Blog Archive

Endometriosis doesn’t just cause heavy periods and pelvic pain. While its symptoms can be bothersome, additional challenges that come with having endometriosis can affect you in other ways.  Around 30-50% of women with endometriosis have trouble getting pregnant. In fact, endometriosis is among the top causes of infertility in women. ...

From sleep disturbances to hot flashes to everyday irritability, menopause can cause a host of inconveniences starting between ages 45 and 55.  Though many women reach menopause without noticing many changes beyond the cessation of their menstrual periods, others experience extreme discomfort as they approach this new phase of life. Our specialists at The Association...

Effective family planning relies on birth control and how consistently you use it.  There’s far more than just one type of contraception you can use to avoid getting pregnant, and our experts at the Association for Women’s Health Care can guide you through your options during your next visit.  We...

The word “abnormal” almost never precedes good positive news from your doctor, but that doesn’t mean it’s automatically bad news either. Sometimes, abnormal means “neutral” or “needs more testing.” This is the case for abnormal Pap smears. Our team of board-certified gynecologists at The Association for Women’s Health Care helps you stay on track...

Whether it’s just a few drops or what feels like a flood of urine, uncontrolled leakage can be embarrassing, inconvenient, and stressful.  There are several different types of urinary incontinence that can show up with age, often related to anatomical changes from pregnancy, childbirth, or menopause. Incontinence can also be...

Fibroids are growths on your uterine wall or the muscles of the uterus. They aren’t cancerous but can cause some complications of their own. While mostly harmless, fibroids primarily affect women of reproductive age and may or may not cause symptoms.  A pelvic examination can detect uterine fibroids, which are...

Finding a form of birth control you can trust gives you confidence that you can enjoy sex without getting pregnant before you’re ready. Today’s many birth control methods offer remarkable rates of effectiveness, with some options preventing over 99% of unintentional pregnancies.  The birth control implant is among them, with a failure rate of...

Prenatal genetic testing is a novel yet valuable service you can get during your pregnancy’s first trimester. Genetic testing is optional, but unlike other tests you get during pregnancy, the results give you insight into your child’s genetic health risks.  The testing can even lead to pre-birth diagnoses of a number of...

Over 10% of women in the United States of childbearing age have endometriosis, a condition that can be a little unpredictable when it comes to symptoms. Some severe cases of endometriosis cause no symptoms at all while milder cases are immensely painful.  It’s always a good idea to talk to...

Giving birth marks the end of your pregnancy, but the signs you’re in labor aren’t always so clear-cut. So when should you get in contact with your OB/GYN about the impending birth?  Throughout all of your prenatal visits at The Association for Women’s Health Care, we inform you of what to expect...

Menopause can either happen naturally when you stop ovulating around your early 50s or after an oophorectomy, which is a surgery to remove your ovaries.  If you go through menopause naturally with age, you start experiencing hormone fluctuations years before your menstrual cycle stops entirely.  Given that your hormones are...

Getting a Pap smear can be an uncomfortable (although generally not painful) experience by itself, but receiving an abnormal result can cause major stress and uncertainty.  When the results of a Pap smear aren’t ideal, it doesn’t automatically mean you have cervical cancer or that your health is in jeopardy....

If you want to get pregnant but it hasn’t happened on its own, you’ve probably spoken in depth with your OB/GYN about your fertility. Infertility affects between 20% and 25% of heterosexual women of reproductive age and is often directly linked to some underlying condition. While you may struggle as you try for a pregnancy,...

Whether or not you’ve experienced major depression or any other mood disorder in the past, there are numerous risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD) that might apply to you.  Affecting between 1 in 10 and 1 in 7 women shortly after their deliveries, PPD is a very specific form of depression that...

Infertility can be a major hurdle for couples trying to get pregnant. Your fruitless attempts to get pregnant could be the result of your infertility, your partner’s infertility, or both.  While there are plenty of fertility treatments to consider, you may be able to get results just by making a few...

Your body goes through dozens of changes throughout pregnancy, with differences in function and symptoms between the three trimesters.  Your third and final trimester can be full of discomforts like heartburn, leg cramps, and Braxton Hicks contractions, but that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to days or weeks of...

The labor and delivery process is something you don’t quite fully understand until you’ve been through it yourself. If this is your first pregnancy, it’s completely normal and even encouraged to ask as many questions as possible as you prepare to go through childbirth.  Still, even with answers to every...

