Pregnancy, STD's, contraception

[geordisjd]

The right place for all kind of questions and discussions.

[IphoneTony]

???????????? are you having a baby??? do you have an std??? are you trying to prevent one of the those???

[jjvaldez]

I too am confused

[IphoneTony]

same here....

[psylichon]

She's offering up her services and knowledge as a gyno.

Think of it as a virtual "dear abby"

So, ya got anything else to contribute to the thread? ;)

[IphoneTony]

She's offering up her services and knowledge as a gyno.

Think of it as a virtual "dear abby"

So, ya got anything else to contribute to the thread? ;)

no figured it out in your response in other thread

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

Holy episiotomy, Batman!

[Hayesimus]

Can I get an STD from responding to Napoleon_PhoneApart's posts?

[Hayesimus]

Is it true that if you don't USE it, you LOSE it?!?!

[Eragon]

No specific questions, yet. My oldest daughter is 9 and the next in line is 6. Not sure what they are picking up in school. I periodically try to inquire how much knowledge they have without pushing too hard.

A couple of months ago I heard a very alarming article on the evening news/today show regarding a potential epidemic of STDs among teens. I can't remember the details other than it scared the living daylights out of me.

Three daughters who are going to have to learn from mistakes. Not sure the dog and I can handle that, well.

[kokogirl]

I used to be on the pill. I got off it due to it making me feel crazy and lack of sex drive. This was about 9-10 years ago. Are the pills better now? Do you suggest certain pills that are better than others? (I was actually thinking about this this morning, thanks for the prompt).

[themanofthedark]

i came into this thread,

i looked around,

and i ran far far away.

Good day.

[geordisjd]

Well, I sure made you talk! But seriously, after that thread on "How often do you pee?" to which nobody seemed offended, I thought I could at least provide some useful info! I'll attend to it when I have time. I actually go to work too!

[Hawk]

Is it true that "the pill" uses hormones to trick a woman's body into thinking it's in the very beginning stage of pregnancy, and that's why it prevents any "new" pregnancies?
And if it is, I had heard that because the pill keeps a woman in this beginning stage of false pregnancy, that her body starts gearing up for milk production, but never actually goes into it, and this is a major contributing factor in breast cancer?
Is this true? It is something that my wife and I were told when we were going through our catholic marriage prep course. It was part of the Family planning portion.

[Hayesimus]

well, i was told one time that all the pill does is prevent the egg from going through the tubes, thus preventing a period. and that when you are off the pill, they all come out at once! is THAT true?!?!?!

[Eragon]

Man, I think we are way embarrassing ourselves here. Leave it to the nuclear engineer. :smile:

When all else fails, Google Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_oral_contraceptive_pill

geordijsd can comment on the specific technical aspects.

[Youngbinks]

Dang, free medical advice. Nice. Can't say that I have a question for an OB/GYN but my uvula has been swollen lately and that's been nothing but a hassle.

[geordisjd]

Can I get an STD from responding to Napoleon_PhoneApart's posts?

No, but insanity is always a possibility!

[geordisjd]

No specific questions, yet. My oldest daughter is 9 and the next in line is 6. Not sure what they are picking up in school. I periodically try to inquire how much knowledge they have without pushing too hard.

A couple of months ago I heard a very alarming article on the evening news/today show regarding a potential epidemic of STDs among teens. I can't remember the details other than it scared the living daylights out of me.

Three daughters who are going to have to learn from mistakes. Not sure the dog and I can handle that, well.

It would be very unusual for young preteens to be exposed to STD's. At that age, it's child abuse, not consensual sex, and I sure hope there are very few sexual predators in our schools. When hormones kick in, as young as 11 for girls and 13 for boys, the only thing we can do for our children is to educate them as best we can.

[geordisjd]

Is it true that if you don't USE it, you LOSE it?!?!

No............

[Eragon]

It would be very unusual for young preteens to be exposed to STD's. At that age, it's child abuse, not consensual sex, and I sure hope there are very few sexual predators in our schools. When hormones kick in, as young as 11 for girls and 13 for boys, the only thing we can do for our children is to educate them as best we can.

Thanks, geordisjd. I found a link to the article. If you could take a look at it, and let me know what you think, that would be great.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23574940/

[geordisjd]

I used to be on the pill. I got off it due to it making me feel crazy and lack of sex drive. This was about 9-10 years ago. Are the pills better now? Do you suggest certain pills that are better than others? (I was actually thinking about this this morning, thanks for the prompt).

