A healthy life always leads to happiness and prosperity. Health is the weapon that keeps a human going on in his regular activities and functions. Reproductive health is an important part of general health that needs universal concern. It is very important for women during their reproductive years because health many reproductive health related problems arise during this period. Any failures in living a healthy reproductive life shall lead to different sexual diseases and other deficiencies that could also cause a risk to the life of a woman. Why Health reproductive woman? Women reproductive health is important because women have many reproductive health problems that have added up in the number of maternal mortality rate. Women have great complications during pregnancy and childbirth. They are more open to risks while preventing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, reproductive tract infections and burden of contraception. What are important health factors? There are situations where a woman bears the risk of infertility, contraception and many other infections caused through sexual intercourse and practices. Fertility is the stage where a woman conceives after fertilization of a male sperm and female ova. Infertility is whereby a woman is unable to conceive as ovulation fails even after a sexual intercourse. Irregular menstrual periods or absence of menstrual cycles among women causes such ovulatory dysfunctions. What are sexually transmitted diseases? Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are found both in men and women but women are the major victims of such diseases whereby they get infections in the reproductive tracts. Commonly found STD’s are Bacterial Vaginosis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis, HIV (Aids), Human papillomavirus Infection, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Syphilis, Genital herpes and Trichomoniasis.tips for getting pregnant

1. Bacterial Vaginosis is a vaginal infection caused in women leading to a bad smelling discharge. It also causes itching around the vagina or burning sensation while urination.

2. Chlamydia is a STD causing irreversible damage to reproductive organs even leading to infertility. It is a silent disease caused by the infection of cervix (opening to the womb) and the urethra and can spread to the rectum. Burning sensation or discharge while urination is the common symptoms found among women.

3. Gonorrhea is a disease caused by the growth of bacteria in the moist areas of reproductive tract normally cervix, uterus, urethra and fallopian tubes among women. Symptoms are burning sensation while urination, vaginal discharge or vaginal bleeding during menstrual cycles.

4. Hepatitis is a disease caused by a virus called hepatitis that attacks the liver and blood organs of the body.

5. HIV is mostly caused STD because of unsafe sex practices and is the worst of all the sexually transmitted diseases.

6. Genital Human papillomavirus Infection HPV infection is caused due to infection in the genital areas among women like the vagina, cervix in the form of soft, moist, pink, or flesh-colored swellings.

7. Pelvic inflammatory disease is another infection caused among women in the uterus, fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs.

8. Syphilis has many symptoms that could be least distinguished from other diseases. Symptoms are sores, skin rashes, fever, weight loss, muscle aches, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches and fatigue.

9. Trichomoniasis is commonly found among women lead by green-yellow odor vaginal discharge. This causes discomfort during urination and intercourse and sometimes lower abdominal pain.

10. Genital Herpes is caused by a virus and symptoms are sores, swollen glands, fever and flu like infections.

Effective methods of birth control may be the best thing to happen to women in history aside from getting the rights to vote and being elected to public office. Birth control provided women with the power of choice when it comes to having a baby. Although initial reactions to birth control included worries about not being able to get pregnant later on, studies show that contraceptives do not impact fertility negatively. Depending on the contraception method used, women can conceive anywhere from a day to year after stopping birth control.  tips for getting pregnant

Barrier methods

Using barrier methods like condoms, sponges, diaphragms, and cervical caps, among others does not affect a woman's ability to conceive. These methods only prevent sperm cells from reaching the  egg and fertilizing it. Barrier methods do not alter or affect a woman's hormonal cycle and ovulation process. Provided that a woman has a normal ovulation and fertility cycle and that she relies solely on barrier methods for birth control, there is no reason she could not get pregnant after having sexual intercourse without using barrier methods. If a woman cannot get pregnant after stopping the use of barrier methods, she and her partner must submit themselves to a proper medical checkup to assess their sexual and reproductive health. 

Spermicide gels and creams

The use of spermicides in cream and gel forms does not affect a woman's ability to conceive. Usually used with a barrier method or applied directly to the genitalia as a form of lubricant, these gels and creams prevent sperm cells from fertilizing the egg by killing them at the moment of ejaculation. Similar to stopping the use of barrier methods, there is no lag time when it comes to being able to get pregnant. 

Birth control pills

Using pills or BCP as a form of birth control is a popular choice among women for its convenience and reliability. However, stopping BCP to get pregnant can be a little tricky if done incorrectly. It is generally advised that women should finish their current pill pack before stopping instead of discontinuing the intake abruptly. Since it takes months to get pill-contained hormones out the body's system and for a woman's cycle to normalize without them, it usually takes an average of eight months to a year after stopping pill intake for a woman to get pregnant.  

Birth control shots

Getting pregnant after stopping an injectable form of birth control like Depo-Provera may take longer when compared to barrier methods and birth control pills. Since the effect of a shot lasts for three months, a woman hasn't really stopped the birth control until after the third month of her last shot. Even then, getting pregnant can be difficult and may take anywhere from ten to 18 months after taking the last shot. 

Most forms of birth control, especially those listed above, are designed to be temporary and reversible. As such, there is no risk of infertility in using the said birth control methods. However, disability to conceive over time after stopping these birth control methods should be brought to medical attention.

Complication during pregnancy is more common than most people think. Even for those who are healthy and have had children before, early pregnancy complications could arise, at no fault to anyone. This article explains some of these complications and what to watch out for.

Early pregnancy complications

When you find you are pregnant, the first thing you must do is go see your obstetrician/gynecologist. They will perform an ultrasound to make sure that your pregnancy is advancing as it should. Regular visits to your OBGYN will prevent early pregnancy complications or at the very least, help identify them at an early stage. The two most common pregnancy complications are:

Ectopic pregnancies

Ectopic pregnancies are one of the most common early complications. Ectopic pregnancies refer to pregnancies in which the egg is fertilized outside the womb so the fetus begins to develop in the ovary or in the fallopian tube. This can be very dangerous not only for the fetus but also for the mother. If surgery is not performed, the tubes could burst and result in internal bleeding and in some cases, even death.

Miscarriages

Complication during pregnancy can lead to miscarriages, another common early pregnancy complication. Sometimes the cervix can open causing heavy bleeding with intense cramping pains. Other times, the baby can die in early pregnancy. When this happens, the mother can either wait for a miscarriage to occur or have a D&C. There are many different complications during pregnancy that can cause this to happen: blood clotting, infection, structural problems, or lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcohol or high caffeine intake.

High risk pregnancy

A pregnancy that is categorized as high risk is one which has a higher chance of complications arising. You may be considered high risk if you are carrying multiple babies, have a long term illness such as diabetes, or are over the age of 35. If you are high risk, you may be asked to visit your obstetrician more regularly as the pregnancy will need to be more closely monitored than usual.

Pregnancy over 35

It is not uncommon for a woman’s fertility to be affected over the age of 30 and once you are pregnant, you must be aware that it is more common for complications to arise. The chances of your child bearing birth defects are significantly higher than those women who are under 30 and miscarriages also become more common in the first trimester of older pregnant women. For those over 35, there will also be an increased risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. Don’t worry, as with today’s technology, almost all these complications can be treated as long as they are spotted early on.

Multiple pregnancies

A multiple pregnancy is one in which there are two or more fetuses. It’s considered to be high risk because with more than one fetus, it has a higher chance of developing complications. Almost half of twins that are born are premature with extremely low birth weights and underdeveloped organs. This makes them very vulnerable and it is not uncommon for only one twin to survive. Twins who share a placenta could result in high amounts of amniotic fluids.

It is important to keep this information regarding early pregnancy complications in mind during pregnancy and to regularly consult your doctor.

tips for getting pregnant