some birth control may improve…
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The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention writes that much has been discovered about the nature of HIV and AIDS since the 1980s when it was first identified. However, there remain a great many misconceptions about the basic facts regarding…
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Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints among men and women. Right lower abdominal pain may be caused by many conditions. Most of the causes are either from gastrointestinal conditions, reproductive organ diseases or urinary tract problems. Gastrointestinal…
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1. Barrier Method of Birth Control A cervical cap is a form of birth control known as a barrier method. There are a few different caps to choose from, including the Fem Cap and Lea’s Shield. Both are small pieces…
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Overview HIV is an incurable sexually transmitted disease that develops into AIDS in its last stage. Besides sex, the virus is transmitted through intravenous needle exchange, and may be passed from an HIV-positive mother to her unborn child. The NIH…
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1. The Combination That Works Buy spermicides without a prescription at your local drug store. They are a relatively inexpensive form of birth control and are easily available. The failure rate of spermicides as a birth control method is anywhere…
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Trying to conceive can be stressful. The approximate two-week waiting period from conception to a missed period may seem like an eternity when you’re trying to become pregnant. Some early symptoms of pregnancy may appear prior to a missed period….
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The time period from conception to a missed period is approximately two weeks. When trying to conceive, this waiting period may seem like an eternity. In those two weeks, hormonal changes in the body begin to occur as the fertilized…
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Overview Congratulations, you are pregnant. One of the most frequent questions you will be asked over the next nine months will be, “What is your due date?” For some women, especially those who were actively trying to conceive, this may…
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