Gynaecological issues in your reproductive years

Your childbearing years form a large part of your life as a woman and it is important to maintain a clean slate of health during this time. Here are some of the gynaecological issues you should keep a lookout for:

Period issues
These can be very variable and range from irregular, heavy, long, painful periods to bleeding in between periods or after sex. Different period issues can surface at different times in your life and you should consult your gynaecologist if they last beyond 2-3 cycles – these are some of the common causes behind them:

• Uterine fibroids
• Adenomyosis
• Endometriosis
• Endometrial polyps 
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Pelvic inflammatory disease/ sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Fertility and birth control
These are the years that you are either trying to get (or not get) pregnant while you are in the midst of setting up your family – which means fertility issues may come into play. Do consult your gynaecologist if you have been trying to conceive for more than 6 months to a year (depending on your age) without success. On the other hand, if you are not planning for pregnancy, there are many reliable birth control methods available. 

Urinary incontinence
If you leak urine that is beyond your control, you may have urinary incontinence. This can range from situations when you leak urine during physical activity (stress urinary incontinence/SUI) to when you leak urine shortly after experiencing a strong urge to pass urine (urge urinary incontinence/UUI). SUI in particular can occur during or after childbirth due to weakened pelvic floor muscles – thankfully, there are good treatment options that your gynaecologist will be able to advise you on.

Gynaecological cancers
Although the risk of gynaecological cancers (malignancies) namely endometrial, ovary and cervical cancer are not common at your age, prevention is always better than cure! You should consider taking the HPV vaccine, and continue to do your Pap smear/HPV test regularly with your gynaecologist.