TresSugar

The Biology of Your Lady Business

DearSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0700

I really wish I'd paid more attention in my sex ed class when the teacher taught us all the science-y facts about our lady business. There's so much to know, and being that it's such an important part of your body, take this quiz for a little brush-up.

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What's the Deal With the Diaphragm?

DearSugar — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:00:00 -0700

I've been talking a lot about many forms of birth control including hormonal ones like the Pill, the Patch, and Depo-Provera, and about barrier methods like the male and female condom. A diaphragm is another form of barrier method, which prevents sperm from getting to your precious eggs.

It is a shallow, bowl-shaped piece of rubber with a flexible rim that fits over your vagina and covers the cervix so sperm can't reach your uterus. Your vaginal muscles keep it in place.

Advantages:

You need to get fitted for one by your gynecologist, but once you have it, and if you take care of it properly, it should last 1-2 years.
It usually can't be felt during sex by either partner.
You can keep it inside you for up to 24 hours.
It doesn't change your menstrual cycle.
It doesn't affect future fertility.

There are unfortunately many disadvantages so click here to read more

Disadvantages:

It's only 84% effective at preventing pregnancy.
It doesn't protect you against STIs.
You have to use it with spermicide, which can be messy and irritating to some women.
More spermicide has to be added every time you have sex.
You have to leave it inside you for at least 6 hours after intercourse
If the diaphragm is left in place for more than 24 hours, the woman runs the risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
It's possible that the diaphragm can become dislodged during sex. If that happens, there's a chance you could become pregnant.
It may cause UTIs.
If you gain or lose 10 pounds, you may need to be fitted for a new size.

If you are in a mutually monogamous relationship with someone you know is disease free, this could be a great option for you. Although the fact that it's only 84% effective at preventing pregnancy doesn't make me want to jump up and get one! Talk to your gynecologist about whether a diaphragm is right for you.

Dear's Advice: The natural hormones in a female body affect the position of her cervix throughout her cycle. To ensure a proper fit, women should make sure that she is fitted mid-cycle at the time of ovulation, when her cervix is the highest.

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What Do You Know About Your Eggs and Ovulation?

DearSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Every month, once we hit puberty, women produce eggs for the sole purpose of getting pregnant. Those eggs are just waiting for a strong sperm to swim by and fertilize it.

I'm wondering how much you know about your eggs and what happens when you ovulate, so take this quiz and find out.

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Prevent Pregnancy For Five Years With Mirena

DearSugar — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 08:00:00 -0700

The Mirena is a type of IUD (intrauterine device) that is placed inside your uterus (by a doctor or nurse practitioner) to prevent pregnancy for up to five years. It's a T-shaped piece of plastic that emits hormones into your uterus directly. The hormones stay in the uterus and are not systemic, meaning they do not go to other parts of your body. This is why it won't cause significant weight gain like oral contraceptives sometimes do or increase breast tenderness. Another bonus is that the Mirena might also shorten, lighten, or even eliminate periods altogether while you use it.

OK, but how does Mirena work? The small amounts of levonorgestrel released by Mirena make your cervical mucus thick and tacky so sperm can't swim through it. If the sperm gets in, then they can't make it to the egg to fertilize it.

Another way the Mirena, or IUDs in general, prevent pregnancy is it promotes the production of white blood cells and when a foreign object is placed inside the uterus, your body creates these white blood cells to defend itself. So when you have sex, if sperm does make it through your tacky mucus to your uterus, the white blood cells will attack them.

Interested in how effective it is? To see the stats, just read more
Mirena is 99.9 percent effective at preventing pregnancy and like metal IUDs, it needs to be fitted and removed by a medical professional, but once it's in place, that's it, you're done, no fuss, no muss!

Dear's Advice: Mirena is great if you are looking for hassle-free birth control for up to five years straight. Just a reminder, it does not prevent against STIs, so that's why it's great to use if you are in a long-term relationship with someone you know is disease-free.

It's also a great option if you've already had kids and aren't planning on having anymore, or if you know it's going to be many years before you want to start a family. If this interests you, ask your doctor about Mirena.

Pain During Sex?

DearSugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Sex is supposed to feel good emotionally and physically. Although women may not have that huge BANG of an orgasm (or a few if you're really lucky) like men do, making love is still supposed to be a happy and pleasurable experience. If you are feeling discomfort or pain during sex (called dyspareunia), something is wrong. Here are some reasons sex could be hurting:

As I've said before, lubrication is key in order for sex to feel good. If you are not creating enough of your own "love juices" then I recommend increasing the amount of foreplay time you have before sex. If that doesn't work, purchase a personal lubricant. Also, keep in mind that hormonal birth control and certain meds like allergy medicine can cause vaginal dryness.
If your lady business is feeling great normally, but when you have sex it burns or feels irritated, check your condom. Condoms that contain spermicidal lubricant can irritate your lady parts, so try and find condoms with plain old lubricant instead.
Latex condoms can also cause irritation. Some women have a latex allergy. It's an unmistakable and horrible feeling, but don't fret, that's what polyurethane condoms are for.

There are other reasons sex can feel painful. To find out what they are, read more

If you have an infection of any sort, lay off the between the sheets moments until you've given your body ample time to get rid of that infection.
Certain sexual positions can also hurt. A man can easily hit your pelvic bone in certain positions, and you'll know when he does, so let him know what feels good and what doesn't and try other positions that are pleasurable for you.

Dear's Advice: Pain during sex is a symptom that something is wrong. If you're experiencing pain consistently, there could be something going on with your uterus or ovaries, so it's best to get checked out by your gyno. Once you figure out the reason, you'll be loving sex again in no time.