There are good news and bad news: the pills we have now are lower in hormones and have a lower incidence of side-effects. Yaz, for instance, is approved for treatment of PPMD (bad PMS), so we often use it for women who feel irritable or depressed on other pills (not always successfully).

However, all pills work the same way: the mixture of estrogen and progesterone interrupts the feedback between ovaries, pituitary gland and brain, which causes the ovaries to completely shut down. Therefore, all hormonal production stops, including testosterone production, which leads to decreased libido, regardless of the pill that is used.

[geordisjd]

Is it true that "the pill" uses hormones to trick a woman's body into thinking it's in the very beginning stage of pregnancy, and that's why it prevents any "new" pregnancies?
And if it is, I had heard that because the pill keeps a woman in this beginning stage of false pregnancy, that her body starts gearing up for milk production, but never actually goes into it, and this is a major contributing factor in breast cancer?
Is this true? It is something that my wife and I were told when we were going through our catholic marriage prep course. It was part of the Family planning portion.

The only thing the pill and pregnancy have in common is that they both shut down the ovaries so they don't ovulate. There is no correlation between pill use and breast cancer risk. Here's SOME INFO. (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2469-pill-does-not-increase-risk-of-breast-cancer.html)

[Eragon]

The only thing the pill and pregnancy have in common is that they both shut down the ovaries so they don't ovulate. There is no correlation between pill use and breast cancer risk. Here's SOME INFO. (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2469-pill-does-not-increase-risk-of-breast-cancer.html)

Does that mean that the menstrual cycle occurs regardless of ovulation? The body still needs to flush itself out periodically.

[geordisjd]

well, i was told one time that all the pill does is prevent the egg from going through the tubes, thus preventing a period. and that when you are off the pill, they all come out at once! is THAT true?!?!?!

The pill shuts down the ovaries, so no ovulation occurs and therefore, no egg is available to go anywhere, including the tubes! Periods don't occur if you take the pill continuously. Periods on the pill are artificial. Stopping the pill for 4 to 7 days causes the lining of the uterus to shed, therefore giving the illusion of a "period". Real periods occur as a result of ovulation. If ovulation is present, a period will always occur 12 to 14 days later, unless a pregnancy is achieved. If the woman stops the pill, ovulation restarts (and therefore periods), but no more than one egg on average is released.

[geordisjd]

Dang, free medical advice. Nice. Can't say that I have a question for an OB/GYN but my uvula has been swollen lately and that's been nothing but a hassle.

Get checked, you may have a strep infection, or some other nasty bug.

[chris]

In recent weeks, this forum category has certainly lived up to it's name. Hayesimus is still in the OffTopicimus lead with the "how often do I pee thread" Okay, sorry to hijack your thread. Please feel free to get back to your regularly scheduled off topic discussion.:wink:

[Eragon]

That was very helpful information. That explains the need for the small number of pills a woman takes at the end of the monthly cycle - they are needed to trick the body into flushing itself.

A related question, what creates ovarian cysts and do hysterectomies require the removal of the ovaries as well? Reason for these questions are family related (sister).

[Hayesimus]

In recent weeks, this forum category has certainly lived up to it's name. Hayesimus is still in the OffTopicimus lead with the "how often do I pee thread" Okay, sorry to hijack your thread. Please feel free to get back to your regularly scheduled off topic discussion.:wink:


:P Sorry. Just bein myselfimus! :P

[geordisjd]

That was very helpful information. That explains the need for the small number of pills a woman takes at the end of the monthly cycle - they are needed to trick the body into flushing itself.

A related question, what creates ovarian cysts and do hysterectomies require the removal of the ovaries as well? Reason for these questions are family related (sister).

Ovarian cysts come in 2 categories: functional and neoplastic.
Functional cysts are a reaction to hormonal stimulation, and they usually go away without intervention, given enough time (weeks, months).

Neoplastic cysts can be benign or cancerous. Even benign neoplastic cysts need to be removed as the keep growing and can cause all kinds of problems as they get bigger.
Ovarian cancer (most of the time) requires a hysterectomy and removal of both ovaries for a cure. If the cancer is advanced, the prognosis is poor.

Hysterectomy can be done for many reasons. If the ovaries are healthy (or at least one of them) and the surgery is done for benign disease, there is usually no need to remove the ovaries.

