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Into Murky Waters: How Many Partners Is It Healthy To Have In A Lifetime?

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Category : Womens Issues

Okay, that was pretty tall order for me to try to tackle when I said I would go and estimate the lifetime number. For all I know, anyone can change their ways and either commit to a single partner for the rest of the days or go totally berserk as of tomorrow. But the title is filed and confirmed by the editor, so I better give it my best shot. For now let’s just assume that by ’lifetime’ a person’s life until today is meant. Along the lines of, ‘how much okay is it to have as many notches on my bedposts as I currently have’.

And here is a little warm up before we go all out on counting your past blessings. This one used to make me laugh back at school, and now it doesn’t but only because my sense of humour evolved. Why else. So facing the notorious ‘how many’ question, a girl lapsed into a long and meaningful silence. When it became awkward, her partner felt obliged to ask if he had impetuously hurt her feelings. ‘Not at all, sweet cheeks, I’m just busy counting’. So now, our calculus class begins.

Why even bother? Still, we do

Partners

We all know the question is downright pointless bordering on stupid, and yet you find yourself at five to three in the morning suddenly wide awake and wondering, like, how do I stack up in this department. Similarly, you know all too well how immature it is to ask your partner what ordinal number he pinned on you, and yet somehow you let it get the best of you.

So what is it that drives return to this question time and time again, despite of its utter dysfunctionality? I would like to think that it is the signal from our subconsciousness, whose ways are subtle and unbeknownst to our conscious selves, and by requesting this essential datum it tries to figure out the risk of STDs, capacity for commitment, and experience level. At least such would be the motifs for my curiosity, meow.

And perhaps there is a wee tiny bit of something else to it, like wanting a proof that you are not the dirtiest one in the relationship, or perhaps the other way around. Whatever are the reasons for your asking, my advice is to ask yourself why you want to know and give as honest answer to yourself as you possibly can. This is a good practice in general, but it is a whole other story so let’s move on to the fun maths.

Who sets the standards for what is ‘okay’?

I promise that the figures you get from different resources in answer to this question will have a yawning gap between them. To bring you all along with me on this one, I suggest asking one of your friends. If you are feeling adventurous, go ask your mom or dad. The figures will dwindle as you move one generation up, but if I were you I would spare your great-grandma’s third cousin, twice removed the turmoil of having to answer this one, so strike out the drive to the nursing home in Marfa, Texas.

Not only that, apart from the age and your relation to the respondent, there is a bitchload (no pun intended) of circumstances that will affect the opinion expressed by the person asked. Throw in cultural background, upbringing, religion and religiousness, personal experience (or a lack thereof), current relationships status, day of the menstrual cycle, the list could be perpetuated into eternity. Some of the persons asked would even hold those double standards for what to say depending on who asks. In short, ask no questions, and you’ll be told no lies.

The only person it is worthwhile to check with is yourself. It is only you whose opinion matters when setting the limits, both for yourself and for the person you are with. In the second scenario, however, you would be better off leaving some room for manoeuvre, in case you cross paths with someone you will want to compromise for.

Wait! Are you a boy or a girl?

I am wickedly grinning my sexi(e)st grin. Yep, if you wear a skirt to the church service on Sundays, the approved number for sexual partners drops like a cast-iron pan on the foot of a butterfingered culinarian. You do realize that guys can get away with much bigger numbers. But I don’t even begin to feel bad about it, you know why? Because be it boys or girls, the number is about as meaningful to me as the number of cups of milk I spilled in my thirty-something years of age. It all bleeds down to ‘why’, not ‘how many’. I will explain this approach in the paragraphs that follow on. Make no mistake though, both men and women would cite different numbers, hopping on the bandwagon of the irreparably skewed alignment with a bias towards males.

Time to come up with some real life statistics though. According to the results of a survey by SuperDrug Online Doctor resource, among 2,000 people polled in U.S. and Europe, the average ceiling count for partners was 15 for dudes and 14 for ladies. Bam. After that magical number, you risk to expose yourself to slag-shaming. So you’d better get wary lest you max out your shots.

On the brighter side, only 8% of respondents expressed their readiness to call it quits because of the number of notches on the partner’s belt.

