Women's health refers to the branch of medicine that focuses on the treatment and diagnosis of diseases and conditions that affect a woman's physical and emotional well-being.
Women's health refers to the branch of medicine that focuses on treating and diagnosing the diseases and conditions that affect women’s physical and emotional well-being that differ from men’s health. Women's health includes many specialists, doctors, testing, and resources for women, including preventative care, breast care, sexual health, reproductive health, and more. As defined by the World Health Organization, women’s health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” ThereArguments have been arguments made that “women’s health” should be more inclusive with broader terms like ‘the"the health of women’women" or ‘female"female reproductive health,’" as female is sex and woman is a gender-affirming term. Additionally, intersex and transgender individuals would experience a need for female reproductive healthcare despite presenting as male or adjacent.
Female reproductive and sexual health is distinctly different compared to that of males. Mortality rates for pregnancy and childbirth are exclusive to maternal women; they account for more than 250,000 deaths per year, with significant differences between developed and industrialized countries vs. underdeveloped countries. Other comorbidities that can contribute to higher mortality rates include cardiovascular diseases; preeclampsia; sexually transmitted infections (STISTIs), which can transfer to the child from the mother; pelvic inflammatory disease; and more.
Preventative care, also known as prophylaxis, is administrated care to prevent the occurrence of disease. There are various forms of preventative care in female reproductive healthcare, including birth control, STI screening, pap smears, immunizations, breast cancer screening, bone density testing, colon cancer screening, and educational tools for self-examination and care.
Accessible birth control has not always existed and was previously only available through OB/GYNs, primary care physicians, and clinics like Planned Parenthood; however, various startupstart-up companies now offer telehealth services that allow women to obtain birth control online and through discrete mail delivery.
STIs are infections that are passed from one person to another, typically through sexual activity. There are various infections that can be transmitted, including the following:
STIs in women can oftentimesoften be more harmful than they are in men, because some, in extreme cases, can cause infertility or death if they go untreated. Accessibility to testing is of importance to prevent long-term adverse effects. StartupsStart-ups have developed approaches to provide at-home testing kits to women in need of affordable and accessible testing.
Pap smears are recommended to women starting typically starting at the age of twenty-one and continuecontinuing on until approximately sixty-five years of age to monitor for signs of cervical cancer. It is suggested for a woman to visit her OB/GYN annually or bi-annually to undergo the test. If a patient receives irregular results, they may have to repeat the exam within six to twelve months.
Females at the age of eleven or twelve will begin to receive HPV vaccines called GardasilGardasil. The Gardasil vaccine protects women from HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Type 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% percent of HPV-related genital warts, whereas 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% percent of cervical cancer cases. The vaccine is a preventative measure to protect women from contracting the virus, which cannot be detected in men, who are the primary carriers.
In 2015, the Gardasil vaccine was made available to male patients between the ages of sixteen and twenty-six to protect them from genital warts and anal cancer and to help prevent the spread of HPV. Gardasil is not only beneficial for men sleeping with men, who are at a higher risk due to anal penetration, but the vaccine is also useful in heterosexual males to prevent the spread of illness to female partners in instances of unprotected sexual interactions.
At age sixty-five, women require bone density scan checks to evaluate for osteoporosis. Women are more prone to bone loss at a younger agesage than men. Men begin bone density testing at approximately age seventy. Women are more prone to bone loss due to thinner and smaller bones and the decrease of estrogen production with age; bones weaken as the hormone previously provided additional bone protection. The likelihood of osteoporosis increases as a woman reaches menopause.
Colon cancer screenings are an important part of detecting cancer early, so it can be treated effectively. It is recommended that black women begin screenings at age forty-five and women of all other races begin at age fifty. Screenings begin at a younger age for black women because the black community is 20% percent more likely to develop colon cancer and 40% percent more likely to experience mortality from it, compared with most other groups. Colon cancer, though prominent in women, is more common in men. However, regular screenings remain of high importance.
