Woman holding birth control (Tina Dawn/ VM-Med) –– In today’s world, women who don’t wish to currently conceive a child have a variety of contraceptive options available to them. Different methods of birth control work in different ways, and some methods are better at preventing pregnancy than others. From barrier methods, like condoms, to long-term hormonal methods like the patch or an IUD, or short-term hormonal methods like the contraceptive ring, women can choose what best suits their lifestyle, their age, and their health history. One of the most popular contraceptive methods for both the ..read more

As expected, vaccinated women had a lower risk of developing cervical cancer within at least five years of getting the shots.  Photo: Pexels (Karla K. Johnson/ Time Magazine) — New research suggests the HPV vaccine is preventing cancer in men, as well as in women, but fewer boys than girls are getting the shots in the United States. The HPV vaccine was developed to prevent cervical cancer in women and experts give it credit, along with screening, for lowering cervical cancer rates. Evidence that the shots are preventing HPV-related cancers in men has been slower to emerge, but t ..read more

Breast cancer treatment can leave you feeling like you’re living in a stranger’s body. But there are ways to get your sex life back. Photo: Pexels (Abby McCoy/ Everyday Health) — If you’ve recently gone through lifesaving breast cancer treatment, you may be looking forward to better days ahead. But as you try to get back to “normal life,” you might notice a change in your libido. “Cancer treatment across the board can take a significant toll on the body, and breast cancer is no different,” says Gabriel Cartagena, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven and ..read more

Young women are not being taken seriously after they find a lump because they are told they are too young for breast cancer. Photo: Pexels (Natasha O’Neill/CityNews Ottawa) — A new study by the University of Ottawa shows more women under the age of 50 are being diagnosed with breast cancer. The research, led by Dr. Jean Seely, was published in the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal. The report looks at breast cancer cases over 35 years to shed light on detection in Canada. Using data from the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System, the Canadian Cancer Registry and Statistics ..read more

Strength training and yoga had lower dropout rates compared to active controls and were perceived as the most acceptable options. Photo: Pexels (Dr. Sushama R. Chaphalkar/ Medical Sciences) — In a recent systematic review and network meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal, researchers determined the potentially most effective exercise regimen and dosage in managing major depressive disorder (MDD) in comparison to antidepressants, psychotherapy, and control interventions. They found that exercise, in the form of yoga, walking, jogging, or strength training, is an ..read more

Black women tend to be diagnosed at a younger age, with more aggressive forms of breast cancer. Photo: Pexels (Tashauna Reid, Amina Zafar/ CBC News) — Breast cancer tends to hit Black women at younger ages and be more aggressive, but they’re underrepresented when it comes to genetic screening, say doctors launching a new awareness campaign.  The awareness campaign, announced Wednesday by Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, focuses on genetic screening for changes or mutations in two key genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, as well as others.   Dr. Aisha Lofters, a family ..read more

Woman with breast discomfort (Tina Dawn/ VM-Med) — Painful or tender breasts are not uncommon. Throughout their lives and menstrual cycles, most women will experience some form of discomfort and perhaps even occasional pain. People sometimes assume the worst when they experience unusual symptoms or discomfort in their breasts, and they shouldn’t. The reasons vary and are often quite benign and easily treatable.  Why do you experience breast tenderness?  There are many non-serious reasons why your breasts may suddenly hurt. Here are all the far-more-likely reasons your body is behavin ..read more

Science says you may need less exercise than you think to live a long and healthy life. Photo: Pexels (Joe Stone/ New York Times) — For anyone interested in the relationship between exercise and living longer, one of the most pressing questions is how much we really need to stay healthy. Is 30 minutes a day enough? Can we get by with less? Do we have to exercise all in one session, or can we spread it throughout the day? And when we’re talking about exercise, does it have to be hard to count? For years, exercise scientists tried to quantify the ideal “dose” of exercise for most people. They fi ..read more

It is a fact that your ability to stave off age-related diseases such as heart disease and cancer resides in your muscle mass. Photo: Pexels (Melissa Rudy/ Fox News) — Heading into 2024, about a third of people will make New Year’s resolutions — many of which will be tied to leading longer, healthier lives. “Life expectancy is at its lowest in decades despite our wealth of scientific knowledge,” Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert, told Fox News Digital.  “But it doesn’t have to be this way — you have a choice to be healthy in 2024 an ..read more

Endometriosis often causes severe cyclical or episodic uterine or ovarian cramping pain and intermittent bleeding. Photo: Pexels (Jaime R. Herndon/ Very Well Health) — On each side of the pelvis, there is an ovary. Ovaries produce and release eggs for fertilization. When someone has ovarian pain, the most common causes are typically related to ovulation and menstruation. You can feel ovarian pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis, or lower back. While ovary pain is often related to the menstrual cycle, there are times when ovary pain can be caused by something else, like en ..read more