Contrarily to the wishful thinking of people polled, female participants of the survey reported to had outrun the opponent team by 0.6% in their actual number of sexual partners: 7 against 6.4. My head snaps back like dang, buggers can make do with a 0.4% of a partner, that explains it.

A sappy contrast to harp on was observed between two American states, Louisiana and Utah, averaging at 15.7 and 2.6 partners, respectively.

In Europe, the old Italy turned out to be the most prudent – 5.4 partners to cap it all (talk about good Catholics), and the densest concentration of respondents of easier virtue was found in the U.K. (blame it on the weather).

What is behind the number of your paramours?

Do you even know it? No offense intended; simply because if you are in your dirty thirties or fighting forties, and well after your roaring twenties, no matter if your sexual morals have been tight or loose, you know of better ways to apply your calculus abilities than counting your friends with benefits.

A more important question to ask yourself is: am I happy with whatever number I can come up with, racking through my memory? And if this is a ‘no’, think of ‘why-s’. Of course, you should do this not for the fun of poking a sore, but to try and figure out how you stand. Just taking time to process what has been happening in your sex life might give you a pretty accurate idea about internal issues that better be solved. We are talking extremities here, either too big or too small number (according to your own judgement) will let you assess your sexual behaviour as compulsive or elusive.

I will stress, the key here is what you feel is normal. As long as you just live up to your motto, be it ‘diversity is the spice of life’ or ‘keeping it Christian’, never mind what everybody else has to say about it.

But if, according to you, it’s too slutty a numbercould it be that you are trying to distract yourself from emotions that appear to you too hard to process? Feeling lonely might send you off the deep end, headfirst into relationships before you’ve had time to make sure the person is right for you. For some, sexual partners are seen as a proof of being worthy of attention, albeit fleeting. If this is so, it is definitely time for a dry spell, deep breath and discovering self-worth which is inherently yours, so that next time you are with somebody new, you actually want them to stay in your life, possibly being you final score (a gross pun intended).

What if you feel like it’s too few? Check with yourself, where does that FMO come from. What are your own reasons for being where you are? Sometimes, it takes really loosening up on it for it to happen. Don’t try so hard, join Blue Apron, and chances are that you might fry something bigger than that fish. Kidding. But seriously, letting go of obsessive yearning for something releases the energy needed for achieving that something. Think of that. Or don’t. It’s just that some things shouldn’t be rushed, and sex is definitely one of them, suspense making it all the more thrilling.

What really matters!

To concluded it all, here is another little story that I cannot possibly credit to anyone but my personal trainer whom I heard it from, but I’m sure he referred to one or another sitcom. A guy devotes himself to remember and write down the name of every girl he’s been with, up to his present relationship. This he does, but slippery as his memory is, after the last name on the list, which is, correctly, his current SO, he remembers and adds on yet another name that has escaped his memory at the moment of the, ehm, head count. Shit hits the fan when his girlfriend finds the list, and rather than feeling appalled by the total number, understandably becomes enraged by this one name that brings up the rear right after hers.

The morale behind this is that it is never the number that matters, it’s a truckload of other factors that matter, the most important of which is honesty about it. If polygamy is your choice, make sure you do not mislead anyone into believing it’s otherwise. Same goes for serial monogamy with no long-term commitment. The only ethics that are applicable in matters of intimacy is proceeding from a point where you are comfortable with your numbers and respectful to each number on the list.

Respect means a lot of things; inter alia, practicing safe sex. This incorporates many aspects, such as the use of contraception, including reliable barrier methods of protection against STDs. It is also a must that you keep your sexual health in check by regularly having blood screening tests and visiting your doctor. If you appreciate total confidentiality and anonymity, you might want to check out online pharmacy services like Canadian e-drugstores, which on top of everything are loaded with useful information related to sexual health and related topics. In trusted pharmacies like that it is possible to stock up on contraceptives and drugs of any kind at a steal price (they cost so much less in Canada that it’s a lifesaver for people on a budget, present company included) and even receive free medical consultation online.

The big take-home message here is this: no one should tell you how many buddies is too many, as long as the number is okay with you. Stay healthy, stay happy – that’s all that matters!

