Urinary incontinence Archive

While menopause means the end of irregular periods and heavy bleeding typical in women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS; formerly polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS), they continue to face some of the same symptoms along with greater lifelong health risks.

Pelvic floor dysfunction in women is commonly linked to lower back pain. The odds of developing pelvic floor-related back pain increase for women as they get older due to factors such as diminished estrogen and childbirth-related pelvic floor damage. Lower back pain and pelvic floor dysfunction may also have overlapping signs, including urinary leakage or urgency, a feeling of heaviness in the pelvis or vaginal bulging, constipation or bowel issues, painful sex or urination, and pain with prolonged sitting or standing.

A family history of gynecologic cancer doesn’t necessarily mean a woman automatically needs genetic testing to determine her risk. However, women should discuss testing if close relatives have had gynecologic or breast cancers, or if several more-distant relatives have been affected.

A bladder diary is a fundamental tool doctors use to obtain objective information about a person’s urinary symptoms. It can help doctors evaluate problems such as nighttime or frequent urination, urgency, accidental leakage, and production of unusually large or small amounts of urine.

Pelvic congestion syndrome, which is marked by dull, heavy, dragging pelvic pain, has long been an underrecognized cause of chronic pelvic pain. The condition is caused by loose or faulty valves in pelvic veins that enable blood to flow backward and pool, creating varicose veins.

Men may expect sex to last a certain length of time based on what they’ve seen in media. Research indicates the average man climaxes five to six minutes after vaginal penetration. Premature ejaculation is loosely defined as ejaculating in under two minutes.

Vaginal dryness and discomfort can affect intimacy and daily life. See which options may ease symptoms linked to changing estrogen levels.

Fibroids can change as hormone levels shift, but bleeding patterns and new symptoms after menopause still deserve careful medical attention.

Flomax can change sexual experiences in ways that may be hard to separate from aging or other prostate medicines taken at the same time.

In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued cervical cancer screening guidelines that, for the first time, include an option for women to perform an at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) test. HPV causes about 95% of cervical cancers.