Progesterone produced by the female reproductive system is critical to fertility. If progesterone levels do not increase after the midpoint of the menstrual cycle, this may signal ovulation failure, a common cause of infertility. Even if...
PCOS is one of the most common causes of irregular menstrual periods. It is a chronic condition that occurs in about 5 to 10 percent of women. It causes irregular menstrual periods and high levels of male hormones in women. These elevated levels...
Abnormal periods can be a cause for alarm especially if it is not yet time for your menstruation. Abnormal periods can be classified as bleeding heavily, bleeding in between periods or not at all. Sometimes, an underlying medical disease causes...
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that as of 2008, as many as 72 million Americans could be considered obese. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index score of 30 or greater; an overweight BMI score starts...
Ovarian cancer can develop from any of the cell types within the ovaries. The National Cancer Institute indicates that ovarian cancer caused more than 14,000 deaths and led to more than 21,500 new cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2009....
Abdominal pain can be caused by pelvic conditions. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, pelvic pain usually manifests in the lower abdominal area. The NIH states that pelvic pain may be constant...
Women with extreme testosterone production can have serious underlying medical conditions, including the formation of cysts. A testosterone level above 50 ng/dl is considered slightly elevated, and above 100 ng/dl, signals some form of...
Ovarian cancer begins in the tissues of the ovary, one of the reproductive glands where eggs are formed. The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2009, there will be 21,550 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed in the United States. Early...
Also called polyfollicular ovarian disease or Stein-Leventhal Syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) refers to a condition in which several small cysts in the female reproductive organs called ovaries affect a woman's chances of getting...
Constipation is defined by the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse as having three or fewer bowel movements per week. Bloating--the sensation of feeling abdominal fullness even long after a meal--is usually attributed to excess...
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, is a complex endocrine disorder that affects up to one in five women of reproductive age. The syndrome typically manifests with various symptoms, including menstrual irregularities, insulin resistance with...
Hirsutism is a condition that causes women to grow excess hair on the face and other areas of the body where men usually grow hair, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. Approximately half of women with hirsutism have...
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a genetic disorder characterized by excess androgen hormones. Michael Leventhal, MD, and Irving Stein, MD, in a series of seven women who presented with hirsuitism (excess body and facial hair), amenorrhea...
Before removing a suspected ovarian cyst, a gynecologist frequently requests additional tests, such as a sonogram and CA-125 blood test. The sonogram allows the doctor the get a better picture of your ovaries, allowing her to see the size of the...
The ovaries are the part of a woman's reproductive system that are located in the pelvis and approximately the size of an almond. The ovaries are responsible for making the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, as well as releasing an egg...
Menopause, the cessation of menstrual periods for one year, occurs on average at age 51 and rarely happens without warning. The period before menopause, called perimenopause, can last from six months to 10 years before menstrual cycles stop...
Menstruation is a complex process that occurs because of several hormones working together in the body. Certain sex hormones are responsible for changes that affect this process. One of these hormones, known as FSH, is essential for initiating the...
Women should have a Pap smear test done at least once per year. A doctor, physician assistant, nurse midwife or nurse practitioner administers the exam. Women are asked to remove their clothing or at least undress from the waist down and cover up...
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...
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors of the uterus. They are round solid masses most commonly located within the wall of the uterus, according to "Williams Obstetrics." They are composed of bundled uterine smooth muscle separated by fibrous...
The ovaries, an integral part of a woman's reproductive system, are approximately the size of an almond and sit on either side of the uterus, adjacent to each Fallopian tube. They are composed of a collection of follicles, which have the important...