Educating women on bodily health functions has become more accessible through the development of applications that track periods, and ovulation, and have educational features to teach women about their bodies. Various companies have developed tools for women to leverage to better track their bodily functions regarding female reproduction processes.
FGM is performed on women and children to remove the pleasure organs that inhibit women from experiencing enjoyment during sexual intercourse, as that right is reserved for men in many cultures. It reflects a deep inequality between men and women and has no health benefits and causes significant damage that can be irreparable and cause lifelong pain and discomfort.
FGM is performed on women and children to remove the pleasure organs and inhibit women from experiencing enjoyment during sexual intercourse, as that right is reserved for men in many cultures. It reflects a deep inequality between men and women and has no health benefits and causes significant damage that can be irreparable and cause lifelong pain and discomfort.
Femtech is short for 'female"female technology'" and is an industry directly aimed at developing technology for women. Technologies in this industry include mobile applications, wearables, period tracking, fertility tracking, and at-home testing kits, and more.
The demand for online health services for women, women's telehealth, has risen greatly since the onset of the Covid-19COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Women's telehealth clinicians provide a variety of services online, including care for birth control, menopause, PMS, postpartum depression, pelvic pain, STIs, sexual health, UTI, incontinence, mastitis, rashes, endometriosis, and vulvodynia among others. Women's telehealth companies typically administer services through a smartphone or computer.
Female reproductive and sexual health is distinctly different compared to that of malemales. Mortality rates for pregnancy and childbirth are exclusive to maternal women; they account for more than 250,000 deaths per year, with significant differences between developed and industrialized countries vs. underdeveloped countries. Other comorbidities that can contribute to higher mortality rates include cardiovascular diseases; preeclampsia; sexually transmitted infections (STI), which can transfer to the child from the mother; pelvic inflammatory disease; and more.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a procedure comprised of partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia or other injuries to the genitals for non-medical purposes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
FGM is performed on women and children to remove the pleasure organs that inhibit women from experiencing enjoyment during sexual intercourse, as that right is reserved for men in many cultures. It reflects a deep inequality between men and women and has no health benefits and causes significant damage that can be irreparable and cause lifelong pain and discomfort.
The demand for online health services for women, called women's telehealth, has risen greatly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. Women's telehealth clinicians provide a variety of services online, including care for birth control, menopause, PMS, postpartum depression, pelvic pain, STIs, sexual health, UTI, incontinence, mastitis, rashes, endometriosis, and vulvodynia among others. Women's telehealth companies typically administer services through either a smartphone, laptop or desktop computer.
The demand for online health services for women, called women's telehealthtelehealth, has risen greatly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemicCovid-19 pandemic in early 2020. Women's telehealth clinicians provide a variety of services online, including care for birth control, menopause, PMS, postpartum depression, pelvic pain, STIs, sexual health, UTI, incontinence, mastitis, rashes, endometriosis, and canvulvodynia conductamong appointmentsothers. viaWomen's telehealth companies typically administer services through either a smartphone, laptop or desktop computer.
The demand for online health services for women, called women's telehealth, has risen greatly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. Women's telehealth clinicians provide a variety of services online, and can conduct appointments via smartphone or desktop computer.
Females at the age of eleven or twelve will begin to receive HPV vaccines called Gardasil. The Gardasil vaccine protects women from HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Type 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of HPV-related genital warts, whereas 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases. The vaccine is a preventative measure to protect women from contracting the virus, which cannot be detected in men who are the primary carriers.
In 2015, the Gardasil vaccine was made available to male patients between the ages of sixteen and twenty-six to protect from genital warts and anal cancer and to help prevent the spread of HPV. Gardasil is not only beneficial for homosexualmen sleeping with men, who are at a higher risk due to anal penetration, but the vaccine is also useful in heterosexual males to prevent spread of illness to female partners in instances of unprotected sexual interactions.
