Gynecological A to Z: What's Up Down There?
Cervix
The cervix is the tiny donut-shaped body part that acts as the security checkpoint for the uterus, allowing sperm in and babies out as the situation warrants. One of its key functions is to produce cervical mucus—the miracle substance that becomes increasingly abundant and slippery as ovulation approaches. Cervical mucus doesn’t just act as a good lube at the time of the month when you need it most: it also helps to transport sperm to the uterus and protect it from the harsh vaginal environment. Believe it or not, a healthy vagina has the same acidity level as a glass of red wine.
Clitoris
The ultimate girly part, the clitoris is the only organ in the human body—male or female—that is completely dedicated to sexual pleasure. And it’s certainly wired for the job: it can easily match the 6000 to 8000 nerve endings found in a penis. What you might not realize is that there’s more to your clitoris than the pink eraser sized bit that can be found outside your body. It’s actually a 3” long, wish-bone shaped organ that extends around both the urethra and the vagina.
Douching
Wondering why the douche bottle has pretty much found its way on to the endangered species list? Women who douche are twice as likely to develop pelvic inflammatory disease as women who don’t douche. This is because douching kills off the “good” bacteria in the vagina, making it easier for the “bad” bacteria to thrive, and possibly leaving you more vulnerable to STDs. Before you reach for that squirt bottle, consider these words of wisdom from Natalie Angiers, author of Woman: An Intimate Geography (Houghton Mifflin): “Don’t douche, ever, period, end of squirt bottle.”
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is the name given to a medical condition which develops when the cells that make up the lining of the uterus migrate to other parts of the body, most commonly the ovaries, cervix, bowel, or bladder, resulting in acute pain, excessive bleeding, the buildup of scar tissue, and—over time—infertility. The condition can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, hormone therapy, and/or surgery.
Fibroids
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, approximately 20% to 25% of women over the age of 35 have one or more uterine fibroids (non-cancerous uterine growths that can be found inside the uterus, on its outer surface, within the uterine wall, or attached to the uterus by a stem-like structure). Fibroids can be small and pea-sized or as large as a grapefruit. Estrogen fuels their growth. They don’t cause problems for every woman who has them—in fact, some women aren’t even aware they have fibroids until they show up during a routine gynecological exam—but when they do act up, they can make life miserable, causing menstrual problems (excessive bleeding, longer or more frequent bleeding, bleeding at times other than your period, severe cramping, and/or anemia caused by blood loss); abdominal and lower back pain; pain during intercourse; difficulty urinating and/or more frequent urination; constipation; rectal pain; difficult bowel movements; miscarriage; and/or infertility. The conventional way of dealing with fibroids has been to either remove the offending fibroids or the uterus as a whole (hysterectomy), but uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is proving very effective in the treatment of fibroids. UFE involves injecting tiny particles into the blood vessels that supply the fibroids—something that deprives the fibroids of their blood supply and causes them to shrivel up.
