Miscarriage is defined as the spontaneous loss of a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy (after the 20th week, it is called preterm delivery). Miscarriage is sometimes referred to as spontaneous abortion, although it has no relation to a...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 110.2 million visits to hospital emergency rooms occurred in 2002. Abdominal pain was the most frequently cited reason for visiting the emergency room. There are multiple causes of...
ParaGard, also called the copper IUD, is one of two intrauterine devices FDA-approved for use in the United States. ParaGard is a T-shaped, plastic device that is inserted in the uterus. This birth control method is reversible, but when in place,...
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) affects the female reproductive organs. The Mayo Clinic explains that PID occurs when bacteria are introduced to the vagina and spread to the uterus and upper genital tract. PID can cause several complications,...
During your pregnancy, it is often confusing determining which herbal supplements are safe to use. Angelica sinensis, or dong quai, is a root used by herbalists for centuries to improve circulation, alleviate menstrual pain and help with...
Each year over 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, a type of cancer that affects the female reproductive tract, explains the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that women who...
Candida infections, medically known as candidiasis, are fungal infections that can infiltrate such regions as the hair, skin, nails, mouth or throat. Medline Plus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, says that specific symptoms of...
A miscarriage refers to the loss of a fetus before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur before the 12th week in pregnancy, as stated by the Mayo Clinic. Miscarriages generally occur from abnormalities to the fetus and certain maternal...
A cesarean section, commonly referred to as a C-section, is performed when a vaginal birth is considered not safe or possible for the mother or child. A surgical incision is made in the lower abdomen, enabling delivery of the baby. A C-section is...
The Mayo Clinic defines abortion as a procedure that uses various medications and instruments to end an established pregnancy. An abortion, as with any medical procedure, can seem frightening if unsure of what to expect. Though the specific...
A woman's menstrual cycle is the process where the woman's reproductive system starts fresh every month. From the first day of your period, the average cycle is 28 days long. That means you'll start your next period in 28 days. However, that...
A C-section, or a cesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through an incision in the lower belly area. When vaginal birth is not possible or there are complications involved, which may harm the mother or the baby, a...
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. This common infection affected more than 1.2 million people in the United States in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and...
An anal fistula usually occurs as the result of a previous anal abscess. An anal abscess occurs when the anal gland becomes clogged and infected, causing the cavities to fill with pus near the anus or rectum. The anal fistula commonly connects the...
LEEP is an abbreviation for the medical term loop electrosurgical excision procedure, according to Ohio's Cleveland Clinic. LEEP is a surgical procedure that is used to detect and treat abnormal cervical cell growth. LEEP is performed following an...
Books found at local bookstores attempt to define the psychological differences between men and women. Yet, anatomically it is clear that ovaries, breasts and the uterus distinguish women from men. Sometimes, the reproductive organs can become...
Abortion is defined as the premature exit of the products of conception. Every state has its own definition of what constitutes a late term abortion. The average seems to include the twenty first week of pregnancy, when it is suggested that a...
Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus. Cervical cancer is caused by various strains of human papillomavirus, which are sexually transmitted, according to MayoClinic.com. Folic acid, also called vitamin B-9,...
An intrauterine device, or IUD, is a birth control method used to prevent pregnancy. Two types of IUDs are available: one containing hormones, and one made from copper that's hormone-free. An IUD is inserted directly into the uterus and changes...
Endometrial ablation is a procedure that removes the inner lining of the uterus, or endometrium. This procedure, which is for women who have heavy menstrual periods that are not able to be controlled with medication, is an option to the complete...
Cancer that forms in the cervix is usually slow-growing and almost always caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), according to the National Cancer Institute. Early on, cervical cancer rarely has symptoms, but it is easily found...
Cervical erosion, also called cervical ectropion or cervical ulceration, occurs when the squamous cells at the cervical opening become columnar cells. The cervix appears inflamed and red and irritated. This condition is often not distinguishable...
When a woman experiences abnormal uterine bleeding or infertility, her doctor may recommend an endometrial biopsy. Endometrial biopsy is an outpatient procedure that enables evaluation of the uterine lining. A small catheter is inserted into the...
Sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and chlamydia can have long-term health consequences for women. Sexually transmitted diseases can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes that affects...
The term "miscarriage" can refer to any type of pregnancy loss. Although many miscarriages occur naturally in the early stages of pregnancy, other types of losses occur later in pregnancy, or are medically or surgically induced due to problems...
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection, or STI, that can cause a foul-smelling vaginal discharge, genital itching and painful urination in women. Men can also be infected, although they usually do not experience symptoms. According to...
The vaginal sling procedure is a surgical option for women whose bladder or urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body, has dropped out of normal position. A woman with these conditions may suffer from urinary leakage during physical...
During pregnancy, it is often unclear what herbal supplements are safe for you and your fetus. Native Americans have used Actaea racemosa, or black cohosh, for centuries to help treat everything from menstrual cramps to sleep disturbances. Nurse...
During pregnancy, a fetus is protected from the outside world by the amniotic sac, a tough, fluid-filled membrane that encircles it. According to the University of Alabama, the membranes rupture before labor starts in around 10 percent of...
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, encompass any number of diseases that can be passed through intercourse or other sexual activity. Learn more about STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases, including treatments and symptoms in this medical...