Sexual and Reproductive Health

Natural rubber latex, or simply latex, is the sap of a Brazilian rubber tree that is used to manufacture thousands of consumer and medical products. Common examples include balloons, gloves, toys, baby bottle nipples, condoms, intravenous tubing, surgical masks and…
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Overview At fifteen weeks, a woman has just passed her first trimester of pregnancy. She may have a small protruding belly at this time. Overall, she should begin feeling much better as the surges of hormones coming from the placenta…
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Chlamydia is a disease caused by a bacteria called chlamydia trachomatis. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) explains that chlamydia is most often transmitted sexually. When chlamydia goes untreated it can increase a woman’s risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease,…
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Overview Every pregnancy has a risk that the fetus carries a serious genetic defect. Doctors have developed ways to calculate the risk of a serious chromosomal abnormality fairly early in pregnancy. In the first trimester, nuchal translucency, or the degree…
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The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, was first discovered in 1983. Left untreated, HIV infection progresses to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, which is characterized by progressive weakening of the immune system and repeated infections. Since the discovery of HIV,…
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The Girl Scouts have been teaching fire building for years, and they suggest that before you worry about starting your fire, you first gather the materials you will need to keep it going once you get a spark. First, you…
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Overview Parents-to-be usually receive the option of prenatal testing for genetic defects and genetic counseling to help decipher the results of these tests. Not all pregnant couples choose to undergo these tests, while some couples consider genetic counseling even before…
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Women who have missed a period or are trying to get pregnant may take numerous home pregnancy tests. The home pregnancy test requires a sample of urine. The test will look for a certain hormone called the human chorionic gonadotropin,…
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Overview Pregnancy and its endpoint, labor, mark the start of parenthood, a new phase of life, for millions of women worldwide each year. During this exciting time, the baby develops from a fertilized egg into an infant ready to be…
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Overview Grainy images from a prenatal sonogram are often baby’s first picture for the baby book. This procedure has become commonplace in modern obstetrical care, with many low risk mothers receiving two or more ultrasounds during pregnancy and high-risk mothers…
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Overview When the mother’s egg is fertilized by sperm, it forms a single cell called a zygote. The zygote grows into a ball of cells called a blastocyst and embeds itself into the wall of the mother’s uterus. Over the…
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Overview Premature births, also known as preterm births, are a significant health concern, occurring in over 12 percent of all pregnancies in the United States, according to the March of Dimes. A birth is considered premature when it occurs before…
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Coconut oil is a tropical-island wonder that is often associated with sunshine and palm trees. Many do not realize the numerous therapeutic applications of coconut oil. The oil can be used in cooking and beauty products to offer a bountiful…
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Overview Yohimbe is a type of tree that primarily grows in Africa. The dried bark of the tree is used in herbal remedies, as an ingredient in some over-the-counter supplements and a prescription medication called yohimbine hydrochloride, according to the…
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In order to prevent pregnancy, many couples turn to contraceptive pills, creams and barriers. These methods vary in the mechanism by which they prevent pregnancy—some involve killing sperm, while others prevent the sperm from reaching the egg. Still others preclude…
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A popular prescription drug, yohimbine hydrochloride is a potent stimulant commonly used as a treatment for erectile dysfunction in men. Yohimbine HCl appears in trace amounts as a natural component of yohimbe bark; over-the-counter yohimbe extracts may contain low to…
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Overview Missing a period can be a sign of pregnancy, but a delayed or missed period can be the result of other hormonal changes in the body, including high levels of physical or emotional stress. Many women will have delayed…
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2007, there were approximately 1,051,875 Americans diagnosed with AIDS. The HIV virus attaches to CD4 lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, and destroys them. People have AIDS…
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Overview Flat warts are flat-topped, smooth, yellowish papules caused by infection with HPV 3, 10, 28 or 49. In most cases, flat warts are benign and cause no symptoms, according to Merck. They will disappear on their own without treatment,…
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According to the March of Dimes, 8 million babies are born each year in the United States. From the beginning, the process was the same: A fertilized egg implanted into the wall of the uterus and began to develop. Although…
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1. Every Other TV ad It seems like everywhere you turn these days, there is a newspaper, Internet or television ad for some form of sexual enhancement. These advertisements are generally directed at men and promote some sort of pill…
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Early pregnancy is an exciting time for the new parents-to-be. Signs and symptoms of pregnancy can begin as early as 1 to 2 weeks following conception. Not all women will experience the same signs and symptoms at the same time….
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Many women begin to get impatient as their due dates approach. You may be experiencing extreme discomfort, mixed with anxiety and excitement, by the end of your pregnancy. It is not recommended that you try to induce labor on your…
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Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) because the bacteria that causes the infection transfers from person to person through sexual contact. The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis infects the urethra and cervix in females. This common infection is the most reported…
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Pregnancy causes numerous changes to a woman’s body and bodily functions, including an increase in vaginal discharge. In many cases, the discharge is perfectly normal, but there are times when it may be a sign of an infection or other…
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During the 38 to 42 weeks of a typical pregnancy, a fetus develops in the mother’s womb. The mother’s egg is fertilized by the father’s sperm to produce a single cell called the zygote. This develops into a ball of…
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Over 30 million people have HIV, or have already developed AIDS, and it is believed that close to 2 million people die from AIDS every year, according to Avert, an international AIDS charity. HIV and AIDS are often confused, but…
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Yohimbe is the extracted bark from the yohimbe tree. It is native to Africa and has been used for centuries on the continent as an aphrodisiac. Yohimbe is easily stored because it is a dried bark, giving it a long…
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The libido naturally declines with age, and it can also be affected by other factors, including stress, diet and fatigue. Part of this is due to hormone production, which tends to decline as you age and is directly related to…
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1. Time to Heal Physically, most doctors say that you can try to conceive again one or two cycles after a lost pregnancy. However, healing emotionally after losing a child to miscarriage or stillbirth is a process of grief that…
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