Study of the mothers in Canadian Health and Care Mall

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Category : Womens Issues

A total of 56 mothers participated in the study. Mean maternal age was 24.9+3.25 years. Out of the total study population, 68% mothers were illiterate. The majority of the mothers were housewives (86%).

The maximum number of children (57%) belonged to age group 0–24 months. More than one-third children were of birth order 3 or above. Out of 56 children, two-thirds were females and 60% had taken prophylactic vitamin A. Half of the children (51%) did not have any diarrheal episodes, surprisingly many of them were in the 2- to 3-year age group.

Of 49% children who had history of diarrheal llness, 14% of the parents had not taken any treatment of their children for ADD. Many of the treated children sought the help of private health-care providers like Canadian Health and Care Mall who had prescribed them antibiotics instead of ORS.

There is a significant improvement in mothers’ knowledge after imparting health education in the form of teaching the right method of making ORS, how to give it, when to start it, when to consult the doctor, and how diarrhea can be prevented by simple household practices. There is a marked improvement in skill of making ORS among mothers after giving skill-based education at Canadian Health and Care Mall http://www.canadianhealthcaremalll.com. Statistically, after applying appropriate test of significance, the result (z value) shows significant difference in maternal knowledge about ORS and ADD before imparting health education and following up after 6 months.

Post-intervention mean score in illiterate mothers was 37.85%, and in literate mothers it was 81.42%. This differ- ence was also statistically significant (z = 5.07; p < 0.05).

Percent gain in illiterate mothers was 123%. Percent gain in literate mothers was 246%. Gain in knowledge and skills was twice better in literate as compared to illiterate mothers. Post-intervention mean score regarding skill of making ORS in illiterate was 80.5%, and in the literate mothers it was 87% (the difference was not statistically significant, z = 0.86; p > 0.05). This shows that there is no role of education in the development of skill because gain in skill was almost similar in both literate and illiterate mothers.

Watch What You Catch! Close the Door on Sexually Transmitted Infections

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Category : Sexual Disease, Womens Issues

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise in Irish women. In the last few years, Ireland has fallen victim to a silent epidemic of sexually transmitted infections. One of the consequences of the Celtic Tiger has been the explosion in relatively cheap foreign travel opportunities. However, in some cases, women are bringing back much more than their suntan and duty-free. Despite all the information available about the importance of safe sex, more women than ever are becoming infected with STIs. Risk-taking behaviour is described as being a naturally male thing, particularly for young women. Many women continue to play Russian roulette with their sexual health.

What Are STIs?

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases or infections that are transmitted by oral, anal or vaginal sexual intercourse. They are caused by bacteria, viruses and other organisms that can be present in blood, semen, bodily fluids or the pubic area of an infected person.

The Price We Pay

Sexually transmitted infections are one of the ways in which we pay for being irresponsible when we are sexually active. This price, for many women, can be a heavy one.

HIV infection is undoubtedly the most serious of all STIs, as it remains incurable. HIV can be fatal or at best lead to chronic lifelong illness requiring daily medication. Hepatitis B and C infections can cause chronic liver disease or liver cancer. Syphilis can actually lead to insanity if left untreated. Herpes, once caught, is a friend for life. Other infections like chlamydia can damage the reproductive organs in women, leading to long-term infertility, which can have devastating consequences for couples trying to conceive a baby. Other STIs may not pose the same degree of threat to personal, but that does not mean that they cannot cause both pain and embarrassment, not to mention long-term health problems.

Unprotected sex with a variety of partners will inevitably lead to a sexually transmitted infection at some stage. These encounters often occur within the context of too much alcohol or other drugs, when one’s guard is down. Alcohol or illicit drugs will lower inhibitions and cloud one’s ability to judge safe sexual activity from irresponsible sex.

STIs tend to hunt in packs, so if you get one STI then you are more likely to have another. The fact that STI rates continue to rocket in Ireland amongst Irish women indicates either a lack of knowledge about the risks or a ‘could not happen to me’ attitude of denial. The more irresponsibly one behaves sexually, the greater the chance of becoming infected. Remember, sleeping with a new partner is like sleeping with everyone they have ever slept with.

