Researchers found that those women, who had the precautionary surgical removal of their fallopian tubes and ovaries, were seen to be at 89% lesser risk of developing ovarian cancer. In addition, this prophylactic surgery also lessened their chances of developing breast cancer by 61%.

Among those high risk women who carried the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, who underwent prophylactic mastectomies, none went on to develop breast cancer.  Over all the longevity prognosis of the study participants was also seen to improve greatly when they had the surgeries performed.

This research proves a long help medical hypothesis that preemptive surgery can reduce cancer risk very greatly.  It is recommended that all women who have the BRCA gene mutation should have surgical breast removal. It is also recommended the mutation carriers, once they are finished having children, should also have their ovaries removed to reduce their predisposition to cancer.

Nowadays, people have become more aware of getting themselves protected to all kinds of flu by getting vaccinated.  Well, if you are one of those worried of catching the virus, here are some tips on where to get flu shots for you and your family.

1. Doctors

As health conscious individuals, we should know where to get flu shots in the most convenient way. Most family doctors have available flu vaccines. Check with yours and get that shot right away in his clinic.

2. Department of Health

Everybody knows that the local health department is one place to get flu shots. Perhaps, the health department is just a few minutes ride away from where you live. Do not waste more time looking for other places on where to get flu shots when it is just around the corner.

3. Pharmacies

These are one of those places to get flu shots. They are readily available and may be purchased at any time. So, if you are doing that last minute grocery, a drop at the nearby drugstore will not hurt if you are on the look on where to get flu shots.

4. Companies

Some companies offer flu shots for their employees too. In which case, the office could be one of the most convenient places to get flu shots. Simply ask your Human Resource Department and they will be just as glad to accommodate you.

5. Newspaper

The local paper’s classified ads section does not only provide readers with a list of job vacancies but many other things as well. Who knows, it also has a listing of where to get flu shots within the locality.

Going through it will not take a long time but if it can help you on where to get flu shots, then it is always worth the effort.

6. Clinics

Have you ever heard of a clinic flu locator? Well, if you are weighing your options on where to get flu shots, then you are just one click away. The American Lung Association has an online list of all clinics that provide flu vaccines.

By checking on the internet, through the clinic flu locator, one will be directed to the nearest clinic to get flu shots. Now, isn’t that quick, easy and convenient? Let your mouse do the searching.

7. Ask around

Perhaps, the most conventional yet trusted and reliable information is through word of mouth.  Ask around from people beside you on where to get flu shots.

You may not know it but your neighbors, friends and officemates have more than enough information you can ever imagine.  More importantly, it does not hurt to ask. After all, it is different getting the information from someone who has been there.

Every year, many people acquire flu because the virus spreads easily. Other than getting that much needed flu shots, it will help if one follows a healthy lifestyle. Getting enough rest and sleep, drinking lots of water and eating fresh fruits and vegetables are ways wherein one can protect himself from getting infected. Well, these will keep you from worrying on where to get flu shots.

After undergoing an abdominal hysterectomy, the last challenge that a woman has to go through is the hysterectomy recovery period. There are different factors that determine how long your recovery period will be and they include the following:

• Size of incisions

One major determining factor of how long your hysterectomy recovery period will be is the size of the incision made on your abdomen. A big incision will result to a longer and harder hysterectomy recovery.

• Excessive vaginal bleeding

Another common post operation symptom of an abdominal hysterectomy you have to deal with is vaginal bleeding. But there are two possibilities when this happens; first if the bleeding worsens day by day, then you need to have yourself checked so that proper treatments are given.

But if the bleeding gradually decreases over a period of time then it is most likely that your health is starting to improve and on your way to a hysterectomy recovery.

• Bowel movements

Another determining factor to know how much you have progressed in your hysterectomy recovery is by observing your bowel movements.

At first this activity will be very painful as any straining action could cause intolerable pain specifically on the place where you had the incision. But if you have noticed positive changes in your bowel movements, then it means that you are on your way to recovering your health.

• Physical activities

The kind of physical activities you can perform is another factor to consider. If you can already lift heavy objects, walk and jog around the neighborhood, and do household chores, then these are good signs that you’re recovering well.

However, avoid forcing yourself to doing these strenuous activities if you’re not yet ready. Recovering from surgeries like abdominal hysterectomy is a gradual process, not an instant one.

• Overall health

Your overall health condition is also an important factor to consider. Remember that hysterectomy is a major surgical operation that can leave the patient weak and prone to infection and other diseases. If you’re in perfect health and are not suffering from other diseases, then you’re most likely to recover fast.

It will take months to completely recover from hysterectomy. It takes time to completely heal the wounds. However, you can speed up the healing process by doing the following:

• Avoid lifting heavy objects

• Avoid doing strenuous activities

• Avoid any sexual activity for at least six weeks

• Get enough rest

• Have a well-balanced diet

• Follow your doctor’s advice

Expect a lot of changes after your recovery. For starters, you’ll no longer menstruate and since your ovaries will be removed, you’ll no longer capable of carrying a child. You will also have your menopause at an early age. After your hysterectomy recovery period, you’ll also need regular Pap smear tests and visits to your doctor.