Women's health refers to the branch of medicine that focuses on treating and diagnosing the diseases and conditions that affect women’s physical and emotional well-being that differ from men’s health. Women's Healthhealth includes many specialists, doctors, testing, and resources for women, including preventative care, breast care, sexual health, reproductive health, and more. As defined by the World Health Organization, women’s health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” There have been arguments made that “women’s health” should be more inclusive with broader terms like ‘the health of women’ or ‘female reproductive health,’ as female is sex and woman is a gender-affirming term. Additionally, intersex and transgender individuals would experience a need for female reproductive healthcare despite presenting as male or adjacent.
Female reproductive and sexual health is distinctly different compared to that of male. Mortality rates for pregnancy and childbirth are exclusive to maternal women.; Theythey account for more than 250,000 deaths per year, with significant differences between developed and industrialized countries vs. underdeveloped countries. Other comorbidities that can contribute to higher mortality rates include cardiovascular diseases; preeclampsia; sexually transmitted infections (STI), which can transfer to the child from the mother; pelvic inflammatory disease; and more.
STIs are infections that are passed from one person to another, typically through sexual activity. There are various infections that can be transmitted, including, but not limited to:
The Pap smear test was invented in the 1920s by Georgios Papanikoloau and Aurel Babes, but a more simple reinvention of the test was introduced by Anna Marion Hilliard in 1957.
Pap smears are recommended to women typically starting at the age of twenty-one and continue on until approximately sixty-five years of age to monitor for signs of cervical cancer. Typically itIt is suggested for a woman to visit her OB/GYN annually or bi-annually to undergo the test. If a patient receives irregular results, they may have to repeat the exam within six to twelve months.
Females at the age of 11eleven or 12twelve will begin to receive HPV vaccines called Gardasil. The Gardasil vaccine protects women from HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Type 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of HPV-related genital warts, whereas 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases. The vaccine is a preventative measure to protect women from contracting the virus, which cannot be detected in men who are the primary carriers.
In 2015, the Gardasil vaccine was made available to male patients between the ages of 16sixteen and 26twenty-six to protect from genital warts and anal cancer and to help prevent the spread of HPV. Gardasil is mostnot only beneficial for homosexual men, who are at a higher risk due to anal penetration, but the vaccine is also useful in heterosexual males fromto spreadingprevent spread of illness to female partners in instances of unprotected sexual interactions.
At age 65sixty-five, women require bone density scan checks to evaluate for osteoporosis. As women age, theyWomen are more prone to bone loss at younger ages than men. Men begin bone density testing at approximately age 70seventy. Women are more prone to bone loss due to thinner and smaller bones, and the decrease of estrogen production with the decrease of estrogen production,age; bones weaken as the hormone previously provided additional bone protection. The likelihood of osteoporosis increases as a woman reaches menopause.
Colon cancer screenings are an important part of detecting cancer early, whenso it can be treated effectively. It is recommended that black women begin screenings at age 45forty-five and women of all other races begin at age 50fifty. BlackScreenings begin at a younger age for black women arebecause the black community is 20% more likely to develop colon cancer and 40% more likely to experience mortality from it, which is why screenings begincompared atwith amost youngerother agegroups. Colon cancer, though prominent in women, is more common in men. However, regular screenings remain of high importance.
Femtech is short for 'female technology' and is an industry directly aimed at developing technology for women and females. Technologies in this industry include mobile applications, wearables, period tracking, fertility tracking, at-home testing kits, and more.
STIs in women can oftentimes be more harmful than they are in men, asbecause some, in extreme cases, can cause infertility or death if they go untreated. Accessibility to testing is of importance to prevent long-term adverse effects. Startups have developed approaches to provide at-home testing kits to women in need of affordable and accessible testing.
Pap smears are recommended to women typically starting at the age of 21twenty-one and continue on until approximately 65sixty-five years of age to monitor for signs of cervical cancer. Typically it is suggested a woman visit her OB/GYN annually or bi-annually to undergo the test. If a patient receives irregular results, they may have to repeat the exam within 6six to 12twelve months.