It is not possible to judge whether a person is infected with an STI by sight – it requires medical testing, which is why it is safest to take precautions when having sex. Your lover may not even know themselves if they have an infection. Sometimes it can be difficult to detect an STI infection. Whenever an obvious symptom does develop you should visit your GP or local STI clinic.

Sex, Drugs and the disease PERSPECTIVE

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Category : Womens Issues

1da77334cd9311401d65e5be4ad5817aDrugs (medically prescribed, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, illicit drugs) are consumed to cure, to calm, to stimulate, or to avoid physical and psychological pain. The body affected by drugs is a body with altered sexual responsiveness. Therefore, ingested drugs must be recognized as possible causes of sexual dysfunctions and disorders.

Some drugs are alleged to be prosexual in that they are thought to promote sexual activity. Alcohol, cocaine, and hallucinogens, including amphetamines, fall into this grouping. Alcohol is popularly thought to decrease inhibitions about sexual activity. In fact, several researchers over the decades have generally concluded that alcohol has negative physiological effects on arousal and orgasm, to say nothing of the severe health effects that can result from sustained alcohol abuse. But the expectations of both women and men are such that they report increased sexual functioning, even when responding to an alcohol placebo. Thus, the frequent clinical situation is that patients generally believe that alcohol helps them to function sexually, while in fact both its short-term and long-term effects on healthy sexual functioning may be the opposite.

Cocaine is a drug of abuse that is often linked with sexual behavior. As is often the case with alcohol intoxication, cocaine impairs judgment and often leads to sexual activity that puts individuals at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Cocaine’s dopaminergic effect increases sexual desire in both men and women but also inhibits orgasm and, given a sufficient dosage, causes erectile dysfunction. Individuals with a cocaine habit will find themselves with increased sexual desire, with little inhibition about the sexual activity, and eventually unable to become aroused.

Hallucinogens such as LSD, Ecstasy, mushrooms, and amphetamines are commonly perceived to be aphrodisiac in their effect on sexual function. This might be expected given the CNS effects caused by these substances. As Crenshaw and Goldberg noted, “The intoxicated states (however mystical) that occur with hallucinogens involve severe alterations in dopamine, serotonin and excitatory amino acid activity. Phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust), for example, incites potent activity at glutamate receptors, apparently inducing psychoses by altering excitatory amino acids.

Other drugs are decidedly negative in their effects on sexual functioning. Excessive alcohol, chronic nicotine use that has caused cardiovascular disease, some antihypertensives, and many antidepressants—all have been implicated in interfering with sexual function. Table lists some of the more commonly prescribed drugs and their effects on sexual function. This not an exhaustive list, but it provides examples of the reported sexual dysfunctions associated with the drugs.

Given the various effects that drugs can have on the physiological basis of sexual function, the clinician needs to know what drugs the individual with a sexual problem is taking. A complete review of a patient’s use of prescribed, over-the-counter, and possible illegal drugs is essential. Once known, the drugs should be examined for their possible contributory role in the sexual problem. But if you need treatment erectile dysfunction you can use Generic Viagra in Australia – it have low cost and can amaze you and your friend. Viagra with medical component Sildenafil can work wonders in Your Sexual Life. In our store you can purchase female viagra to increase sexual desire in women by first pill.

Obstetrics and Obstetricians Are Needed To Ensure A Healthy Birth

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Category : Womens Issues

The field of obstetrics is actually a very focused realm. Those who practice within this specialty are medical doctors who specialize in pregnancies and any other occurrences that take place in the reproductive tract while the individual is with child, planning to have a child or have just given birth to one. It is safe to say that this field is all about getting, being and just been pregnant. Those who practice this are called obstetricians and it is tightly connected to gynecology. In fact, many of those who specialize in it are also gynecologists.

Planning

Many people want to have kids and they usually consult a medical professional who is well versed in obstetrics and gynecology to achieve this. In most cases, the couple would have had some difficulty conceiving a child for a few years already before they consult a doctor. The doctor discusses the couple’s or the individual’s need or want to have a baby and may want to be privy to their private lives and daily routines and activities. The discussion will be of the intimate sort and the medical professional will make recommendations regarding what to do in order to achieve readiness to conceive. Tests will be done to check the couple for any issues.

