Articles about You're 46-55

Let’s bust a birth control myth. A common question WHA providers hear is whether long-term use of hormonal contraceptives—like the birth control pill—affects future fertility. In other words: Can I still get pregnant after using the pill for a long time? This is a reasonable concern. Many people spend much of their reproductive years trying…

Imagine how much less alone we’d feel if we let go of embarrassment around common conditions. Bladder leakage—also known as urinary incontinence—isn’t a normal part of life, but it’s also not uncommon. Approximately 35% of women are affected by urinary incontinence. Because of the stigma around bladder and bowel health, along with misconceptions that incontinence…

Oftentimes, results from a Pap test to screen for cervical cancer will reach you through your patient portal account before your provider has even had a chance to review them. This can cause confusion and even anxiety if the result isn’t “normal” or “negative.” It can be easy to jump to the conclusion that something…

This article is part of WHA’s new perimenopause and menopause series. “Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy” has gained significant attention as more people seek “natural” alternatives for managing menopause symptoms. However, confusion persists around what “bioidentical” and “natural” mean and how they differ from traditional hormone therapies. Here’s the thing: bioidentical is really just a marketing…

This article is part of WHA’s new perimenopause and menopause series. We’re finally at a point of time where not only are there effective options for managing the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, but awareness among both patients and providers has increased to the point where initiating treatment to reduce suffering has become far more…

It seems like there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. And when life gets busy, exercise is usually one of the easiest things to drop. There are always excuses, and many feel completely valid because of the energy they require: work, children, commitments. But the simple, annoyingly certain truth is…

Abnormal menstrual bleeding, also known as abnormal uterine bleeding, is one of the most common reasons for visits to the gynecologist. And for those who experience it, it can be really disruptive to everyday life. So when WHA providers treat patients for heavy menstrual bleeding, we like to start with management options that have the…

Heavy, or abnormal, menstrual bleeding is incredibly common, affecting one out of every five menstruators in the U.S. It can happen at any point in a person’s life, and make normal living extremely difficult. Trips planned out of the house may cause anxiety, long shifts at work may be marked by frequent bathroom breaks to…

Who wants to do something they don’t enjoy? Especially when it comes to sex. Ideally, sex feels more than enjoyable…like, downright pleasurable. But with so many stigmas, expectations and misinformation about how it should feel, getting there physically and mentally can feel like an impossible-to-reach standard. And typically, your healthcare provider may be the last…