If you’ve learned that you have a high-risk pregnancy, it’s because you or your unborn child have a higher-than-normal chance of requiring extra care or of developing a health problem during pregnancy or childbirth.  To help you and your baby remain as healthy as possible, you can expect extra monitoring and...

Ultrasounds help medical providers see inside your body without pain, radiation, or invasive procedures. By providing a picture of the interior of your body, ultrasounds allow us to observe and assess your unborn baby and other aspects of your pregnancy.  At other times, ultrasounds are used to gather information about...

Your body depends on healthy bones for support, movement, and protection of important organs. While simple habits like consuming a bone-healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise can keep your bones healthy, certain health conditions can undermine your efforts.  As your bone health deteriorates, your bones become brittle and susceptible...

Caring for an infant can be challenging for any new mother. Feelings of moodiness or sadness, known as the “baby blues,” are relatively common for many women during the immediate postpartum period.  But up to 15% of women experience postpartum depression, a more extreme reaction to childbirth. Postpartum depression is...

While you may have heard horror stories from friends who suffered from the blistering heat and oppressive humidity during a summer pregnancy, being pregnant in winter creates its own set of concerns and problems.  Juggling holiday obligations, navigating icy sidewalks, and staying healthy during cold and flu season are just...

Many factors can interfere with your ability to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby. Whether uterine fibroids have an impact on your fertility depends on the way these benign tumors affect the parts of the uterus that support healthy conception, pregnancy, and delivery. At The Association for Women’s...

It’s not unusual to be worried about breast cancer. The disease ranks as the most common cancer diagnosed in American women, who have a 12.5% risk of developing breast cancer during an average lifetime of about 80 years.  While there are some risk factors that you can’t improve, such as...

While urinary incontinence affects up to 50% of women over 50, most suffer in silence because they assume it’s an inevitable part of aging. But the condition can affect women of all ages and develop from a range of issues. At any age, urinary incontinence can interfere with normal routines...

Breastfeeding provides more than good nutrition for your baby. In addition to allowing a bonding experience, breastfeeding involves a series of physical reactions that affect both mother and baby. With so much information available on breastfeeding, it can be confusing to determine whether it’s right for you and your baby....

A colposcopy involves the examination of your vagina, vulva, and cervix with a special magnifying instrument called a colposcope. The colposcope helps us closely examine these areas and identify signs of disease that we can’t assess with the naked eye.  We at The Association for Women’s Health Care typically recommend...

If you’re not scheduling an annual well-woman exam, you’re missing out on opportunities to identify health conditions like cancer in their earliest stages when symptoms may be mild but treatment can be easiest and most effective.  This comprehensive assessment can also ensure that you’re following preventive advice to reduce your...

Your experience with menopause can involve symptoms that range from annoying to debilitating. In many cases, these symptoms start before the onset of menopause and can last for years.  It’s not uncommon to experience menopausal symptoms as early as four years before your last period and have them last until...

Uterine fibroids are the most common tumor of the reproductive tract, affecting up to 80% of women by age 50. Fibroids most often occur in women during their childbearing years.  While some women have fibroids without symptoms, others experience symptoms so painful and severe that the condition can affect their...

Ensure you’re giving your baby the best possible start by maintaining the recommended schedule of prenatal visits during your pregnancy. While it may be challenging to fit ongoing office appointments into your busy schedule, prenatal visits are the best way to protect your health and the health of your baby. ...

If you’re considering pregnancy after age 35, you’re part of a growing trend. Women are choosing to postpone motherhood and start or add to their families later in life.  As the birth rates for women ages 20-34 have decreased, birth rates for women in their late 30s to mid-40s have...

No single birth control method is right for everyone. Your lifestyle, age, and childbearing plans can make some options more appropriate than others.  With more than 15 methods of birth control approved by the Food and Drug Administration, you have a wide range of safe and effective options for preventing...

Finding out that you have an abnormal Pap smear, or Pap test, can send your mind racing toward a million worst-case scenarios. Before jumping to conclusions, remember that having an abnormal Pap smear simply means that some of the cells from your cervix don’t look normal.  A Pap smear doesn’t...

Your pregnancy is considered high-risk when you have one or more medical problems that could affect your health or the health of your baby. About 6-8% of all pregnancies are in this category. Your pregnancy can be considered high-risk if you: Are in your teens or older than age 35...

