Gabrielle Kassel

Radiation
Surgery
Targeted drug therapy
Chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
Takeaway
Radiation therapy is the most common treatment for vaginal cancer. It’s often used in combination with surgical excision and chemotherapy.
“The exact treatment used for vaginal cancer will primarily depend on its stage at presentation or diagnosis,” said Shannon A. Tomita, MD, a gynecologic oncologist with Atlantic Health System in New Jersey.
Doctors often treat early stage vaginal cancers with surgical excision, tho...

Visual changes
Different types
Other symptoms
Other causes
Takeaway
Vaginal cancer doesn’t always have visible symptoms. If symptoms occur, they may include raised bumps, flat spots, or discolored skin patches around your vaginal opening or inside your vaginal canal.
Vaginal cancer involves cancerous cells growing in your vaginal canal’s tissues. It rarely causes symptoms in the early stages.
When symptoms do occur, they may resemble more common — and potentially less serious — vaginal condit...

How it looks
Other symptoms
Risk factors
Takeaway
Due to its location, vaginal cancer doesn’t usually cause changes that you can see. Later stage vaginal cancer occasionally causes a mass deep inside your vaginal canal up by your cervix.
In some cases, you may feel a lump during an internal self-exam or other forms of vaginal penetration, explained Shannon A. Tomita, MD, a gynecologic oncologist with Atlantic Health System in New Jersey.
But it’s more likely that you won’t notice anything at ...

Stopping one birth control method without switching to another can affect your menstrual cycle and the return to your previous potential for pregnancy. You may also experience other effects, including mood shifts and physical changes.
Medically speaking, you generally don’t need to consult with a healthcare professional to stop most birth control methods, said Kara McElligott Park, MD, OB-GYN, a medical advisor at hormonal health company Mira.
However, it may be a good idea to do so, added Pa...

The best time to start using birth control is different for everyone. Finding a method you’re comfortable with may take some trial and error, but it’s worth the effort.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for when to start birth control or what the best contraceptive is. After all, what works for one person may not work for another, and that’s OK!
The best type of birth control for you and when you should start using it depends on whether:
your primary goal is to prevent pregnancy or alleviat...

Yes and no. The answer to this question ultimately depends on how you define “sex.” Generally speaking, any oral, genital, or anal contact with another person’s bodily fluids can spread gonorrhea.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like gonorrhea are, as you can probably guess, transmitted through sexual contact. But what that looks like can vary from person to person.
Different STIs can spread through different types of sexual activity. Some STIs are spread through intimate skin-to-skin ...

Several factors can contribute to changes in your body odor during menopause and how you perceive your unique scent. These changes usually aren’t cause for concern, but there are ways to prevent unwanted odors.
Hormonal fluctuations are the most common culprit, says Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, MD, author of “Menopause Bootcamp: Optimize Your Health, Empower Your Self, and Flourish as You Age.”
In particular, increases or decreases in cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. Although these hormones flu...

Ovarian cancer typically starts in the fallopian tubes. It can spread within the pelvis or beyond the pelvis walls. Metastatic ovarian cancer commonly affects lymph nodes, then the liver, and then the lungs before spreading further into the body.
Ovarian cancer, marked by the growth of cancerous cells in the ovaries, doesn’t follow a single trajectory.
Instead, the trajectory depends on various factors, says Nana Tchabo, MD, a gynecologic oncologist with Atlantic Health System in Morristown, ...

There’s an increased risk of contraction when in spaces that are crowded with sick people, such as hospitals, barracks, and shelters, said Monte Swarup, MD, OB-GYN, founder of the health information site HPV Hub.
How is MRSA of the buttocks diagnosed?
A healthcare professional will swab the affected area and send the sample off to a lab to be tested for the presence of MRSA, said Peskin.
If you don’t have any visible wounds, a healthcare professional will likely recommend a blood or urine tes...

Lupus doesn’t cause infertility directly. But indirect factors may affect your ability to become pregnant or impregnate someone else.
Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues.
The disease can indirectly affect fertility through various factors, such as:
sex and reproductive organs
certain antibody levels
current lupus activity
medications and treatment
other opportunistic infection(s) or conditions present
The eff...

MRSA bacteria are often found in the folds of the external genitalia, including the vulva. Internal infections of the vaginal canal are also possible.
MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The bacteria are typically associated with skin infections and are commonly found in the folds of the external genitalia.
“Vagina” refers to the internal canal that connects the uterus to the outside of the body. “Vulva” refers to the external portions of the genitals, like the labia,...

Heavy menstruation is unlikely after endometrial ablation. That said, the goal of the procedure is to stop, shorten, or lessen your menstrual flow — not put a stop to your overall menstrual cycle.
Most people experience light vaginal bleeding or spotting the first 1–3 days following surgery, according to Dr. Jill Purdie, a board certified OB-GYN and medical director at Pediatrix Medical Group in Atlanta, Georgia.
You might also notice an uptick in clear vaginal discharge over the next 2–3 wee...

IVF may be as effective at helping people with endometriosis become pregnant as it is for those without.
Endometriosis can lead to inflammation, scarring, and atypical growths that affect different organs in the pelvic region. Depending on the location, this can interfere with overall function.
“For some people, these distortions can obstruct the fallopian tubes, making natural conception unlikely,” explains Alex Robles, MD, a fertility expert at Columbia University Fertility Center in New Yo...

PCOS is often associated with excess body hair, menstrual irregularities, and acne. Hives are a possible, although less common, symptom.
PCOS occurs when the ovaries produce irregular amounts of testosterone and other androgens. This disrupts the menstrual cycle, which can lead to imbalanced levels of:
estrogen
progesterone
follicle-stimulating hormone
luteinizing hormone
The endocrine system — the system responsible for hormone production — helps manage mood, growth and development, organ fu...

Herpesviruses use DNA as their genetic material. They don’t cause lupus, but lupus can increase your overall chance of infection.
Lupus is an autoimmune condition, which means that it affects your immune system’s ability to function. Generally speaking, autoimmune conditions can make you more susceptible to infection.
“Lupus, in particular, has been associated with an increased likelihood of several herpesvirus infections,” says Michael Ingber, MD, urologist and female pelvic medicine special...