Women's Health

What is Women's Health?

Being male or female has significant health implications as a result of biological and gender-related differences. The health of women and girls is of particular concern because many societies are at a disadvantage due to discrimination rooted in sociocultural factors. For example, women and girls are facing increased vulnerability to HIV / AIDS.

Sociocultural factors that prevent women and girls from benefiting from quality medical services and achieving the highest possible health levels include:

Unequal power relationships between men and women.
Social norms that reduce opportunities for education and paid employment.
Focus on the role of female reproduction.
Potential or actual experience of physical, sexual or mental violence.

Poverty is an important barrier to good health for both men and women, but poverty is the health of women and girls, for example, through eating habits (malnutrition) and the use of unsafe cooking fuels (COPD). Tends to put a heavy burden on.

Efforts for women's health at our hospital

Women's health is a comprehensive view of not only mental and physical aspects but also social aspects, with the aim of improving the quality of life (QOL) of women from the perspective of women's lifelong health, and the structure and lifestyle of the body. It is the medical field that respects the intentions of women and the movements surrounding it, paying attention to the gender difference.

Women have lifelong physical changes such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, and physical differences from men, but efforts from the perspective of women's health are so-called treatment and prevention of diseases peculiar to women. It's not just about dealing with gender differences. In terms of society as well, it is a new view that we will respond from a different perspective to men, such as changes in roles at milestones in life such as work, housework, and childcare.

In terms of importance, women can live more comfortably because they affect the health of mothers and children, such as child-rearing, fertility treatment, menstruation-related diseases, husband's violence, and mental health, as well as disasters and radioactive contamination. It can be said that even the services and products of the above are outside the medical field.

In the medical field, it is a relatively new way of thinking, starting in the United States in the 1980s and being positioned as a field of the Graduate School of Medicine in Japan in 2008. Until now, women's health has been based on obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, psychology, sociology, public health, etc., but in the future, especially for improving women's lifelong health, "Women" It is necessary to give careful guidance from the standpoint of ". Therefore, in addition to the basic treatments such as surgery and drug therapy, it is necessary to provide support that is sensitive to the psychosocial factors behind women.

As a medical institution from the perspective of women's health, we prescribe contraceptives and the like. Have you ever thought that you would be responsible for the physical and mental distress and financial burden of your own contraception? Have you ever made a mistake when you should contraceptive, you can't help but worry about yourself, and you're frustrated or lonely about what the other person is doing like someone else? Did anyone tell you to pay even half the cost of women's contraceptives? Women's Healthcare Online aims to make a living that fits its name.

Excerpt from WHO, translation

Areas of women's health
* Our hospital is limited to medical treatment including emergency contraceptives and prescription of low-dose pills.

Womens Health
Services and Conditions

Nexplanon®: Nexplanon (Organon)
A contraceptive method in which a tiny plastic cylinder containing a hormone called etonogestrel is inserted subcutaneously. From here, hormones are gradually released into the body and the contraceptive effect continues for about 3 years. Side effects may be the same as when taking pills, but compared to pills, the contraceptive effect is extremely high because there is no failure due to forgetting to take, it is easy to use for those who feel resistance to using the contraceptive ring, and the arm Since it is embedded under the skin of the body, it cannot be seen from the outside. Also, if you want to get pregnant, you can change your life plan at any time because removing it will eliminate the contraceptive effect from that day.

Pelvic Pain: Pelvic pain
Discomfort that occurs near the bottom of the abdomen. It does not include pain that occurs in the external genitals (vulva), but it may be caused by a female reproductive system disease (or other gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, or heart disease). I have. The type and duration of pain varies.

Prenatal Care: Prenatal
care This refers to all medical care that women receive before giving birth. When managed by a medical institution, midwives, doctors, nurses, etc. (most of the cases in Japan) provide information on pregnancy and childbirth, as well as tests and examinations to confirm the health of the pregnant woman and her baby. Offers. In addition to medical care, it is also necessary to create a living environment that welcomes pregnant women and their babies around them, create a body that survives pregnancy, prepare funds for childbirth, and prepare the mind to enjoy the pregnancy.

Recurrent Miscarriage: Recurrent
miscarriage pregnancy is established, but miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death (newborn: infants less than 28 days after birth, in this case the cause is often on the neonatal side) are repeated, resulting in the child. It is a condition that you cannot have. This can happen by accident or it can be due to some factor. Factors include endocrine abnormalities and thrombophilia, but it is said that about half of them cannot identify the cause even after detailed examination. In Japan, it is recommended to diagnose recurrent miscarriage and investigate the cause if there are two or more miscarriages and stillbirths.