[geordisjd]

Thanks, geordisjd. I found a link to the article. If you could take a look at it, and let me know what you think, that would be great.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23574940/

I actually read that article not too long ago. And yes, it's true. The great culprit is HPV. There are about 100 types of those viruses, and most of them are transmitted silently. It's estimated that 50% of college-age girls have at least 1 HPV infection. A lot of those infections never lead to any symptom or any precancerous change.
I don't think HPV is anymore common now than before. It's just that we know now how to look for it, and we do it systematically on every Pap smear. The link between HPV and cervical cancer is now a fact (it always was, but we didn't know about it).
There are writings from the Romans describing genital warts, so there's nothing new about HPV, just better knowledge.
As long as women get regular paps/HPV testing, cervical cancer will rarely happen. Precancerous changes can be treated well before cancer can develop. Cervical cancer is still the first cause of reproductive cancer death in the 3rd World, but not here (ovarian cancer is).
Every young girl should be vaccinated, even if it's not fool-proof.

[Youngbinks]

Get checked, you may have a strep infection, or some other nasty bug.

That's exactly what I thought. I went to the doc this morning and he said that he just didn't know what the cause was (surprise) and that it was likely to go away. The soreness has subsided at least but there is still some slight inflammation.

[geordisjd]

That's exactly what I thought. I went to the doc this morning and he said that he just didn't know what the cause was (surprise) and that it was likely to go away. The soreness has subsided at least but there is still some slight inflammation.

As I always say: if it's getting better, it's a good sign! Our immune system takes care of most infections, whether viral or bacterial, or there wouldnt't be over 6 billions of us by now.

[Ramesh]

That's exactly what I thought. I went to the doc this morning and he said that he just didn't know what the cause was (surprise) and that it was likely to go away. The soreness has subsided at least but there is still some slight inflammation.

Wait, what?! I thought you were a guy, and joking in the first post. :foot:

Sorry!!!:embarrassed:

[Ramesh]

Wait, Bink, I'm confused as hell now. You're a dude, no? If not, who's in your profile pic?

[geordisjd]

Wait, Bink, I'm confused as hell now. You're a dude, no? If not, who's in your profile pic?
He's talking about his uvula! Google it!

[Buffy]

Haha, Ramesh, you're thinking vulva rather than uvula. :wink:

[Buffy]

Geordisjd, what's the greatest length of time you would keep a patient on Lupron treatment?

[patrickj]

Wait, Bink, I'm confused as hell now. You're a dude, no? If not, who's in your profile pic?

I was right there with ya in Confusedland - until I read Geordisjd's post below yours :)

[Hayesimus]

wait. you thought binks was a girl? or geordi? or both? now i'm confused...

[Eragon]

Dang, free medical advice. Nice. Can't say that I have a question for an OB/GYN but my uvula has been swollen lately and that's been nothing but a hassle.

I think it's pretty obvious here. Unless I asking information for a female member of my family, why else would a guy be talking to an OB/GYN?

There are exceptions. I recall a certain Rock Hudson/Doris Day flick where everyone thinks Rock Hudson, AKA Rex Stetson, is pregnant because he goes into an OB/GYN office to hide.

I hate to think my dog has more brains than me. After all, he has been snipped. :smile:

[patrickj]

wait. you thought binks was a girl? or geordi? or both? now i'm confused...

I thought I knew Binks was a guy, but like Ramesh I guess I saw the word uvula and thought it sounded like a bit of girlie anatomy ...

[Ramesh]

Haha, Ramesh, you're thinking vulva rather than uvula. :wink:
Thanks for understanding my thought process. I know the different body parts; my brain read one word and thought another. Also, seeing that we were talking to an OB/GYN, my brain ran with it.

[Eragon]

Nah. That's that little thing-em-a-bob jobbie at the back of your throat.

[Hayesimus]

HAHA that's hilarious!

[Ramesh]

Nah. That's that little thing-em-a-bob jobbie at the back of your throat.

lol - I know. Read my last post.

[Hayesimus]

aww look at us learning about anatomy

[geordisjd]

Geordisjd, what's the greatest length of time you would keep a patient on Lupron treatment?