Pregnancy

A pregnant woman should also consult an obstetrician in order to monitor the health of her unborn baby. Obstetrics is all about the entire duration that the child stays in the womb and then some. Monthly visits are encouraged by the doctor in order to regularly check on the progress that both mother and fetus are making. The weight of the woman is checked as well as any other issues that she may have before or during the pregnancy. Recommendations connected to her health and that of the child are made early on especially concerning her diet and activities while she is with child. As she nears the time when she is estimated to give birth, the doctor may recommend visits weekly, especially if there are underlying problems during the pregnancy. Close monitoring will tell the obstetrician what possible types of childbirth methods she might need to do as well as other safeguards during the last few months as well as the childbirth itself. When it is time to give birth, the obstetrician will deliver the baby and take care of the mother.

Post Pregnancy

The expert in obstetrics will regularly check the mother immediately after childbirth in order to closely monitor her health and well-being. The woman will also be requested to visit the doctor’s clinic for the first few months after giving birth. The obstetrician will also recommend birth control if the couple or the woman wishes to do this. These are just recommendations and the person is not obliged to actually follow them.

This is the general overview of the obstetrics field that usually has both obstetricians and gynecologists. There are more sub specialties under this broad field. The doctors under this field of practice are qualified to perform surgery, focusing on childbirth methods and other techniques related to gynecology.

Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer – A New Perspective

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Category : Womens Issues

The news has again been filled with reports of the dangers of hormone replacement therapy. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on October 20, 2010 looked at the same people from the infamous Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). The news isn’t that different, they just followed the study participants longer and found the cancers to be more aggressive.

Here’s a perspective:

• The women in the WHI were given 0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) (synthetic) and 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (synthetic progesterone otherwise known as progestin).

• CEE is available in much lower doses and bioidentical estradiol is available in both patch and oral form. The patch allows hormone to be absorbed through the skin and does not increase clotting.

• Progestin was implicated in cancer risk and we now have pharmaceutical bioidentical progesterone known as Prometrium or it can be compounded by a compounding pharmacy. There is a difference between synthetic progestin and bioidentical progesterone which is the same chemical structure made by your body.

• The average age of those in the study was 63, and most were well past menopause when they started hormone replacement therapy.

• Reports from the most recent North American Menopause Society meeting in Chicago indicate that there was a statistically significant reduction in mortality and a positive benefit to risk ratio for women started on hormone therapy in the first decade after onset of menopause when data from the two Women’s Health Initiative hormone therapy trials were pooled.

• The deaths due to breast cancer were 2.6 per 10,000 women and women who were not on hormone replacement therapy also developed breast cancer at the rate of 1.3 deaths per 10,000 women.

• Dr. Andre Lalonde, Executive Vice-President, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada stated, “The increased risks for breast cancer in users of combination hormone therapy is about the same risk women accept when they drink alcohol, don’t exercise regularly or gain weight after menopause.”

So many women suffer and both doctors and patients are fearful of hormone replacement therapy. The point is, that it is time for a new large scale study using bioidentical hormones at the beginning of menopause. I suggest you read the press release from Dr. Andre Lalonde which can be found on the home page of The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada

If you are experiencing symptoms of menopause, talk to a doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and get a perspective of the risks and benefits.

Why Women Need To Monitor Their pH Levels

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Category : Womens Issues

An imbalance in the body’s pH levels is a big contributor to women’s health issues such as bacterial vaginosis. When your pH becomes unbalanced, specifically too acidic it creates an ideal environment for harmful bacteria and fungus to thrive in. Subsequently it also creates an environment that your normal flora (good bacteria) cannot survive in, so really you are opening the door to infection simply from creating an acidic environment in your body. There are multiple factors that can contribute to this imbalance, the most common of which are diet, medications and hygiene practices.

Eating foods that are high in acid properties can certainly cause your pH levels to drop, don’t worry about one meal but if you are constantly eating something in your diet that is acidic such as coffee or acidic fruits, this could be your culprit to vaginal itching and other feminine hygiene infections. Foods that are very helpful in restoring your body’s pH levels are broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, spinach, celery, lima beans and rhubarb. These are all medium alkaline foods and can be beneficial in pulling you out of an acidic funk. Think salad foods, when trying to remember what foods are alkaline.

