Pregnancy and Drug Use

When you are pregnant, you are not just “eating for two.” You also breathe and drink for two. If you smoke, use alcohol or take illegal drugs, so does your unborn baby.

To protect your baby, you should avoid:
Tobacco. Smoking during pregnancy passes nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals to your baby. This could

Pregnancy

You’re going to have a baby! It’s an exciting time, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming. You may have a lot of questions, including what you can do to give your baby a healthy start. To keep you and your baby healthy during pregnancy, it is important to:
Have regular visits with your

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) happens when a woman’s ovaries or adrenal glands produce more male hormones than normal. PCOS causes cysts (fluid-filled sacs) to grow on the ovaries. Symptoms include:
Irregular menstrual periods
Infertility
Pelvic pain
Excess hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, or thighs
Weight gain
Acne or oily skin
Patches of thickened skin

Women

Pelvic Floor Disorders

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and other tissues that form a sling or hammock across the pelvis. In women, it holds the uterus, bladder, bowel, and other pelvic organs in place so that they can work properly. The pelvic floor can become weak or be injured. The main causes are pregnancy

Period Pain

What are painful periods?

Menstruation, or period, is normal vaginal bleeding that happens as part of a woman’s monthly cycle. Many women have painful periods, also called dysmenorrhea. The pain is most often menstrual cramps, which are a throbbing, cramping pain in your lower abdomen. You may also have other symptoms, such as lower back pain,

Pelvic Pain

Pelvic pain occurs mostly in the lower abdomen area. The pain might be steady, or it might come and go. It can be a sharp and stabbing pain in a specific spot, or a dull pain that is spread out. If the pain is severe, it might get in the way of your daily activities.

If

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection and inflammation of the uterus, ovaries, and other female reproductive organs. It causes scarring in these organs. This can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic pain, abscesses, and other serious problems. PID is the most common preventable cause of infertility in the United States.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia, two sexually

Ovarian Disorders

The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system. Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond.

The ovaries produce and store a woman’s eggs. During ovulation, an ovary releases an egg. If that egg is fertilized by a sperm, a

Ovarian Cysts

The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system. They produce a woman’s eggs and make female hormones. Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs in or on an ovary. They usually form during ovulation, when the ovary releases an egg. They are usually harmless and go away by themselves. Most women have them sometime during their

Ovarian Cancer

What is ovarian cancer?
Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the body grow out of control and form a tumor. Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor that forms in the tissues of an ovary. The ovaries are a pair of female reproductive glands that make eggs and female hormones.

What are the types