6 months is advised, but it's not written in stone. If she's doing well, prolonged therapy with back up low level hormone replacement can be continued for years.
'

[Youngbinks]

Ahahahaha. Sorry. I'm definitely a dude. I had to google the exact name of the thing at the back of my throat as well because I got tired of saying "the thing at the back of my throat" every 5 minutes. I suppose asking about the uvula in a pregnancy thread wasn't the best decision. :laugh2:

[Eragon]

Ahahahaha. Sorry. I'm definitely a dude. I had to google the exact name of the thing at the back of my throat as well because I got tired of saying "the thing at the back of my throat" every 5 minutes. I suppose asking about the uvula in a pregnancy thread wasn't the best decision. :laugh2:

But, did her answer back to you help? She is a doctor, and she was more than happy to answer your question.

[Youngbinks]

Oh absolutely. Her answer actually made more sense than the two physicians I saw yesterday did.

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

Dang, free medical advice. Nice. Can't say that I have a question for an OB/GYN but my uvula has been swollen lately and that's been nothing but a hassle.

Snoring a lot lately?

[Youngbinks]

Snoring a lot lately?

You know, it's weird. I've never thought I snored but I've been told lately that I'm snoring REALLY loud and I don't know why. It seems to be a recent development.

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

You need to have that uvula lasered, man.

[Youngbinks]

A friend of mine just had his done. Shaved off about 2/3rds of it. If it doesn't go down completely by tomorrow I'm headed back to the doc to get something done.

[psylichon]

uvula is one of my favorite words.

vulva is one of my favorite things.

what an amazing thread. Thanks, geordisjd.

[Hayesimus]

aveoli is another great word when pronounced al-vee-OH-lee. :P

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

uvula is one of my favorite words.

vulva is one of my favorite things.

what an amazing thread. Thanks, geordisjd.

Do you like Volvos, too?

[geordisjd]

No, I don't like Volvos, just BMW's, and the ones with really big engines. There's nothing more sexy than opening the hood of my M5 and looking at the size of the engine. It gives me a thrill every time.

Now to go back to the subject, I'm happy to answer Q's on the subjects of this thread by direct email, like I've done a few times already. I realize that not everybody wants Napoleon_whatever make comments on their posts and make fun of everything. I'm more than happy to help. I love teaching, or at least helping if I can. I teach in a school of pregnant teenagers, some as young as 13, and I'm always rewarded by the interest that they seem to have in the different subjects that are brought up. A lot of them become very good moms, without much family support, without male support, and I'm very proud of them.

[Buffy]

What woman doesn't have questions now and then? Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, and mine confounds me sometimes. I'm actually curious about why my face is 'breaking out' with blemishes. Not surface blemishes, but deep ones which take weeks to go away. I've never had skin problems before; is this hormonal, or stress-related?

[geordisjd]

What woman doesn't have questions now and then? Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, and mine confounds me sometimes. I'm actually curious about why my face is 'breaking out' with blemishes. Not surface blemishes, but deep ones which take weeks to go away. I've never had skin problems before; is this hormonal, or stress-related?

Stress is the answer to everything when we don't know why things happen. I thought I read somewhere that you are....47???... please let me know if I'm wrong. Deep cystic acne is a common problem of early and late reproductive years (teens, perimenopause). Why it happens is a mystery, but is almost certainly linked to hormonal changes at those extremes of menstrual life. It can often be controlled by oral contraceptives, which puts the ovaries at rest, turns off hormonal hurricanes, and turns off testosterone production. A little bit of testosterone is good for you, too much (absolute or relative) isn't.
On top of that, there's genetics to consider. I remember when I had a zit on my nose in my last year of high school. It was a saturday morning, and I was sitting in the 3rd row of our chemistry class. I've been lucky with zits. I remember all of them. 4 of them. Then, there are some women who have deep cystic acne from puberty on, with deep scarring that remains for life.

Anyway, if you are 47 and the problem is new, it will probably go away after menopause. Meanwhile OC's may be the answer.

[Buffy]

I'm actually 35. My doc recently scolded me for not taking the pill; I didn't see the need for it, and I'm notorious for avoiding medical interventions. I've started taking it only because of my endometriosis. I did have Lupron injections for approximately two years, and then stopped when it became evident I was delaying the inevitable. Your comment regarding periomenopause concerns me a bit; I've suspected this. Gah, I should have had my eggs frozen when was younger.