Hormone Replacement: Hormone therapy
Many gynecological diseases are related to female hormones, and are a general term for treatments that use hormones or drugs that promote or suppress the secretion of hormones for various symptoms. This includes uterine fibroids, endometriosis, menstrual disorders, and menopause.

IUD: Contraceptive ring
IUD is an abbreviation for Intrauterine device, which is a small ring-shaped device that is worn inside the uterus for the purpose of contraception. It can be used for several years after wearing, so it is suitable for women who desire long-term contraception. You don't have to bother with taking it like a pill or preparing it before sexual intercourse like a condom.

Vaginal Dryness:
The mucous membrane in the vagina remains alkaline to allow sperm activity, and this secretion reduces friction during sexual intercourse, but with age, the secretion decreases, causing inflammation, itching, pain, etc. in the vagina. , Inconvenient symptoms such as loss of interest in sex occur. This is primarily due to age-related declines in estrogen levels, but also includes breastfeeding, smoking, depression, strenuous exercise, and side effects of certain treatments. Generally, it may be healed with an ointment, but it is a delicate part, so it may be necessary to see a medical institution.

Painful Intercourse: Pain during sexual intercourse
This is the pain when you are about to start or during it. If you continue to put up with it, you will eventually become scared of sexual activity itself. For organic causes such as hymen toughness and inflammation, appropriate treatment is required, and for psychogenic causes such as hormonal disturbance after childbirth and trauma for sexual activity, counseling measures are required. prize.

Pediatric Gynecology: Pediatric Gynecology
Pediatric and adolescent women need special care both surgically and mentally within their field. Some medical institutions have specialized training departments for this.

Fertility: Fertility
This is the ability to lead to conception. For women, when ovarian function declines due to aging, the quality of eggs follows suit, so the probability of conception drops sharply at a certain age. On the other hand, males usually maintain their reproductive ability even in old age, although there is a gradual decrease in male hormones due to aging. This gender difference is biologically advantageous in that women can finish their burdensome pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting before the aging causes functional deterioration of other organs because they raise the fetus in the body. It seems that there was, but it is a fact that it is a disadvantage for women in the modern society where the life span is extended.

Pelvic Prolapse: Pelvic organ prolapse
A female-specific disease in which the pelvic organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum, which are supported by the pelvic floor centered on the muscles, come out (down). However, if the pelvic floor is damaged due to childbirth or aging, the organs tend to fall and various symptoms appear. Although the incidence is high, many people have not been seen for a long time due to embarrassment. The main treatments are broadly divided into conservative treatments such as gymnastics and vaginal orthotics and surgery, but the treatment method is selected according to the degree and age.

Menopause: Menopause Menopause
is a condition in which the ovaries have lost their function and menopause has stopped. The age of menopause is defined when it is confirmed that no menstruation has occurred for one year or more. There are individual differences in this, but many Japanese are menopausal in their late 40s and 50s. In addition, the 10 years before and after menopause is called the menopause, and during this period, the female hormone concentration fluctuates greatly and decreases, so various symptoms including abnormal menstruation can be seen. Menopause, which is a condition with severe symptoms, and premature ovarian insufficiency at a young age may be treated with drugs.

Abortions: Abortion
This refers to the death of a fetus for some reason, and generally refers to abortion in Japan.
Maternal Health Act is applied to abortion surgery, and the surgical method differs between early and late pregnancy. In early pregnancy, curettage or suction is used to mechanically remove the contents of the uterus. Usually, a short operation is required, and if there are no problems, you can return home the same day. In late pregnancy, uterine contractions are used to artificially cause labor and miscarriage. It usually requires several days of hospitalization due to the strain on the body. In most cases, abortion surgery is not covered by health insurance, so if you have to choose abortion, making the decision as soon as possible will reduce the burden. Since this surgery can only be performed by a "designated doctor" designated by the Maternal Health Act, it will be taken at a medical institution that advocates a doctor designated by the Maternal Health Act. Although some countries sell abortion drugs in the early stages of pregnancy overseas, they are not currently approved in Japan. There have also been reports of serious accidents, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has issued a warning.

Colposcopy: Colposcopy test (colpos biopsy)
This is a detailed cervical examination that observes the cervix of the uterus using a magnifying glass called colposcopy. After observing with a colposcopy, the part with abnormal findings is excised with a size of several millimeters, and a pathological examination is performed.