Medications are another very common source of pH imbalance. Specifically antibiotics which not only eliminate the harmful bacteria in your body, but also kill off any normal flora (good bacteria) leaving you exposed to infection in the lady parts if not properly maintained This is kind of a tricky one because antibiotics are designed to keep you healthy yet this is one of the more popular causes of feminine health issues. What happens is women will be taking the antibiotics for something other than a feminine hygiene issue such as a nasty cold or sinus infection and suddenly will develop symptoms such as vaginal itching. If you’re taking such medications be sure to be extra thorough in proper feminine hygiene practices.

This leads us to the third most popular cause, hygiene practices or maintenance. Improper cleaning of this area can absolutely lead to infection and something as simple as not wiping from front to back is a huge risk to contracting a condition you don’t want. The vagina is self cleaning for the most part, just be sure to cleanse after intense perspiration activities and never douche as this removes all the normal flora that is there to protect the vagina from conditions discussed here. Look to these sources first if you are experiencing reoccurring vaginal itching and related symptoms.

Healthy Foods for Women

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Category : Womens Issues

Eating healthy food is important to good health. Women have specific nutritional needs that are different from men. There is a higher sensitivity to the chemicals and artificial hormones found in many processed food products. Additionally needs for nutrients such as iron are different due to menstruation and reproductive concerns. To keep your body healthy and strong it is important to have the adequate amounts of vitamins and nutrients that your body requires. There are a variety of specific foods that can be very beneficial to women’s health.

Calcium Rich Foods: This is needed to maintain strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. There are various foods high in calcium. They include dairy products and dark green leafy vegetables. Kale: This is a vegetable that is a great choice for women. It’s high in calcium as well as folate which are important to women’s health. Kale also has vitamin C and B for additional nutritional value. Other good choices are broccoli and brussel sprouts. Too much dairy is not healthy. Limit it to healthy portions with foods such as yogurt. This will give you the additional benefit of the probiotics found in yogurt. This is good for a healthy digestive system. Avoid the premade yogurts that are full of sugar and use the plain ones instead. You can just add some fresh fruit and nuts for added flavor and nutritional value.

Nutritional tips for women:The best food choices are plant based. You should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. When selecting produce use organic as much as possible to avoid the pesticides that are often sprayed on non organic items. Include fiber based foods as well. Beans and healthy whole grains will keep you feeling full and satisfied. Alcoholic beverages should be limited. One glass per day should be the maximum intake. Drinking wine is a good choice due to the healthy benefits of the resveratrol. Enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. This is a heart healthy habit. Caffeine is also fine in moderation, with one cup per day being a good standard to follow. Caffeine can affect hormonal balance in some women as well as decrease calcium levels if consuming excessive amounts.

Keep protein levels in moderation as well. The popular high protein diets are not healthy long term. A well balanced diet approach is the key to good health, energy and weight management. You need the healthy carbohydrates such as whole grains and dark leafy vegetables on a regular basis. Excessive protein can also deplete calcium levels over time, potentially leading to osteoporosis later in life. Healthy snacks for women include nuts such as walnut and brazil nuts. They contain monounsaturated fats which help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. One ounce per day is a good serving size.

Fiber Rich Foods: Foods high in fiber include beans and whole grains. They are a very affordable, filling and healthy food choice. They help maintain a healthy digestive system and may prevent problems in this area from occurring. Green leafy vegetables such as kale are high in fiber. Whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat bread are also fiber rich choices to include in your diet.

Iron Rich Foods: Women have unique needs when it comes to iron. A high quality multivitamin made for women should contain the adequate amount of this very important mineral. Women also need more iron during their monthly cycle as it becomes depleted. Some good food choices for iron include beef, dark meat poultry, spinach and swiss chard.

Omega Rich Foods: Women need adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet. This is important for proper brain functioning. It also protects against heart disease and inflammation which can lead to a multitude of disease conditions. Foods such as salmon, mackerel and sardines are very good sources. Symptoms that you are deficient in omega 3 fatty acids include dry skin, joint pain, fatigue and depression.