Which brings me back to your response...my face is breaking out like a teenager's because of hormones, apparently? Sheesh, being a woman is not always fun. I still wouldn't have it any other way. ;)

[Luckykelleyk]

I have a question. There is a fairly new IUC called mirena that looks very interesting, but it says in the commercial that it is for people who have already had a child. Is there a reason why that is?

[geordisjd]

You may want to ask your gynecologist check your male hormones.
The pill has an additional benefit: it brings down testosterone, which is often a culprit in causing acne.

[Hayesimus]

explains why i always have beautiful skin... :(

[geordisjd]

I have a question. There is a fairly new IUC called mirena that looks very interesting, but it says in the commercial that it is for people who have already had a child. Is there a reason why that is?

The Mirena IUD has been around for quite a few years, but not nearly as long as the Paraguard. They are the only 2 IUD's available in the US. The Mirena contains progesterone, which "calms down" the uterus and is better for women who have a tendency to painful or heavy periods. It's good for 5 years. The reason that it's not officially approved for women who haven't had a baby is that there are no long term studies yet evaluating the effect on potential complications for that group and the company doesn't want to be sued. It used to be the same for the Paraguard, but it was approved for use in nulliparous women a few years back. It's been around for over 20 years.
The fact is that we use the Mirena all the time for women who haven't had babies, because we know it's safe.

[geordisjd]

explains why i always have beautiful skin... :(

Ah, you're on the pill!

[Hayesimus]

haha. no but i would say its safe to say i'm in no danger of a testosterone overload. I mean i barely shave once a week and i hardly have any chest hair! lol

[geordisjd]

haha. no but i would say its safe to say i'm in no danger of a testosterone overload. I mean i barely shave once a week and i hardly have any chest hair! lol

It doesn't necessarily mean your testosterone is low. It's usually genetic.

[Luckykelleyk]

The Mirena IUD has been around for quite a few years, but not nearly as long as the Paraguard. They are the only 2 IUD's available in the US. The Mirena contains progesterone, which "calms down" the uterus and is better for women who have a tendency to painful or heavy periods. It's good for 5 years. The reason that it's not officially approved for women who haven't had a baby is that there are no long term studies yet evaluating the effect on potential complications for that group and the company doesn't want to be sued. It used to be the same for the Paraguard, but it was approved for use in nulliparous women a few years back. It's been around for over 20 years.
The fact is that we use the Mirena all the time for women who haven't had babies, because we know it's safe.

So would it still be okay for someone who may want to have a child in less time, like 3 yrs?

[Hayesimus]

It doesn't necessarily mean your testosterone is low. It's usually genetic.


well i'm just not very masculine SURPRISE! and well actually, i went through a depression a few years ago and was anorexic and yeah i'm pretty sure it stunted my hormone production. not sure but i think i read there's a connection between depression, anorexia, and low testosterone in men. Some sort of cycle i guess. :P anyway. no big deal i guess.

[Youngbinks]

No, I don't like Volvos, just BMW's, and the ones with really big engines. There's nothing more sexy than opening the hood of my M5 and looking at the size of the engine. It gives me a thrill every time.
.

Sorry to distract from your thread again but I remember seeing pics of your M5 and she is gorgeous (unless he's a dude, then I'm sorry). I don't know if you saw the pics I posted in the "Post your iPhone Pics" thread but I just took part in the World Record Drive of the most BMWs in a consecutive row. We're going to go for more cars next year so you should totally come. :laugh2:

[geordisjd]

So would it still be okay for someone who may want to have a child in less time, like 3 yrs?

That would be fine.

[geordisjd]

Sorry to distract from your thread again but I remember seeing pics of your M5 and she is gorgeous (unless he's a dude, then I'm sorry). I don't know if you saw the pics I posted in the "Post your iPhone Pics" thread but I just took part in the World Record Drive of the most BMWs in a consecutive row. We're going to go for more cars next year so you should totally come. :laugh2:

Yes, my car is a "she". Car in French is feminine, so I could never think of a car any other way. And thank you, I think she's gorgeous too. I haven't seen the pics you mentioned, but I will.

Just because I can (I know, I'm bad...)

http://gallery.mac.com/jacdem/100125/carwashed/web.jpg

[Buffy]

Ah I love cars! I used to have a BMW before my current vehicle, and I still miss it sometimes. Nothing drives quite like a beemer.

Another question, Geordisjd - why is it that synthetic progesterone causes weight gain whereas natural progesterone is said to cause weight loss?