Modern Treatment Approaches To Women’s Reproductive Health

Advancements in Women’s Health 

Many women feel trepidation at the prospect of being diagnosed with reproductive health issues, and how can they not? The particulars of PCOS treatment and treatment for other common ailments remain unknown to many women with the condition. Many women also unfortunately only find out about their reproductive health issues once they start trying to conceive. However, advancements in women’s health are reassuring. This guide will focus on two key health issues women faces and the development of their treatment. 

Developments in PCOS treatment

Among the developments happening in medicine for women, perhaps the most essential is in PCOS treatment. PCOS, while common, is all-consuming- common issues include irregular and painful periods, sleep apnea, risk to obesity, anxiety and depressive symptoms, infertility, low libido, pregnancy complications, and in extreme circumstances, uterine bleeding. PCOS if left untreated can go on to cause endometrial cancers and ovarian cancers. 

The droll picture of the condition painted so far does have a silver lining. Money is being poured into finding out the root causes behind the condition, which will help find a cure for it. Further, increased diagnosis in older women means younger women can get themselves checked if women in their family have the condition, which enables individual health plans for symptoms management. This also assists with the prevention and management of metabolic problems, with a holistic analysis of health enabling conception and preventing pregnancy issues as well. With more and more women of different age groups, ethnicities, localities and backgrounds being drawn into PCOS research, the better the science of treatment gets. 

These questions include- whether women have different ovaries and functions from each other, the connection of weight and body mass to the worsening/improvement of the condition, is the condition contracted in the fetus owing to exposure to androgens or does it develop later in life, and the best way to screen the proclivity to endometrial cancer in women diagnosed with PCOS. 

Further, the combatting of insulin resistance has always been a primary treatment of PCOS, but besides the regular insulin sensitizers like metformin, new pharmaceuticals are proving to be effective. These include new medicines which assist the patient with weight loss and decrease cardiovascular risk, such as incretin mimetics and SGLT2 inhibitors. 

New Ways to Treat Genital Warts 

Among the common STIs, genital warts remain an issue in the sexually active demographic of the population. Genital warts treatment for the longest time remained largely ineffective, since the pesky bumps would go away shortly, only to return with a vengeance. This meant that people gave the disease to their partners, hence the highly infectious papillomavirus being spread at a very fast pace. The virus affects the vagina, anus, urethra, and can also result in recalcitrant warts. Among 50% of the population, it has been estimated to have contracted the virus at some point in their lives. This necessitates the need for advancement in its treatment and cure. 

The new, and thankfully widespread treatment for genital warts is less painful, topical medication that the patient can self-administer, including imiquimod and podophyllotoxin. Considering pregnant patients cannot administer these medications, older methods can still be used for warts. The important thing to note about the developments in genital warts treatment, namely the human papillomavirus vaccine, is that it is shown to be effective in preventing cervical cancer. The vaccine also helps prevent the contracting of other, more serious HPV strains, since they increase the chances of various cancers. The treatment of this common ailment is thus inextricably linked to the prevention and treatment of HPV infections, which occur in the millions globally- and prevent any serious resulting illnesses such as cancer. HPV immunization prior to marriage and conception prevents your children from contracting any infections as well. 

Common medicinal treatments for genital warts besides the ones already mentioned in this guide, which have seen effective development- 

1. Bichloracetic acid and trichloroacetic acid – this is safe for use during pregnancy, and basically is an acid that burns the wart tissue away. It is safe for use during pregnancy should only be applied and administered by a healthcare professional. 
2. Interferon injections- while this can also be used as a topical gel or cream, it is most effective in eliciting and immune response when administered via injection. This is not safe during pregnancy. 
3. Surgical treatments- in the circumstance that medicines are not working, surgical treatment is used to burn, freeze or cut out the wart, through a process called wart excision. Surgical treatments for genital warts are safe during pregnancy. If warts are serious enough to be precancerous, the patient should not wait for topical medication but opt for surgical removal instead. 
4. Cryotherapy or Electrocautery- the former uses a chemical to freeze the warts, while the latter uses electricity to burn it away. Cryotherapy usually does not require anesthesia, while electrocautery does. For electrocautery, you must visit the office of a gynecologist in Dubai to weigh your options in regard to anesthetics.