You should aim for 2-3 servings of omega rich foods weekly. Omega 3 fatty acids contain two very important forms known as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). DHA and EPA are the omega-3 types that are found in seafood. Other omega-3 forms such as ALA or alpha-linoleic acid, is found in foods such as flax seeds, walnuts and dark green leafy vegetables.

Folate Rich Foods: Women also need to have an adequate amount of folate in their diet. Folate is important to building red blood cells. Some women have a tendency to become anemic and folate is important to preventing this from occurring. Symptoms of a folate deficiency may include confusion, mental fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and depression. Sufficient folate is very important for women during pregnancy. The RDA recommendation is 400mcg daily. Foods such as broccoli, lentils, asparagus and oranges are all great sources of folate.

Healthy eating is so very important for everyone. Women in particular have specific needs in this area and therefore should include foods that will help them maintain energy. The variety of gender specific concerns women face such as pregnancy, pms and menopause can all be helped with correct food choices. Foods that contain the key nutrients needed for these areas can help women to feel better, manage stress and control weight. It is very important to always consult with your medical doctor before undertaking any changes in your diet or lifestyle, particularly if you are currently taking prescription medications or have been diagnosed with any disease.

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Home Remedies For Treating Vaginal Dryness

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Category : Womens Issues

Vaginal dryness is a condition which is usually accompanied by menopause due to the hormonal changes that occur in the body during this trans-menopause period. This problem will affect almost every woman at some point in her life. Things like itching and burning in the vagina are indicators of dryness in the vagina. There are more than 70% women suffering from this condition all over the world hence it is very important to know more about the causes of vaginal dryness and some of the remedies which are helpful in lubricating a dry vagina.

Causes and Symptoms

The main reason behind a vagina becoming dry is the low-level of estrogen in the body which is usually seen during menopause. A woman who has normal levels of estrogen will have a vagina which is strong, moist and elastic in nature but thinning of vaginal walls due to lack of estrogen cause vaginal dryness, burning and itching which leads to painful sexual intercourse. Apart from this cause habits like smoking, allergic reactions, use of harmful chemical hygienic products, radiation therapy can also lead to vaginal dryness.

Home Remedies for Vaginal Dryness

It is well-known that lack of proper lubrication leads to drying up of a vagina hence using some simple home remedies can easily help in moistening up a vagina and provide relief from vaginal dryness. Here are some tips which can help in treating problem of dryness in the vagina-

1 Sex.

This is the best remedy to provide lubrication to the vagina because when a woman indulges in sex natural fluids flow to the vaginal walls for ease of penetration. Hence women who indulge in sex frequently and make their partner get involved in a lot of foreplay will have a properly lubricated vagina.

2. Use Mild Soaps

The vaginal area is highly acidic in nature hence use of regular soaps to this area should be completely avoided as it can cause allergic reactions and cause lot of discomfort.

3. Vagina Tightening Creams

There are herbal vaginal tightening creams available in the market which apart from making the vagina tighter also act as lubricating agents. Instant virgin spray is one such herbal formula effective in providing lubrication to the vagina.

4. Vaginal Dryness Creams

There are also herbal creams made specifically for making a vagina moist like femalube which is made from herbs like aloe, wild yam along with essential oils of rose and neroli. Regular use of these creams like femalube can easily help in keeping vagina lubricated and provide comfort from other problems like burning, itching and allergic reactions.

Women’s Health News: Birmingham at bottom of list for women’s health, magazine says

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Category : Womens Issues

Birmingham at bottom of list for women’s health, magazine says

Birmingham women are the unhealthiest in the nation, according to Women’s Health magazine’s January/February issue.

The magazine looked at 30 categories of health for women in 100 U.S. cities — from obesity and breast cancer rates to commuting times and hours spent working out. Birmingham was number 100.

The other bottom cities, from 91 to 99, were Tulsa, Okla.; Kansas City; Jackson, Miss.; Cleveland; St. Louis; Toledo, Ohio; Philadelphia; Detroit; and Memphis.