Despite medical advances that have expanded the availability and choices of birth control, many women make this important decision based on common misconceptions about the way birth control works and the effect it has on their bodies.  Almost 45% of pregnancies in the United States are unintended, indicating that many...

As everyone has learned to adapt to a “new normal” that includes social distancing, wearing masks, and vigilant hand-washing, health care providers have established new procedures for treating conditions unrelated to COVID-19.  While the way you receive care may be different, routine and urgent gynecologic services are still key to...

Living with urinary incontinence is more than an inconvenience. Bladder control problems can affect your self-image, interfere with your daily routine, and limit your social interactions.  Unfortunately, many women are too embarrassed to discuss this sensitive condition so they suffer in silence. Since urinary incontinence becomes more common with age,...

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the way you access routine and urgent health care services.  Because infection prevention and services related to emergency care have become a priority, many people are left with limited options for handling conditions and concerns that are not life-threatening.  You may...

If your physician recommends that you have a colposcopy, it’s likely because you’re one of 3 million women who have an abnormal or unclear Pap smear each year. The test is typically recommended to clarify whether a problem exists and the appropriate treatment for it.  During a colposcopy, your doctor...

The medical team at The Association for Women’s Health Care wants to help you navigate the overwhelming amount of information concerning the COVID-19 coronavirus. The experienced OB/GYN specialists have been following the updates from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists regarding the coronavirus and pregnancy and have compiled some...

While many women comfortably talk about the hot flashes, night sweats, and fatigue associated with menopause, the impact of menopause on a woman’s sex life isn’t something that’s frequently shared. But the physical and emotional effects of menopause can result in dramatic changes in how you experience intimacy.  Every woman...

Your body experiences many changes in the early months of pregnancy. Your first prenatal appointment helps ensure that both you and your unborn baby experience the best possible pregnancy and birth.  This office visit includes a thorough medical examination to assess your health and the possibility of complications. It also...

Do you always feel swollen and heavy in your pelvic region? Uterine fibroids can give you heavy periods, constipation, lower back pain, and other symptoms. If you are one of the women affected by this common condition, you may have found that your life is extremely disrupted by fibroid related...

If you’re a woman, you’ve probably heard the word endometriosis at some point. Even though it’s a common gynecological condition, though, it’s often poorly understood and underdiagnosed. In fact, at least 1 in 10 women has this common issue during their reproductive years, but many don’t know until they have...

Are you a sexually active adult? If so, you’ve probably had HPV at some point in your life. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world. According to the CDC, 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and 14 million more will become...

When it comes to choosing birth control, finding a method isn’t the problem; there are a wide variety of options. More often than not, the decision comes down to finding one that suits your goals and lifestyle. If you’re unsure about what to consider when considering birth control, take a...

Menopause marks the end of your period and your reproductive years. Some women look forward to this change, while others do not. Most women, however, don’t welcome the symptoms that come with menopause — particularly when it comes to their mental health.  Here at The Association of Women’s Health Care,...

Getting a Pap smear is one of the most important things you can do as a woman to detect cervical cancer. If it’s been a couple of years since your last Pap smear, you should schedule one as soon as possible. If your Pap smear shows that you have precancerous...

Estimates suggest that 20-50% of women have fibroids, which are noncancerous growths found inside or outside the uterine wall, or underneath the uterine lining. However, since most fibroids don’t come with any symptoms, many women live their entire lives undiagnosed. In some cases, fibroids can prevent you from getting pregnant...

Genetic testing before and during pregnancy can help many families make better decisions regarding the well-being of themselves and their baby. Some ethnic groups and women over 34 years old are more likely to have babies with a genetic disorder or a severe birth defect. Although severe birth defects are...

Also known as “preconception planning,” getting your body ready for pregnancy is incredibly important to ensuring a successful conception, pregnancy, and birth. At The Association for Women's Health Care, we understand that you’re looking for the best in obstetric care, and that’s exactly what we provide you with when it...

Sexually transmitted diseases aren’t anybody’s favorite topic. Yet, without proper education about the human papillomavirus (HPV), you could find yourself confronted with genital worst, or worse yet, cancer. The good news is, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. The Association for Women’s Healthcare, with locations in Chicago’s...

As part of your routine pelvic exam, you have a Pap smear, which is a test that looks for changes in the cells of your cervix that could be a sign of cervical cancer. Although Pap smears usually reveal no abnormalities, sometimes they uncover abnormal or unusual cells that require...

