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sexeducationforyoureverdaylives:
in case you can’t read it:
Endometriosis is one of the main causes of infertility in women and affects almost 10 percent of women of childbearing age. This condition occurs when endometrial cells that line the inner walls of the uterus (womb) migrate or form in other areas of the body, mainly in the pelvis and abdominal cavity. These misplaced tissues, which are called implants, then respond to hormones just as the healthy womb does, causing swelling, inflammation and bleeding. However, unlike a regular monthly cycle, the bleeding cannot exit the body and may lead to painful lesions, scar tissue or adhesions and blood-filled cysts.
The cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no cure for this condition. However, a weak immune system due to stress, smoking, low levels of physical exercise and poor nutrition may worsen symptoms. It is thought to even lead to the disease as a healthy immune system is better able to destroy and remove misplaced cells and imbalances in the body.
Causes
The exact causes of endometriosis are not known, however several factors may lead to this condition. These include:
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Being overweight or obese, particularly during the late childhood years
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Imbalanced functioning of the immune system, which can exacerbate symptoms
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Suffering from consistent stress
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Retrograde of backwards flow of blood through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity during the monthly cycle
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Genetic and hereditary factors; the risk of endometriosis is 10 times higher in women who have a first degree relative with the condition
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Endometrial cells that are abnormally present in the pelvic cavity
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Endometrial cells that travel through the blood vessels to the pelvic cavity
Signs and Symptoms
A third of women with endometriosis do not have any symptoms and a survey in the UK showed that the average time for diagnosis even in women that have signs of the disease is eight years. Endometriosis can cause symptoms of varying degrees including pelvic pain and cramping, especially during the monthly cycle, heavy or irregular bleeding, bloating, nausea, pain during bladder and bowel function, infertility and miscarriage.
Diagnosis
A medical evaluation to diagnose endometriosis includes a health history, pelvic exam and lab tests. A woman’s menstrual history and any gastrointestinal problems are important for diagnosis. A pelvic exam can help to determine the source of abnormal pain and cramping and a “pain map” helps to see the exact areas that are affected. Blood tests are largely used to rule out other health problems that can cause similar symptoms. Imaging scans such as ulrasound, x-ray and MRIs may be included in the physical exam. In some cases, a definitive diagnosis may be made with a laparoscopy, a surgical procedure in which a tiny fibre-optic camera is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision in or near the belly button.
Stages of Endometriosis
The stages of endometriosis include certain factors such as number, size and site of the endometrial cell implants. It also varies depending on the amount of damage including adhesions and cysts and whether they affect other organs in the pelvis or abdomen. Stages are ranked as minimal (I), mild (II), moderate (III) and severe (IV). However, stages of endometriosis may not correspond to pain and other symptoms experienced. In some cases, even stage I endometriosis can cause severe pain, while in others, later stages may result only in minimal symptoms.
Treatment
There is no cure for endometriosis and treatment options are designed to relieve symptoms, prevent damage to the body and treat infertility in some cases. Treatment varies depending on the severity of the condition and includes drug therapies, alternative therapies and surgical procedures. Common drug therapies for endometriosis are non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs, oral contraceptives and hormone suppressing drugs which stop ovulation during the monthly cycle of a female.
Surgical procedures include laparoscopic laser techniques to help shrink lesions, decrease symptoms and improve fertility. A lapartomy is a more invasive surgery, in which a large incision is made in the abdomen and the endometrial implants are cut out by a laser or burned. A total hysterectomy, which is complete removal of the uterus and ovaries, is only recommended in very severe cases of endometriosis. However, even surgery does not guarantee a complete cure to all symptoms as some endometrial cells may still remain or grow in the body.
Exercise is also thought to help prevent endometriosis and reduce symptoms. Adequate physical activity and healthy nutrition help to balance hormone levels in the body. Other natural ways to balance hormones and increase the strength of the immune system include:
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Eliminating any food allergens from the body including dairy, wheat (gluten), corn and soy
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Eliminating and reducing foods that contain preservatives and additives
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Avoiding processed and refined foods such as baked deserts
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Reducing saturated fats such as baked deserts, fried foods and margarine
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Avoiding smoking, shisha-smoking as well as second-hand smoke
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Eating antioxidant-rich foods
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Drinking plenty of water everyday
Herbal Remedies
Herbal remedies may be used along with other treatments or alone in milder cases of endometriosis. Specific herbs recommended for endometriosis include Chasteberry (400 mg daily) for hormonal balance, Evening Primrose oil (500 to 1000 mg daily) for hormonal balance, green tea extract (250 to 500 mg daily) for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Cat’s claw (20 mg, three times daily) for inflammation and turmeric extract (300 mg, three times daily) to boost the immune system. Do not take herbal medications without the guidance of your doctor. These remedies are potent and can cause side effects.