HPV or human papillomavirus is considered the leading cause of the formation of these cancer cells especially those associated to cervical cancer. In order to protect your self from this ailment, a pap smear hpv is necessary.

Through the years, doctors have been using the pap smear test in detecting abnormalities in tissues and cells surrounding the female reproductive organs.

Pap smear HPV is the most reliable procedure used in detecting precancerous symptoms and abnormal lumps in the cervix. It is strictly recommended by doctors that women aged 21 and above undergo regular pap smear tests to prevent cancer.

Sadly, the presence of hpv is not easily detected. The virus strives in areas with mucous membranes like the genitals and skin. It’s no surprise then that the presence of warts in these areas is considered the most visible symptoms of the disease. However, to further verify the presence of the virus, a pap smear test is required. In some cases, a DNA test is also needed.

How the pap smear HPV test is done?

If you still haven’t tried this test then you must be very curious about the whole procedure. Contrary to what others believe, pap smear test is not painful at all. It is done through a thorough pelvic examination wherein the doctor examines the cervix through the vagina with the use of a speculum.

The doctor gets specimen using a plastic spatula and brush. These samples are then placed in a container with special solution which is then taken to a laboratory for testing. You will get the results in two to three weeks after the examination.

How can the pap smear HPV test help women?

As stated, pap smear is the most effective method available that can help detect early signs of cancer and other irregularities in the female reproductive system. Therefore it can help women in many ways such as:

• Undergo treatments against cervical cancer at an early stage

• Observe proper hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus

• Develop awareness on other reproductive disorders aside from cervical cancer

Who can avail of pap smear HPV test?

By the time a woman turned 21, she must take a pap smear test. This examination is applicable even for those who are already in their 50s. Usually, women go back for another exam after two years. However, if you are sexually active, getting a test done at least once a year is very beneficial.

Where is it done?

Pap smear hpv test only takes a few minutes. You can have it done at your doctor’s private clinic. Government clinics and hospitals even conduct pap smear tests for free so you don’t have to worry about paying for it. In case you’re not satisfied with the results, you always have the option of retaking the examination.

As such, women are prone to acquiring more diseases than men.

Thankfully, advancements in medicine and science have given way to different health tests for women.

Learn more of these tests and identify what else you need to undergo.

1. Pap smear: Among the health tests for women, pap smear is the most common. Developed in 1951 by Dr. George Papanicolaou, its purpose is to detect abnormal changes in the cervix which may lead to cervical cancer.Considered as one of the most important health tests for women, a pap test must be done within three years from the first sexual intercourse. Because of the advent of this test, cervical cancer cases have reduced tremendously.
2. Mammogram: A woman’s breast is a powerhouse of tissues. Every year, hundreds of women suffer from breast cancer. Such disease could have been avoided had a mammogram test was availed of earlier. Mammograms are health tests for women who are forty years old and above.A mammogram is a painless and safe test that helps detect cancer. There are several health tests for women necessary in detecting breast cancer. However, mammograms are most effective such that when cancer is immediately detected, the five year survival rate is increased by 96%.
3. Bone density test: Women over the age of 65 and those who underwent hysterectomy should consider getting a bone density test. One of the health tests for women, it aims to determine osteoporosis at an earlier stage. By undergoing one of these health tests for women, the chances for the disease to be treated and reversed is high.
4. STD Tests: STD tests are required for women who have vaginal discharges. Although vaginal discharge is not an indication that one has sexually transmitted disease, it can be indicative of vaginal infections. These health tests for women are available at any age.
5. Cholesterol Screening: One of the primary health tests for women is cholesterol screening. Through this test, the development of heart diseases is easily detected.However, pregnant women are not advised to undergo this test since their cholesterol level is usually higher.

   Further, such health tests for women can only be given to healthy patients since certain illnesses may result to false low tests.Did you know that heart diseases among women is the leading cause of death among American women? Well, there are available health tests for women to protect themselves for acquiring these diseases.

   Learn about your good and bad cholesterol as well as blood fats known as triglycerides. Having one’s blood pressure regularly checked is also important. Whenever one experiences palpitations, chest pains and irregular heartbeats, getting an echo cardiogram will prove helpful.

6. Colorectal Cancer Tests: Colonoscopies are important health tests for women who are in their late forties to early fifties. These tests must be availed of in a ten-year interval. Once detected at its early stage, the five-year survival rate is increased by 90%.

This is a painless and non invasive procedure that involves a scan of the body by the Dexa machine. In particular the areas of the body such as the spine, hips and wrist will be examined since these are considered to be high risk areas for osteoporosis.