If you suffer from urinary incontinence (UI), you may think you’re alone. This is far from the case though, as research shows millions of women suffer from UI. The professional team at The Association for Women’s Healthcare has helped thousands of women regain their sense of self by successfully treating...

Menopause and its symptoms can really disrupt your life, throwing you off balance and causing pain, discomfort, and even embarrassment. Hot flashes in the middle of a meeting, lashing out at a loved one for no reason at all then dissolving into tears, and, seemingly, the end of spontaneous romance...

Osteoporosis is a common condition affecting around 8 million American women, but it’s something that creeps up on you, leaving you unaware until your bones become so weak they begin to fracture. Osteoporosis begins to develop in your middle years when the normal and automatic process of bone loss and...

Using birth control is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy. Whether you are dating or married, if you are sexually active and don’t want to become pregnant, you should consider birth control. But, sorting through all your options can be overwhelming. Between pills, patches, IUDs, and more, there’s...

From the moment you begin puberty, and often before you even know what’s happening, your hormones take control. If you’re a woman, especially, due to your monthly cycle the ebb and flow of hormones coursing through your system can impact your life in many ways. From menstruation and pregnancy to...

When you see those pink lines on the pregnancy test, you’re probably over the moon and filled with questions. As soon as you learn you’re pregnant, it's good to get in touch with your family doctor, midwife, or OB/GYN. Even if you have yet to choose a doctor to guide...

You’ve heard great things about today’s intrauterine devices (IUDs), but you don’t know much about them.  With so many different types of birth control out there, you’re not even sure how you’re going to choose the right one.Knowing what you want from birth control — and what you don’t want...

Commonly referred to as pelvic pain, the severity of pain and cramping in your lower abdomen can range from mild and sporadic to severe and constant. The pain may come on during sexual intercourse, a bowel movement, exercise, or your period. A number of things can contribute to pelvic pain,...

Are You Suffering From Endometriosis?The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services estimates that endometriosis affects about 11% of American women between the ages of 15 and 44. Some women experience very mild symptoms, so mild that you may not realize you have endometriosis.For many women, however, endometriosis causes significant,...

What you eat during pregnancy is your baby’s main source of nourishment for healthy growth and development. The average pregnant woman needs about 300 additional calories a day and higher amounts of calcium, folate, iron, and protein. The goal is to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods to ensure...

Women who have completed their families and want a sterilization procedure, but don’t want the risks, the hospital stay, and the downtime associated with surgical tubal ligation, might be looking to Essure. The device blocks the fallopian tubes without surgery.The expert OB/GYN specialists at The Association for Women's Health Care...

You’re doing all the right things, tracking your menstrual cycle to know when you ovulate and going to regular checkups with your obstetrician, yet you still haven’t seen two pink lines on your home pregnancy test. If you’re among the more than seven million women having trouble getting and staying...

Osteoporosis describes a condition in which you’ve lost a lot of bone or aren’t making enough. The bones thin, making you vulnerable to height loss, limited mobility, and serious breaks that have trouble healing, causing pain and sometimes early death.When it comes to being at risk of osteoporosis, you can’t...

If you’re wavering on your decision to move to an intrauterine device – or IUD – as your primary means of birth control, you should know that female health professionals and gynecologists choose IUDs seven times as often as the public for their own personal use. There’s perhaps no greater...

For women, one of those experiences is menopause. Every woman will experience it when she reaches a certain age. What’s not guaranteed is how severely your body will react to it. It’s different from person to person. If you’re experiencing challenging symptoms on a daily basis because of menopause, you...

A wooden or plastic scraper is used to remove cell samples from the cervix which are then laboratory tested to screen for any abnormalities. One of the more nerve wracking things to hear after a visit with your OBGYN is that you had an abnormal pap smear.An abnormal pap smear...

Sometimes a person can develop a condition that isn’t just disruptive to her life, but is embarrassing as well. These kinds of issues are doubly problematic because not only do they make daily life difficult, but it can be challenging working up the nerve to speak to your doctor about...

At one time or another, a woman is going to start wondering if birth control is right for her. Many women begin to inquire about it during their teen years, however you can begin birth control at any time depending on your desires or family planning needs. It’s important to...

At one time or another, we all experience some pain or distress in our abdomen. It could be anything from something we ate to poor sleep habits that upset our stomachs. But, abdominal pain isn’t always actually being generated in the digestive tract. For many women, gynecological issues present as...