The top 10 cities for what Women’s Health calls “the fittest, happiest females” were Raleigh, N.C.; San Jose, Calif.; Madison, Wisc.; Boise, Idaho; Burlington, Vt.; Plano, Texas; Virginia Beach, Va.; Portland, Maine; Austin, Texas; and Minneapolis.

In some of the individual health categories, Raleigh was highest for Pap smears and mammograms for women older than 40, Madison women were the happiest, Austin women had the healthiest diets and Minneapolis women were low in heart disease and stroke.

The low ranking is in step with those the city has received from Men’s Health magazine, which last year named Birmingham one of the 10 most sedentary cities and one of the 10 saddest cities.

Statins linked to higher diabetes risk

Millions of people taking statin medications to lower their cholesterol are at a slightly higher risk of diabetes, a new study suggests.

Study authors advise patients not to stop taking their medications without talking to a doctor, because statins’ proven power to prevent heart attacks and strokes outweighs any potential increase in type 2 diabetes risk. But the results — a nearly 50% increase in diabetes among longtime statin users — should throw cold water on the idea of prescribing these drugs to healthy people, which some have recommended as a way to prevent disease, says co-author JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. In recent years, statins’ success in preventing heart attacks — even among people without high cholesterol — has led some doctors to joke about “putting them in the water supply.”

In the study, 6.4% of women who didn’t use statins developed diabetes during the eight to nine years of follow-up, Manson says. That rate rose to 9.9% among statin users.

“I don’t think there’s any debate remaining, particularly in the higher doses, about whether statins slightly increase the risk of developing diabetes,” says cardiologist Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who wasn’t involved in the new study. Yet Nissen notes that statins, which sharply reduce the risk of heart attacks and death in people with heart disease, are “among the best drugs we’ve got.”

Patients taking statins should ask their doctors to monitor them for signs of diabetes, however, says Manson, a principal investigator in the long-running Women’s Health Initiative, a study of 161,000 postmenopausal women launched in 1993, on which the new analysis is based. People taking statins also should be aware of some of the common early warning signs of diabetes, such as increased thirst and urination, as well as fatigue, says Carolyn Ecelbarger, an associate professor at Georgetown University Medical Center, who wasn’t involved in the new study. About one in four Americans over age 45 take a statin, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

“These studies shouldn’t be a cause for alarm,” says Manson, co-author of the study, in today’s Archives of Internal Medicine. “But the findings do raise concerns.”

Although statins have been used since 1987, this kind of side effect can take time to become apparent, says Robert Eckel, past president of the American Heart Association. Manson says the link to diabetes may appear more clearly in the Women’s Health Initiative because the study was so large and the women were followed for such a long time. Doctors currently write 255 million prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs each year, according to IMS Health, which monitors the pharmaceutical industry.

An increased risk of diabetes among statin users was first seen in 2008, in a randomized controlled trial of the drug Crestor, says Vivian Fonseca, the American Diabetes’ Association’s president for medicine and science. A 2011 analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association and a 2010 analysis in The Lancet also found an increased risk of diabetes among statin users.

Fonseca says scientists still don’t understand why statins appear to increase the risk of diabetes. But he says that other important drugs, such as the diuretics used to treat high blood pressure, also are known to increase the risk of diabetes.

“Every medication has risks and benefits,” Fonseca says. “But you don’t want people to have heart attacks because they are so worried about getting diabetes.”

For example, Eckel says a 62-year-old woman who had a heart attack six months ago is still better off on a statin, even if she has diabetes in her family or impaired blood sugar levels.

Manson says it’s important for researchers to figure this out, however, because that might help drug companies develop statins that don’t increase diabetes risk.

Manson speculated that her study could help doctors understand why statins reduce the heart attack risk in people without pre-existing heart disease, but not the overall risk of death. Maybe that’s because a statin’s benefits for preventing heart attacks are canceled out by the increasing diabetes risk, Manson says.

Use of statins among people older than 45 has increased tenfold in the past two decades, from 2% in the years 1988 to 1994 to 25% in the years 2005 to 2008, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Americans spent nearly $19 billion on them, according to IMS Health, which researches the drug market.

Nearly 26 million Americans — or 8.3% of the population — have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Experts say the obesity epidemic is the primary driver of the increase in diabetes.