(via becauseiamawoman)
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Text TXWOMEN to 69866 to sign the mobile petition telling Governor Perry: #dontmesswithTXwomen - Texas needs the Women’s Health Program!
I am on the Women’s Health Program in Texas. If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be able to afford my yearly exams or birth control. Please spread this support of the program around!
Texas is FIVE days away from denying this federal funding. This will hurt 130K poor people in this state.
It is a morally bankrupt move that is supposed to financially bankrupt Planned Parenthood in the state in order to stop abortion. There is much that is laughable about that sentence, especially the part where the Hyde Amendment makes it illegal for PP to use any federal money for abortion. That part of of PP is funded from totally different sources that the part that goes to the WHP. So, turning down these millions of dollars won’t begin to accomplish the Texas GOP’s goal anyhow.
This is just incredibly sad.
(Source: standwithtexaswomen, via keepyourbsoutofmyuterus)
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Happy International Women’s Day!
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Google Doodle
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An Awesome Point of View from a Man Who Took His Wife's Last Name
Some people (cough internet posters cough) react by making a crack about masculinity, implying that I am either marrying a dude or have ceded my patriarchal right. Others think it’s the best idea because you can make your new name google-proof and keep people from finding bad stuff you wrote on the internet when you were younger, as if my googleability (not our families, present and future) was forefront in my mind when making the decision.
But there are others who are supportive and even admit that it never even came up as a possibility when they thought about the issue. Women predominantly have this reaction, but some men say that too. Taking my future wife’s last name has been worth it just for those conversations; the deepest inequities are ones we don’t even stop to consider, and we’re not going to understand the dilemma better if we don’t discuss it at all.
Even if most of my enjoyment comes from swapping the usual gender norms, we made this decision because it was the right choice for our situation. It was the process of making a choice that was important to us, not the solution that tumbled out. And by talking about this with friends and others, we want people to know that last names are a choice that both partners in a relationship should make. Whether you go with the traditional route or choose a non-traditional option like us, both guy and gal (or gal and gal, or guy and guy) should be a part of that decision. It shouldn’t be left for one party alone to agonize over.
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We Are Women March - Texas
This is the link for the Texas Facebook Group.
Feel free to repost with the links to your local group or organizers. Let’s not take this one sitting down.
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Anonymous asked: What can one do about idiots like Tom Suehs????
Good question! Sorry I didn’t answer sooner, but I wanted to give this a thorough an answer as I can.
- Sign this petition from Planned Parenthood to Tom Suehs and Governor Rick Perry.
- You can also contact the Office of the Governor here, and they give an option for an opinion line -(800) 252-9600.
- Finding contact info for Tom Suehs is a bit more difficult. The website lists the HHS headquarter number as 512-424-6500, though I don’t know if we can register a complaint through it.
- It seems like there is talk of a possible protest. I’ll keep everyone updated if solid plans are made. In the mean time, tweet, facebook, blog, etc to make sure the word is getting out.
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Texas Cuts Planned Parenthood from Women's Health Program
Today Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs signed off on a controversial new rule designed to exclude Planned Parenthood from participation in the Women’s Health Program – and in so doing has likely killed the successful program. The WHP is a Medicaid-waiver program that provides basic healthcare and family planning services to low-income and uninsured women who would not otherwise be eligible for Medicaid unless pregnant. The program was designed to increase access to preventative health for women and to reduce the number of Medicaid-paid births. It has done both.
This is no small issue for Texas, where more than half of all births are paid for by Medicaid – in 2009 alone that cost $2.9 billion. The first year of the program, in 2007, the WHP served 91,683 women; by 2010, the program served 183,537. HHSC estimates that the number of women served in 2011 (those final numbers aren’t ready yet) will show the program grew again.
And although there are some 1,600 WHP providers across the state, in 2010, PP served 46% of all WHP clients – that is, more than 84,000 women.