Thank Your Uterus? Women Pay More For Health Insurance

LibertySugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Affordable healthcare should be of particular importance to women this election season, as new insurance-company data dissected in today's New York Times reveals that women pay much more than men of the same age for individual insurance policies providing the same coverage.

When women (who have lost their jobs or do not receive employer-based insurance) shop for an individual plan, they are offered higher premiums than men. Insurance companies explain that this makes total sense because women 19-55 years old cost more, for reasons such as childbirth. However, even women without maternity coverage get charged higher rates. To see why, read more.

Perhaps this is because statistics also show that women visit doctors, take prescription medicine, and suffer chronic illnesses more often than men. These disparities mean women pay hundreds of dollars more each year, sometimes as much as 50 percent more than men.

Federal antidiscrimination law prohibits employers from charging women higher premiums for the same benefits, and congress has begun investigating the discrepancy on the private market. Should a healthy woman have to pay more because other people of her gender go to the doctor more or decide to have children? Should a uterus count as a preexisting condition?

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IUD Check: Can You Spot the Myths From the Facts?

TresSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

IUDs (intrauterine devices) are the forgotten form of birth control in America. Yet in other developed countries, the tiny, T-shaped device, which gets implanted in the uterus, is one of the most popular methods of birth control. What happened? One heavily marketed brand gave IUDs a bad rap in the '70s, and American marketers and doctors have shied away from it since. In fact, many doctors go through medical school without ever learning how to insert one. No wonder they don't recommend it!

This week a Slate article called it the "best birth control," so maybe it's time to see what we know - and don't - about this sperm-stopping piece of plastic.

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During an Orgasm, a Woman's Body . . .

DearSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

We have sex to feel connected to our partners and to express our love, but for most of us, the main reason we're getting it on is for the amazing rush of pleasure we feel once we reach orgasm. It's an indescribable feeling of bliss, but have you ever wondered what happens to your body physically when you climax? If so, then keep reading.

Once a woman becomes sexually aroused, her heart begins to beat quicker, she breathes faster and she'll tighten various muscles all over her body. Her breasts will enlarge slightly and her nipples will become erect. Some women's faces, necks, or chests will become flushed (a sex flush) and her clitoris enlarges.
She'll notice that her vagina creates a natural lubricant which makes sex smoother and more enjoyable.
Her labia will flatten out and open up and the inside of her vagina will lengthen and widen (preparing for you know what). All this happens because blood rushes to the pelvic area, which is called engorgement, and creates a pleasurably warm sensation in that area (I'm sure you've felt it!).

We're just getting started, so to find out what happens next, read more.

As arousal continues, everything becomes even more enlarged and all the changes mentioned above become more pronounced, yet the woman's clitoris actually retracts under the hood and gets 50 percent shorter right before she climaxes.
When the woman reaches orgasm, her skin will flush and muscles all over her body will continue to contract. Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rates will continue to rise.
In the vagina itself, she'll feel rhythmic contractions in the outer part of the vagina, in her uterus, and anus. The muscle contractions actually have a purpose - they help to suck semen higher up into the vagina, making it easier for sperm to swim to your egg and help you get pregnant. These intense pulses happen about once every second. Mild orgasms have three to five pulses, and intense orgasms have 10 to 15!
The uterus, labia, and clitoris then return to their normal size, and the woman feels extreme muscle relaxation. At this point, some women may be able to respond to further stimulation so they can have additional orgasms.

So ladies, did you learn something new?

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Women Over 17 Can Now Buy Plan B Over-the-Counter

TresSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:30:00 -0700

On Wednesday, the FDA announced that Plan B, the morning-after pill, will be available without a prescription to women 17 and older. Plan B is essentially a high dose of birth control pills that both stops ovulation and decreases the chance a fertilized egg will attach to the uterus. When used within 72 hours after unprotected sex, it can lower the risk of pregnancy by almost 90 percent. Its opponents argue that it is simply another form of abortion and that allowing minors access to it endangers their health.

In 2006, the FDA approved the sale of Plan B without a prescription to those 18 or older, but in the intervening years a federal court ordered that Plan B be made available without a prescription for 17-year-olds too, particularly because research going back since 2005 argues that it is safe for them.

Federal judge Edward Korman, who ordered the pill available for 17-year-olds, has also asked the FDA to consider whether it should be available over the counter to women of all ages, chastising the agency for allowing "unusual involvement of the White House in the Plan B decision-making process." Ultimately, he said, "No useful purpose would be served by continuing to deprive 17-year-olds access to Plan B without a prescription." Click here to read more.

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5 Reasons Not to Douche

DearSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0800

Who doesn't love that freshly showered feeling down there? A little gentle soap and warm water is all you need to clean your lady parts. But some women insist on douching to achieve ultimate cleanliness, which can actually cause more harm than good. In case you're still douching, here are some reasons to stop.

Increased risk of STIs. According to Dr. Sten H. Vermund of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, "Douching is a harmful activity because it disrupts the healthy vaginal microorganisms and enables STIs to take hold."
It increases risk of infection. Douching flushes away the natural bacteria and organisms known as your vaginal flora. If your lady business comes in contact with other bacteria, it can lead to infections such as bacterial vaginosis. It can also introduce new bacteria into the vagina, which can spread up through the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes.

To hear why else you shouldn't douche read more.

Women who douche regularly have a 73 percent greater risk for developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). If left untreated, this can lead to infertility in women or even death.
Your vagina is a self-cleaning organ.
If you feel the need to douche because the smell below your belt seems foul or wrong then it's not douche you need, it's a visit to the gyno. A strong odor can be an indication that you have an infection, and if you douche, it could cause more irritation, discharge, and pain. The smell of a woman's vagina doesn't need to be covered up - it's completely natural and men are actually attracted to it.

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