You should consider a Dexa scan:

• If you underwent menopause early (younger than 40 years of age).
• If you have celiac disease or rheumatoid arthritis you are more at risk of osteoporosis and should get a scan.
• Women who have had irregular periods or no periods over a long time.
• Those women, who have been prescribed certain medications such as steroids, barbiturates, anti seizure drugs or thyroid medication, should also consider a scan.
• If there is a family history of osteoporosis in a woman’s family.
• Those women who have or have had an eating disorder should also consider getting the Dexa scan.
• Women with liver or kidney disease or those with type one diabetes should also consider getting the scan.

However, for one reason or another they may have changed their minds and decided that they want to bear children again, hence can consider tubal reversal.

The recent scientific and medical advances have allowed women to change their minds and conceive children again, even after they have gone through surgery to be unable to do so.

Tubal reversal actually has a higher pregnancy rate as compared to in vitro fertilization, which is another option women can do if they have had their tubes tied.

If you are looking into tubal reversal, here are some facts about the procedure:

1. Not every woman is a candidate for the method; you must first consult your fertility specialist or gynecologist before trying the method out.
2. Your ability to undergo the procedure will be evaluated on factors such as:
   1. The method of ligation in sealing off your fallopian tubes (cauterization, cutting, or blocking)
   2. How much of your fallopian tube is left
   3. The location of the sterilization in your fallopian tube
   4. Your age
   5. The overall health of your fallopian tubes
3. Tubal reversal is a short surgical procedure usually lasting anywhere between two or three hours. The procedure will involve making your fallopian tubes functional once again by unclamping them, reattaching them, or by implanting a part of it.
4. Although it is a short procedure, recovery time for tubal reversal will take four to six weeks, including about a week spent in the hospital for monitoring. This is important because, although side effects are rare, they are possible. Side effects of tubal reversal may include: bleeding, internal infections, damage in the surrounding organs, and complications with anesthesia.
5. Depending on the equipment and experience, some hospitals and doctors can perform tubal reversal as an outpatient surgery in just an hour. This type of procedure is microsurgical and is not yet widely available, so you may want to research on hospitals and doctors if you prefer an outpatient method for your procedure.
6. The success rate for tubal reversal is about 80%, so this could be the option of your choice if you decide that you want to bear children again. However, many factors could also determine one’s success rate, and age is one of the most important factors. The success rate would also be higher for women who are aged 40 years and below. The time for being able to conceive would be about a year after surgery.
7. Complications for pregnancy after tubal reversal may include an ectopic pregnancy, so if you have conceived successfully after the procedure you may want to clear it up with your doctor and consult on the possibilities of an ectopic pregnancy and how to deal with it.

When choosing a doctor to perform the surgery, you may also want to inquire how many of the procedures he has done, to be sure of his knowledge and expertise in the area.

Hers is a case of cosmetic surgery gone rather hideously wrong and makes a good argument against plastic surgery in general. It is important to remember that women who choose to go under the knife or needle (as in the case of Botox), are choosing to take a not insubstantial risk and are choosing to be injected with some deadly chemicals which actually work by paralyzing your face muscles.

Women do have to ask themselves if the chance of looking better or younger is worth all the effort and the risk; to say nothing of the cost of all these different procedures that promise to make you look a certain way.

Yes there are success stories that result from plastic surgery and other invasive cosmetic treatments but there are an equal number of disaster stories – witness the case of Nicole Kidman and her completely artificial looking visage that now looks as though someone took a steam iron to it.

So if you are contemplating cosmetic surgery, think long and hard about it, the consequences, the risks (of it going horribly wrong) and whether in the end if it’s actually worth it!

The procedure of stem cell breast augmentation is different from traditional breast implant surgery. It involves the removal of fat tissue from the thighs or stomach areas and then developing it in order those stem cells can be extracted from the fatty tissue.

The stem cells and the fat are then injected into the breast, not all at once but over time. This gradually increases the volume of the breasts.

Since these implants are the body’s own tissue, they stimulate blood flow inside the breast, and keep the area alive and healthy. Unlike other implants, stem cell inserts do not pose problems such as ruptures, leaks, infections or cysts that artificial implants are known to cause.

Though this technology is hailed as being a natural alternative to artificial implants, the augmentation may not be as dramatic or as noticeable as other implants. Also for a very thin woman, there may not be enough body fat present to harvest sufficient amount of stem cells.

This has drawn attention to the fact that younger and younger women are now choosing to undergo procedures that typically are used by older women.

It’s a crazy world we live in, that a teenage girl can ask for (and more worryingly get) a breast augmentation as a graduation gift or birthday present!

Young women are getting Botox injections at younger and younger ages, hoping to keep at bay any signs of aging, believing that starting early will stand them in good stead later in life. It an unhealthy obsession with appearance that drives teens to get procedures meant for those over the age of 45.

Many flat chested teens opt for breast augmentation because they may actually be psychologically disturbed at their lack of breast tissue. But how sensible is this for a teen, shouldn’t she at least wait a few years to see if she grows naturally?

Consider this fact, last year, 8,119 U.S. teenagers received breast augmentation surgery , an official figure from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons!