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Overview of Traditional Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment for Women-Associated Cancers
Published in Shazia Rashid, Ankur Saxena, Sabia Rashid, Latest Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Women-Associated Cancers, 2022
Malika Ranjan, Namyaa Kumar, Safiya Arfi, Shazia Rashid
Ovarian cancer refers to any cancerous growth that originates in the ovaries, or in related areas of the fallopian tube and the peritoneum. The cause of ovarian cancer is multifactorial which mainly include genetic, immunologic, and environmental factors. Some most common causes of ovarian cancer are inherited gene changes (including BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, RAD51C, RAD51D and genes associated with Lynch syndrome), postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy and endometriosis [16]. The use of oral contraceptives, like birth control pills, has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer [17].
The Role of Biomedical Technology
Published in Kant Patel, Mark Rushefsky, Healthcare Politics and Policy in America, 2019
In the aftermath of this controversy, several health professional groups publicly took the position that emergency contraceptives should be available over the counter. In November 2012, the nation’s largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists stated that birth control pills should be sold over the counter, like condoms. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists declared that birth control pills are safe, women can easily tell if they have risk factors, other over-the-counter drugs are sold despite the fact that they have serious side effects, and there is no need for a pap smear or pelvic exam before using birth control pills (Neergaard 2012). Also, in November 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), after examining the risks and benefits based on available data, called on the nation’s pediatricians to counsel all of their adolescent patients about emergency contraception and make advance prescriptions for it available to girls under the age of 17 (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2012; Begeley 2012).
Activism by Accuracy
Published in Jamie White-Farnham, Bryna Siegel Finer, Cathryn Molloy, Women’s Health Advocacy, 2019
Kristin Marie Bivens, Kirsti Cole, Amy Koerber
It is common practice for OBGYNs to prescribe HBC not only to prevent pregnancy, but also to regulate periods and treat acne, severe menstrual cramps, endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, PCOS, and almost all female reproductive ailments. Although we do not want to diminish HBC’s pain-relieving capacities, unfortunately, the impact of synthetic estrogen and progestins, and the ovulatory-prohibiting product of some forms of HBC, have been misrepresented and, in some cases, oversold to the public. And, like Briden (2014), we recognize birth control pills as “medicine for debilitating conditions such as severe endometriosis and very heavy periods” (para. 1). However, “What [we] don’t celebrate is the distorted message that HBC is the only birth control. What [we] don’t celebrate is its widespread prescription as ‘hormone balance’ for virtually any hormonal symptom that might arise in women and teenage girls” (para. 2).
Media Review: The Business of Birth Control
Published in Women's Reproductive Health, 2023
This documentary could have benefited from a more balanced presentation of contraception experiences. For example, hearing from those who have positive experiences of hormonal contraception, or those who have found hormonal contraception enables them to engage with the world by providing effective management of their endometriosis or adenomyosis. By including a more balanced mix of contributors, the (intended?) message of bodily autonomy may not have been so diluted. “Hormonal contraception” and “birth control pill” are used somewhat interchangeably, which is a little confusing at times, given the variety available. Perhaps in trying to cover such a large topic, the promised focus on business also gets a little lost. But it’s for a good cause: to provoke the viewer to think about something that often flies under the radar, both in the medical world and in general society. Why is hormonal contraception pushed so hard? Why aren’t high school students given fundamental information about how fertility works? Why are hormonal contraception users consistently underinformed about possible side effects when receiving their contraception prescription from their doctor? The hysterical woman trope is alluded to occasionally, but does not receive much airtime.
Health literacy and knowledge of female reproduction in undergraduate students
Published in Journal of American College Health, 2023
The contraceptive methods most commonly used by women are the oral contraceptive pill (25.9%), female sterilization (25.1%), the male condom (15.3%), and long-acting reversible contraceptives (11.6%) such as the intrauterine device (IUD).19 In one study, women aged 18–19 were more likely than women aged 20–29 to have lower awareness and knowledge of contraception.20 Additionally, women have higher knowledge of condoms and birth control pills and the least knowledge about methods such as Depo-Provera and the vaginal ring.21,22 Men know more about male condoms and withdrawal and trust both methods more than women.23 In another study, less than a third of males and approximately a quarter of females correctly answered that condoms can prevent chlamydia infection. Just over a third of all participants knew that birth control pills do not prevent chlamydia.24
“For Me, It’s Having Something Meaningful”: Women’s Emotional Understandings of Sex and the Sexual Acceptability of Contraception
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2022
Cristen Dalessandro, Rachael Thorpe, Jessica Sanders
At the macro level, broader societal gender expectations – such as the cultural expectation that women keep their bodies and emotions controlled (Chrisler & Caplan, 2002; Lovejoy, 2001; Shields, 2007) – also matter when it comes to sexual acceptability. For instance, Littlejohn’s (2013) research on women’s understandings of the birth control pill found that social messages about gender and gender expectations are important for how women interpret side effects. Due to gendered body image expectations, the women in Littlejohn’s study saw the physical side effect of weight gain as unacceptable (Littlejohn, 2013). Besides gender, scholars have also long pointed out that additional macro factors – such as religious influence – can impact contraceptive use and access (Davidson et al., 2010; Götmark & Andersson, 2020; Schalet, 2011; Srikanthan & Reid, 2008). However, even among the additional macro factors identified by Higgins and Smith (2016), including social structure, culture, and inequality – decisions about the sexual acceptability of contraceptive methods often boil down to gender norms and expectations related to these factors (such as gendered cultural expectations, for example).