Author: The Beauty Nation

Chlamydia is the most common STD in the U.S. today, with as many as 4 million new cases each year. It causes about half the known cases of NGU (non-gonococcal urethritis) in men. It breeds on the cervix in women. The symptoms are often mild and frequently go unnoticed. They are the same symptoms as gonorrhea and can be confused with it. However, they appear a little later, within 1 to 3 weeks of sexual contact. More rarely, Chlamydia can be passed by a hand infected with the discharge from parent to baby.

If left untreated, chlamydia can lead to PID and infertility. Tests involve taking swabs from the cervix and culturing a specimen. The antibiotic of choice is tetracycline. Protect the cervix.

There are different kinds of fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries. Each has advantages and disadvantages in terms of time, negative side effects, cost, and so on. Some are taken orally, others require shots. Still, others are delivered via a pump which is worn at the waist with a drip-feed entering a vein in the arm; this allows for small doses to be slowly and steadily absorbed.

Fertility drugs work in various ways, usually on the pituitary and/or hypothalamus. They stimulate the ovaries in the early part of the cycle to produce more and better follicles. They are very effective; 80 to 90 percent of women will ovulate regularly on the 13th or 14th day. Where the only cause of infertility is poor ovulation, there is a very good chance of pregnancy.

In fact, fertility drugs stimulate the ovaries so successfully that more than one egg is produced. This results in the problem of multiple births. There is a 10 to 25 percent chance of twins and triplets; with higher numbers, some of the embryos die, and/or are severely retarded. Though fertility drugs do involve multiple births, further research may soon reduce this risk.

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that affects one million people each year in the United States. It is believed a further one million cases each year go unreported, because the disease is asymptomatic in 10 to 15 percent of men, and in 50 to 80 percent of women. Of the women with mild symptoms, 40 to 60 percent ignore them, believing that they are due to some other minor problem. The cervix is the most common site of gonorrhea.

Symptoms appear 3 days to 2 weeks after sexual contact. There is a thick, yellowish discharge. The cervix looks red, with small bump-like pits which are erosions. The urine tract often becomes infected, with the classic symptoms of UTI: stinging pain, frequency, and urgency. The infection can spread, to Skene’s and Bartholin’s glands. With oral sex, gonorrhea can spread from the penis to the throat, with sore throat and swollen glands, or it is asymptomatic. Discharge from an infected vagina or anal sex can infect the rectum with itching anus and discharge.

Untreated gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Some 1 to 3 percent of women develop “disseminated gonorrhea,” which spreads throughout the system. It can cause arthritis and, in rare cases, heart disease. The infection can be passed to a baby during birth, causing serious infection and possible blindness. Therapy is by antibiotics. Protect the cervix.

There are many other organisms that can attack the area. They come under the generic terms nonspecific vaginitis and vulvitis. Nonspecific refers to conditions in which the cause is uncertain. They may be due to sexual infection, or they may not. The symptoms are often the same as for yeast and trich, with a profuse, foul-smelling discharge, intense itching, soreness, and in some cases, severe pain. Again, like yeast and trich, none of these attacks seem to affect the cervix. Yet they can cause real misery, and greatly reduce the quality of life.

Have a test for diabetes or a prediabetes condition first. Check diet and general health; try to boost the immune system by getting more rest, more profound sleep. Many women are run down and exhausted without realizing how deeply tired they are. Once yeast and trich are ruled out, a course of antibiotics may be the answer, though yeast overgrowth may then have to be treated. If attacks of vaginitis or vulvitis do recur, be extra scrupulous with genital hygiene. Keep the entire area cool and dry.

The following are suggestions that can be helpful during the time of waiting for pregnancy to occur:

• Know the time of ovulation, and the entire fertile period.
• Check that love-making is sufficiently frequent.
• Avoid the “female superior” position; it allows the male ejaculate to spill out of the vagina.
• The missionary position, man on top, is the most appropriate for fertility needs.
• Avoid moving after ejaculation to allow the semen to pool in the fornix areas around the cervix.
• Remain on the back for at least half an hour with the knees drawn up and a pillow under the hips.
• Eschew the douche. The fluid can upset the ecology of the vagina and hence upset the motility of the sperm.
• If lubrication is required, avoid the use of water-soluble jellies which can be spermicidal.
• Eat a balanced diet, with fresh vegetables and fruits, low-fat proteins, and unrefined grains.
• Maintain normal body weight. Avoid all crash diets and slimming programs.
• Exercise in moderation. Exercise abuse upsets ovulation and causes irregular periods.
• Avoid alcohol and marijuana. Both reduce sperm production and can affect the female reproductive system.
• Avoid cigarettes. Couples who smoke have a significantly lower fertility rate than couples who do not.
• Hot baths and jacuzzis affect sperm production. Avoid tight-fitting pants and jockey-type underwear. Keep the groin cool.
• Relax. Stress is a factor in infertility problems.

Trichomonas Vaginalis, or trich, is caused by a one-celled protozoan that grows rapidly within the vagina. Some women have an immediate and painful reaction to trich. Many more have asymptomatic trich; it is often only found if there are tests for other problems. The symptoms include a thin, foamy discharge that is yellow, green, or grey; there is intense itching and soreness, especially if the vulva is scratched. Trich can infect the urinary tract, causing burning, urgency, and frequency. No tiny, one-celled creature should be able to cause such misery. But it does.

Trich can be passed on damp material: towels, bathing suits, washcloths, and toilet seats. This is rare. In most cases, it is transmitted by direct sexual contact. Metronidazole in Flagyl destroys trich. It has side effects, and should not be taken if there is any risk of pregnancy. A partner must be treated. Eschew douches and tampons. Avoid a flare-up recurrence by following the sarne “cool and dry” regime as for yeast overgrowth.

Dysmenorrhea can range from mild to severe cramps in the lower abdomen, pulling pains at the inner thighs, backache, fainting, nausea, actual vomiting, hot and cold flashes, diarrhea, or dizziness with headaches. Prostaglandins are hormones made in abundance during menstruation. They are produced by the uterus and other body tissues and control the contractions of blood vessels and smooth muscle in the uterus and gastrointestinal (digestive) tract.

If a specific cause for pain is found, dysmenorrhea is said to be secondary. If no specific cause is found, it is primary dysmenorrhea. This is not an insignificant term. Women with primary dysmenorrhea tend to be extra sensitive to prostaglandins. The uterus contracts too strongly and cramping pains are felt. Because prostaglandin constricts the blood vessels, it can upset blood flow and cause headaches, hot and cold flashes, diarrhea, and nausea of dysmenorrhea.

One interesting point: the male ejaculate, semen, is rich in prostaglandins. However, the uterus is protected from any undue effects. After a male orgasm, semen pools in the fornices at the top of the vagina. It remains here while the sperm struggle through the cervix. The seminal plasma does not flow through into the uterus.