Contraception and birth control Archive

Pregnancy and childbirth effects on the body can linger or develop years or decades after the birth. Muscles, ligaments, and nerves in the pelvis can be damaged, leading to urine or stool leakage or sagging pelvic organs. Treatment approaches include a pessary, various surgical procedures, or pelvic floor physical therapy. Women can protect their pelvic floor from weakening further by maintaining a healthy weight, preventing constipation, and managing conditions that contribute to chronic cough.

Men's sex drive can wane and fluctuate with age, but that does not mean they still cannot enjoy a healthy and satisfying sex life. The goal to working with a changing sex drive is to focus more on the non-physical side of sex, which can help reignite the sexual spark for both people in the relationship. Examples include more romantic touching with your partner, communicating about each other's needs, and experimenting with different sex routines and practices.

After a man has had a radical prostatectomy, sometimes the level of the antigen PSA rises again later, meaning cancer may have returned. A study found that the normal therapy given when this happens is more effective when combined with other forms of treatment.

A 2022 study found that women with long COVID showed more symptoms than men, including shortness of breath and fatigue.

A 2022 study found that women with overactive bladder showed significant improvement in urinary symptoms, such as urgency and leakage, after they engaged in a type of telehealth care.

Mammograms are still the gold standard method for breast screening, but additional imaging tests can help detect cancers that might otherwise be missed in women with dense breasts or other breast cancer risk factors. Ultrasound is inexpensive but has a high false-positive rate if used alone. MRI is expensive but very accurate for tumor detection. Three-dimensional mammograms are highly accurate but have a 50% false-positive rate over a decade of yearly screening in women ages 40 to 79.

A 2022 study suggests that men who follow active surveillance for low-grade prostate cancer can manage stress and anxiety about their condition by following a high-intensity interval training program.

Unsweetened cocoa powder has variable amounts of health-promoting flavanols, depending on how it is processed. Fruits and vegetables are better sources of these compounds, which may improve blood pressure and blood sugar.

Active surveillance allows men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer to avoid temporarily the side effects of invasive therapies, but men often feel anxious about their cancer. Emerging evidence suggests there may be a middle path between no treatment and aggressive therapies.

Reaching menopause many years before the average age may be linked to a higher risk of developing dementia later in life.