Imagine a typical scenario- a young woman who is sexually active but needs to finish school. And then has to get a job. And then has to find Mr. Right. She has spent years of her life carefully taking contraception to make sure that a pregnancy doesn't happen. Every month brings a period and a huge sigh of relief. Then the time comes where work is good and she is settled and ready to start a family. She sto ...

As a gynecologist, I discuss birth control options with women a dozen times a day.  This past month brought several women who specifically were looking for non-pill options.  It was in counseling these patients that I realized that a lot of women have only a vague idea of what non-pill options exist out there.  So here is the skinny on birth control that is not The Pill: NuvaRing:  NuvaRing is a small plast ...

I have had the HPV conversation with a lot of women in my office this month as pap smear after pap smear has come back abnormal and we move to the necessary steps of follow up. My patients are mostly young women, and my discussion of HPV (human papillomavirus) is usually the first time that they are really learning about this little virus. I am always surprised at how little women know about why we do Paps ...

I encourage every woman who walks into my office to take a moment to love her own heart.  Yes, I'm talking about the flesh and blood heart that is beating away in your chest.  This heart has faithfully served you since you were a wee embryo, and continues to beat tirelessly day in and day out, asking little in return. The human heart beats at an average rate of 70 beats every minute.  Think of it...that's 4 ...

As a physician whose specialty revolves around taking care of only women, I am continually amazed at how much women accomplish on a daily basis. Women are the backbones of their families, and they keep everyone on track. Yet I am not surprised when women ignore their own health needs. After all, there are only so many hours in a day, and most women will address the needs of their family members before their ...