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Behind the white lab coat: A who’s who guide to medical professionals
When you go to the doctor’s office, it can feel like a parade of white lab coats and scrubs. One person takes you back to the exam room, another takes your vitals, another does a physical exam, and you’re sent to a fourth person for a blood draw. To get the most out of visits, […]
HPV vaccine update: How many shots are really needed?
We’ve known for a while that the HPV vaccine can protect against certain common kinds of human papillomavirus (HPV), which in turn means protection against genital warts and certain kinds of cancer. HPV is incredibly common , so the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that all young people in the U.S. […]
How birth control saved my period
I was lying on the couch in the middle of summer, wrapped up in a million blankets with a heating pad on my pelvis. Not only did I have a stomachache and heavy bleeding, I was also shivering and feeling extremely nauseous. It wasn’t the first time that a day I was hoping to spend […]
Having a miscarriage: 3 things you should know
No matter who you are or how you feel about being pregnant, it can be scary to hear a health care provider say, “You’re having a miscarriage.” Miscarriage is an old word used to describe the loss of a pregnancy. It can sound almost like you did something wrong (“mis”), but actually miscarriages are very […]
The best and worst of health care: 5 things to keep in mind
When I told my doctor I wanted an IUD , I was surprised the short procedure wouldn’t be performed then and there. Instead, my doctor arranged for a nurse to call me and talk me through all of my options. I thought I knew which device I wanted. The phone call with the nurse changed […]
How to protect yourself if you’re traveling to a ‘Zika zone’
Summer vacation season may be at a close, but plenty of people still need—or want—to travel. But with Zika cases on the rise, where is it safe to go? And if you have to travel to an area where Zika infections have been reported, how can you protect yourself? Keep calm and read on. Why […]
Preventing HIV, one daily pill at a time
PrEP stands for “pre-exposure prophylaxis,” which is a fancy way of describing something that can prevent an HIV infection if you take it before you’ve been exposed to the virus. Currently, a drug called Truvada is the only FDA-approved method for PrEP. Truvada is a daily antiretroviral (ARV) medication that prevents HIV from copying itself […]
How to deal with an unplanned pregnancy
So you’re pregnant… and you aren’t sure how to feel about that. Maybe you took a pregnancy test a few minutes ago and are still digesting the news, or maybe you’ve had your suspicions for a while because of your late period, tender breasts, and feelings of nausea. Whatever you’re feeling and thinking right now, […]
From Hep A to Zika: 9 infections you didn’t know were STIs
You probably know the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs, a.k.a. STDs), like chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, HPV, HIV, and herpes. But did you know that there are dozens of less-well-known bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can be sexually transmitted? Here are nine more infections you should know about, from A to Zika. ABCs Hepatitis […]
How long can sperm live in the reproductive tract?
Sperm can live in the reproductive tract for up to 5 days after ejaculation. Pregnancy can happen if you ovulate in that time period, the sperm fertilize the egg, and the egg implants in the uterus. original post
