“I’m thirty-eight years old, and for most of my life, I’ve been healthy. When I got married thirteen years ago, my husband and I decided not to have children and I’ve never been pregnant. About fifteen months ago, lire changed for me. One morning I awakened with a burning pain and a feeling of vaginal [...]

Infertility – defined as the inability to conceive a child after a year of having unprotected intercourse — is a common symptom of endometriosis. It is thought that approximately 30% to 40% of women with endometriosis are infertile — compared with 15% of women in general. It is believed that endometriosis affects up to 40% [...]

Unfortunately, we know very little about the characteristics of women with endometriosis as no comprehensive research has been undertaken to study this issue. But the findings of several minor and non-comprehensive studies are outlined below. Age Endometriosis usually only affects women during their menstruating years. It does not occur before the onset of menstruation and [...]

After laparoscopy Immediately after the operation you will probably feel drowsy and have some abdominal pain or discomfort and you may experience some nausea and/or vomiting. You may require an injection for the pain or nausea. When you are awake enough to comprehend and remember what is said, your gynecologist should come and discuss the [...]

Molluscum contagiosum This is a skin condition caused by a type of pox virus. It causes crops of pearly lumps that often have a tiny dimple in the centre. The lumps are usually skin-coloured, but may be pink or red or surrounded by a pink ring. They are occasionally itchy but never painful. The virus [...]

Sex can be wonderful, but it can have unfortunate outcomes. These include catching a sexually transmissible disease (STD), conceiving an untimely or unwanted pregnancy, and being part of something that makes you or anyone else unhappy. These days we know more than ever about STDs and how they are spread. This means that we also [...]

The symptoms of endometriosis are common to many gynaecological disorders, and physical examination doesn’t help much: tender areas, lumps or cysts felt in the pelvis may have many causes. The only way to make a certain diagnosis is to see the endometriosis, usually by laparoscopy. Typical endometriosis appears as dark brown or black cysts scattered [...]

Abnormal vaginal discharges are a common reason for medical consultation. Some women are plagued again and again by irritating discharges. Consultations about vaginal discharges need a sensitive approach. Most of us feel much more uncomfortable seeing a doctor about a vaginal discharge than we would, say, about a discharge from the ear or a wound, [...]

Until recently few people had heard of osteoporosis. Today just about every women’s magazine and medical journal carries articles about it and advertisements encouraging the use of products that may help prevent or treat it. Why is osteoporosis getting so much attention at present? Osteoporosis is a disorder of the bones in which they become [...]

The medical examination and tests are usually performed routinely in pregnancy. You may be advised to have additional tests. If so, the reason for the test and how it is done will be explained to you. Here is a brief description of some of the more common tests. Ultrasound examines tissues deep inside the body [...]