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Women’s health

869 articles · Since 2011

Articles, page 6

Conditions and diseases

Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

Menstrual health is one of the most neglected aspects of adolescent care—especially for teens living in poverty. For these adolescents, getting a period doesn’t just mean discomfort—it means missing school, hiding pain, and facing daily choices between basic needs and…

Menstrual health is one of the most neglected aspects of adolescent care—especially for teens living in poverty. For these adolescents, getting a period doesn’t just mean discomfort—it means missing school, hiding pain, and facing daily choices between basic needs and menstrual products.

In both low- and high-income countries, period poverty is a quiet crisis. In the U.S., nearly one in five teens has missed school because they couldn’t afford menstrual products. …

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Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

Conditions and diseases

Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.

"I look at my baby and I don't feel a thing," the patient whispers as she cradles her 3-week-old baby. "I feel so much guilt ... sometimes I don't want to be here at all." And yet, she is not…

“I look at my baby and I don’t feel a thing,” the patient whispers as she cradles her 3-week-old baby. “I feel so much guilt … sometimes I don’t want to be here at all.” And yet, she is not alone. Her words echo the silent yet growing public health crisis of perinatal mental health.

Approximately 1 in 5 women is affected by mental health conditions during the perinatal period. …

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Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.

Conditions and diseases

Unraveling the mystery behind one of the most dangerous pregnancy complications: preeclampsia

When reviewing poor maternal health outcomes in the U.S., it is clear we cannot keep doing the same thing and expect to make pregnancy safe and healthy for all. A new approach is needed that harnesses the power of molecular…

When reviewing poor maternal health outcomes in the U.S., it is clear we cannot keep doing the same thing and expect to make pregnancy safe and healthy for all. A new approach is needed that harnesses the power of molecular advances to bring precision medicine to pregnancy health. Preeclampsia, one of the most dangerous complications in pregnancy, is a disorder of high blood pressure that has eluded the ability to …

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Unraveling the mystery behind one of the most dangerous pregnancy complications: preeclampsia

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Why holding a patient’s hand matters more than technology

I was on another overnight shift in the OB/GYN emergency department. The air was thick with tension, as it always is when the night is full of contractions, cries, and codes. One woman arrived in active labor — her first…

I was on another overnight shift in the OB/GYN emergency department. The air was thick with tension, as it always is when the night is full of contractions, cries, and codes. One woman arrived in active labor — her first baby, frightened eyes, and no family by her side.

Everyone rushed to prepare for the delivery. Monitors beeped. Gloves snapped. Orders flew around the room. The focus was on the baby. …

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Why holding a patient’s hand matters more than technology

Physician voices

Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

I've felt an overwhelming need to write for about a month now. I struggled to find the right words as recent events in medicine and society have created a constant state of confusion and distress. Most notably, I have found…

I’ve felt an overwhelming need to write for about a month now. I struggled to find the right words as recent events in medicine and society have created a constant state of confusion and distress. Most notably, I have found it increasingly difficult to understand or process how some medical professionals can remain silent or indifferent in the face of ethical crises. At times, the anger this evokes leads me …

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Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

Conditions and diseases

When bleeding disorders meet IVF: Navigating von Willebrand disease in fertility treatment

Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting approximately 1 percent of the population, though clinically significant symptoms occur in about 1 in 10,000 individuals. It is caused by a deficiency or dysfunction of von Willebrand…

Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting approximately 1 percent of the population, though clinically significant symptoms occur in about 1 in 10,000 individuals. It is caused by a deficiency or dysfunction of von Willebrand factor (VWF), a protein critical for blood clotting. For women, VWD poses unique challenges during reproductive years, particularly in the context of fertility and assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro …

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When bleeding disorders meet IVF: Navigating von Willebrand disease in fertility treatment

Conditions and diseases

When asking one more question can change everything

She looked relatively healthy. Middle-aged, calm, composed. She had tried everything—until she hadn't. That's how she found herself on the OR schedule for a hysterectomy. Years of irregular, heavy bleeding had led her here. She didn't want surgery, but she…

She looked relatively healthy. Middle-aged, calm, composed. She had tried everything—until she hadn’t. That’s how she found herself on the OR schedule for a hysterectomy.

Years of irregular, heavy bleeding had led her here. She didn’t want surgery, but she was tired. Tired of bleeding, tired of not being heard, tired of grasping for answers. This was the final option, or so it seemed.

But then, just before the surgery, a resident …

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When asking one more question can change everything

The Podcast by KevinMD

Acknowledging the silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome [PODCAST]

Research scientist Nichole Cubbage discusses her article, "The silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome: Why words matter in health care." She explains that Vanishing Twin Syndrome (VTS), the loss of one fetus in a multiple pregnancy, often leads to unique…

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Research scientist Nichole Cubbage discusses her article, “The silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome: Why words matter in health care.” She explains that Vanishing Twin Syndrome (VTS), the loss of one fetus in a multiple pregnancy, often leads to unique and isolating grief, frequently unacknowledged by health care providers. Nichole …

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Acknowledging the silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome [PODCAST]

Physician voices

Rural hospitals are vanishing—and lives are vanishing with them

I'm a family medicine-trained doctor working in a rural ER. I drive 90 minutes to get there, and I do it because if I don't, no one will. The county I serve has seen its nearest hospital close. The OB…

I’m a family medicine-trained doctor working in a rural ER. I drive 90 minutes to get there, and I do it because if I don’t, no one will. The county I serve has seen its nearest hospital close. The OB unit is long gone. Specialist referrals are hit or miss. And the patients? They’re sick. Sicker than they should be. Because when access to health care disappears, what follows is …

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Rural hospitals are vanishing—and lives are vanishing with them

The Podcast by KevinMD

How endometriosis affects fertility and what you can do [PODCAST]

Fertility specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiwa discusses her article, "Endometriosis and fertility: What every woman should know." She explores how endometriosis, an inflammatory condition affecting 10 percent of reproductive-age women, disrupts fertility through pelvic adhesions, ovarian damage, and chronic inflammation. Yemi breaks…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

Listen and followApple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeMore apps · Browse all episodes

Fertility specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiwa discusses her article, “Endometriosis and fertility: What every woman should know.” She explores how endometriosis, an inflammatory condition affecting 10 percent of reproductive-age women, disrupts fertility through pelvic adhesions, ovarian damage, and chronic inflammation. Yemi breaks down treatment strategies, from laparoscopic surgery and hormonal therapy to …

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How endometriosis affects fertility and what you can do [PODCAST]

Health policy

How corporate greed and politics are destroying health care

In past decades, physicians practiced medicine. The majority were dedicated to patient well-being. They were paternalistic and decided what was in their patients' best interests, and patients generally trusted their judgments. In the 1970s, ethicists concluded that patients and clinicians…

In past decades, physicians practiced medicine. The majority were dedicated to patient well-being. They were paternalistic and decided what was in their patients’ best interests, and patients generally trusted their judgments. In the 1970s, ethicists concluded that patients and clinicians should make treatment decisions jointly. This position has been championed since then, despite multiple surveys demonstrating that more than 50 percent of patients prefer their physicians to be the decision-makers. …

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How corporate greed and politics are destroying health care

Conditions and diseases

The silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome: Why words matter in health care

Pregnancy loss is always a deeply personal and often devastating experience, but for those who experience vanishing twin syndrome (VTS)—where one twin or multiple fetuses are lost during pregnancy—the loss can be uniquely isolating. Unlike a traditional miscarriage, VTS is…

Pregnancy loss is always a deeply personal and often devastating experience, but for those who experience vanishing twin syndrome (VTS)—where one twin or multiple fetuses are lost during pregnancy—the loss can be uniquely isolating. Unlike a traditional miscarriage, VTS is often discovered incidentally during an ultrasound, leaving many patients to process their grief in the absence of clear guidance, emotional support, or even acknowledgment from their health care providers.

Our recent …

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The silent grief of vanishing twin syndrome: Why words matter in health care

Conditions and diseases

Maternal ambivalence: the side of motherhood no one talks about

An excerpt from Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments & Bitter Truths of Motherhood. What is maternal ambivalence? Motherhood is a messy, loving process, filled with complicated and conflicting feelings that, though it's hard to admit to, can even include passing…

An excerpt from Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments & Bitter Truths of Motherhood.

What is maternal ambivalence?

Motherhood is a messy, loving process, filled with complicated and conflicting feelings that, though it’s hard to admit to, can even include passing moments of hate. The struggle a mother faces as she recognizes troublesome feelings equally allows her to discover new ways to engage with her child. This investigation of the mother within …

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Maternal ambivalence: the side of motherhood no one talks about

Health policy

The deadly impact of the U.S. anti-abortion funding policy

3

As first-year medical students, we are taught to always prioritize patients over politics. However, our research in maternal health has shown us that the two are dangerously intertwined, with political decisions directly impacting the provision of health care not just…

As first-year medical students, we are taught to always prioritize patients over politics. However, our research in maternal health has shown us that the two are dangerously intertwined, with political decisions directly impacting the provision of health care not just domestically but around the globe.

On January 24, only four days into his second term, President Trump reinstated “Protecting Life in Global

…

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The deadly impact of the U.S. anti-abortion funding policy

The Podcast by KevinMD

Navigating the complexities of at-home hormone tests [PODCAST]

Fertility specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiwa discusses her KevinMD article, "The rise of at-home hormone tests: a double-edged sword for patients." In this episode, Yemi explores the surge in popularity of at-home hormone testing kits and the complexities they introduce to patient…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

Listen and followApple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeMore apps · Browse all episodes

Fertility specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiwa discusses her KevinMD article, “The rise of at-home hormone tests: a double-edged sword for patients.” In this episode, Yemi explores the surge in popularity of at-home hormone testing kits and the complexities they introduce to patient health care. She highlights how these tests can lead to …

Read more…

Navigating the complexities of at-home hormone tests [PODCAST]

Conditions and diseases

Endometriosis and fertility: What every woman should know

Introduction Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10 percent of reproductive-age women and is a leading cause of infertility. Despite its significant impact, it remains underdiagnosed and inadequately managed. This review examines the pathophysiological mechanisms linking endometriosis…

Introduction

Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10 percent of reproductive-age women and is a leading cause of infertility. Despite its significant impact, it remains underdiagnosed and inadequately managed. This review examines the pathophysiological mechanisms linking endometriosis and infertility, current treatment strategies, and the role of dietary and lifestyle interventions in optimizing reproductive outcomes.

Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity, primarily on …

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Endometriosis and fertility: What every woman should know

The Podcast by KevinMD

Marijuana’s hidden threat to fertility and family planning [PODCAST]

Fertility specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiwa discusses her KevinMD article, "Why is no one listening? The urgent impact of marijuana on fertility." In this episode, Yemi explores the emerging concerns surrounding marijuana legalization and its effects on reproductive health, highlighting trends in…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

Listen and followApple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeMore apps · Browse all episodes

Fertility specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiwa discusses her KevinMD article, “Why is no one listening? The urgent impact of marijuana on fertility.” In this episode, Yemi explores the emerging concerns surrounding marijuana legalization and its effects on reproductive health, highlighting trends in usage, associated fertility risks, and potential solutions. Listeners will gain …

Read more…

Marijuana’s hidden threat to fertility and family planning [PODCAST]

Conditions and diseases

Pain management for IUD procedures is not a one size fits all: A patient-centered conversation about women’s pain doesn’t have to be painful

On August 8, 2024, the CDC updated its selected practice recommendations for contraception for the first time since 2016. This revision emphasized the importance of discussing pain management options with patients undergoing intrauterine device (IUD) placement. Although the steps involved…

On August 8, 2024, the CDC updated its selected practice recommendations for contraception for the first time since 2016. This revision emphasized the importance of discussing pain management options with patients undergoing intrauterine device (IUD) placement. Although the steps involved in IUD insertion are widely recognized as painful, this update marked the first time the CDC recommended tailoring pain management strategies based on open conversations with patients.

Despite the well-known discomfort …

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Pain management for IUD procedures is not a one size fits all: A patient-centered conversation about women’s pain doesn’t have to be painful

Conditions and diseases

Critical care in critical moments: Anesthesiologists play a vital role in maternal health

Maternal mortality crisis in the U.S. The U.S. faces a significant maternal health crisis, with alarmingly high maternal mortality rates compared to other developed nations. As of 2022, the overall maternal mortality rate was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births,…

Maternal mortality crisis in the U.S.

The U.S. faces a significant maternal health crisis, with alarmingly high maternal mortality rates compared to other developed nations. As of 2022, the overall maternal mortality rate was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, with a disproportionately high rate of 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births among Black women. These figures starkly contrast with much lower rates in countries like Germany, Australia, Japan, and Sweden.

Maternal …

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Critical care in critical moments: Anesthesiologists play a vital role in maternal health

The Podcast by KevinMD

How sleep affects your fertility and boosts reproductive success [PODCAST]

We dive into the powerful connection between sleep and fertility with guest Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, a fertility specialist. Discover how sleep impacts reproductive hormones, gamete quality, and the success of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Learn actionable tips to improve sleep health,…

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Spotify

Listen and followApple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeMore apps · Browse all episodes

We dive into the powerful connection between sleep and fertility with guest Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, a fertility specialist. Discover how sleep impacts reproductive hormones, gamete quality, and the success of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Learn actionable tips to improve sleep health, restore hormonal balance, and enhance fertility outcomes for both men and …

Read more…

How sleep affects your fertility and boosts reproductive success [PODCAST]

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