Endometriosis: Endometriosis
A disease in which the endometrium, which normally covers the inner wall of the uterus, continues to develop and develop outside the uterine cavity (ovary, peritoneum, inside the wall of the uterus, etc.), and is a younger generation. It is said that it often develops in the uterus. The endometrium is originally the place where the fertilized egg implants, and the action of female hormones promotes proliferation and maturation toward pregnancy. It peels off and is discharged to the outside of the body with bleeding. This is called menstruation (physiology), and when menstruation ends, the endometrium begins to grow again in preparation for the next pregnancy opportunity. This approximately one-month sexual cycle (menstruation) also affects the abnormal tissues formed by endometriosis, causing pain with bleeding before and after menstruation, and the body's body is not excreted from the body. It often stays inside and causes chronic abdominal pain or causes infertility. Although drug therapy and surgery are used for treatment, careful follow-up is required because the recurrence rate is high and cancer may develop in the future.

Essure®: Essure (Bayer)
A type of intrauterine contraceptive device that was touted as being semi-permanently contraceptive without the need for surgery with anesthesia or hormones, but it is said that there are problems with its side effects and efficacy in Europe. Sales have been suspended in the United States.

High Risk Pregnancy: Pregnancy
that may be at risk to the mother or fetus during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, exacerbating health problems or complications, or at risk of death. For example, those who have a history of miscarriage / premature birth, history of hysterectomy or other obstetrics and gynecology surgery, multiple pregnancies, so-called breech birth, younger pregnancy, organ disease, drug / alcohol abuse, HIV infection, etc. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you will need to see a well-equipped medical institution.

Fibroids: Uterine fibroids
Benign tumors of the wall of the uterus. The wall of the uterus is made of smooth muscle, which is called "myoma". Unlike malignant tumors (cancer), it does not grow rapidly or metastasize, but when it develops, it gradually grows and often causes lower abdominal pain and anemia. It grows larger under the influence of female hormones, and it becomes more likely to develop from around the 20s when its secretion becomes active. (It gradually becomes smaller when menopause is reached.) In addition, it is a common illness that is seen in 30 to 40% of women in their 30s and older, but when it grows larger, it interferes with daily life and causes infertility. You may need medication or surgery to get rid of it.

HPV: Human papillomavirus
A common virus that is thought to infect more than half of women who have had sexual intercourse at least once in their lifetime. There are many types of this, and it has become clear that some types are associated with cancer. (It is involved in the development of many diseases such as cervical cancer, anus, vaginal cancer, and condyloma acuminata.) Recently, young women are becoming more and more affected by cervical cancer, which is regarded as a problem. It is a virus. Once infected, it may be eliminated spontaneously, but it may remain in the cervix. If it is not eliminated for a long time and remains infected, it is thought that cervical cancer (easy to treat at early detection but difficult at advanced) develops.

Tubal Ligation: Tubal ligation
By tying the fallopian tubes, the contact between the egg and sperm is blocked and fertilization is prevented. If you want to get pregnant again, you can hope for a recovery of function with a fallopian tube anastomosis (not if you have a fallopian tube removed), but the success rate is not high and you need to think carefully before receiving this procedure.

Hysterectomy: Hysterectomy This
is used to treat some gynecological cancers, endometriosis, and severe uterine fibroids (only if the symptoms are severe). There are open surgery to remove the uterus by making an incision in the lower abdomen and vaginal surgery to remove the uterus from the vagina (less burden on the body). Both are performed under general anesthesia, and the length of hospital stay is several days, and recovery takes about one and a half months. Hospitalization for laparoscopic surgery using a robot arm, which started in recent years, requires only one day, and you can return to your daily life as soon as possible.

Vaginal Infections: Vaginal infections Itching
and pain around the vagina caused by bacterial or bacterial infections, or unsuitable soap or clothing. It is often noticed that the amount of vaginal discharge increases and the odor becomes strong, but in most cases, it is healed with relatively easy-to-obtain medicines according to the cause. However, if you are pregnant, have a fever, have different symptoms, or have relapsed, you need to consult a medical institution.

LEEP Procedure: Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure
This is an excision procedure using a combination of a loop-type high-frequency electric scalpel and its generator. Used for excision of lesions. Benign tumors such as cervical polyps and cervical myomas and cervical cancers, which are malignant tumors, are targeted as cervical lesions, and have the great advantage of being able to be treated while preserving the uterus.

Laparoscopy / Minimally Invasive Surgery Laparoscopy / Minimally Invasive Surgery Laparoscopy
surgery is also called endoscopic surgery, and while open surgery makes a large incision in the abdomen, this method only makes a few holes of a few millimeters. (Therefore, the burden on the patient's body is reduced. This is called minimal invasiveness.) An instrument called a port is inserted into the drilled hole. You can insert a laparoscope from one of the ports and watch the inside of your abdomen from there on your monitor. From the remaining ports, insert forceps with scissors, electric scalpel, tweezers, etc. at the tip, and proceed with surgery while watching the monitor.