Women's Health Archive

Miscarriages can be devastating — especially for women who experience recurrent miscarriage, defined as three or more in a row. Doctors used to give these women supplements of progesterone, a hormone that helps maintain a healthy pregnancy. However, a recent study has confirmed that these supplements don’t improve pregnancy outcomes. For those who experience recurrent miscarriage, the best solution may be to simply keep trying.

The hype around human growth hormone (HGH) comes from a few studies that showed HGH injections can increase lean body mass and shrink body fat, which led to claims of HGH as an “anti-aging” hormone. Yet, the benefits of HGH supplementation for older adults are unproven, and there are concerns about potential side effects.

Body mass index (BMI) is still the best way to assess body fat for most people.

Lifestyle measures can help to minimize postmenopausal weight gain and maximize health.

Living with a chronic condition or as a survivor of cancer or a heart attack needn't take a toll on intimate relationships.

Image: Jack Hollingsworth/Thinkstock
Strategically timing when you take pain medication can make sex more comfortable.

Sexual satisfaction is an important part of well-being, yet women who have been successfully treated for cancer or are living with chronic conditions often accept a diminished sex life as a trade-off for being alive. "Women with cancer go through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation in order to be alive, but once they're through treatment they may not feel as though they are really living to the fullest," says Dr. Sharon Bober, a psychologist at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Women with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis may also feel that their health issues have eroded their intimate relationships.

Women who have a history of endometriosis—a risk factor for cardiovascular disease—should take measures to reduce their other cardiovascular risk factors.

Getting immediate attention for symptoms of a transient ischemic attack can minimize the risk of a subsequent stroke.

Letters notifying women that they have dense breasts are difficult to understand. Women receiving them should contact their doctors.

Both music and exercise help prevent and alleviate disease. Fusing the two may have even greater benefits than either alone.

Image: iStock

Dancing is a universal human experience. We dance to express joy, celebrate life events, and enact religious and cultural rituals. Dance also has physical and cognitive benefits that may exceed those of other forms of exercise.

What dance does for your health

Wearing lenses that screen out harmful ultraviolet radiation is essential for keeping your eyes healthy.

Large wraparound lenses offer the best protection.
Image: Wavebreakmedia/Thinkstock

When you buy sunglasses, your primary aim might be to find a style that looks good on you and is comfortable. If so, like almost half of people selecting sunglasses from the racks, you've failed to consider the most important detail—the amount of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation the lenses screen out.