Female reproductive health is important to the overall health of the woman, and to the health and viability of any children she may have, according to the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH).
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says that reproductive health depends on many factors such as age, lifestyle and overall health.
Women have an elaborate reproductive system that is vulnerable to dysfunction or disease, wrote the United Nations.
Women's reproductive health covers diseases and conditions that affect the female reproductive system, stated About.com. This includes symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of women's reproductive health issues. It covers woman's health diseases that affect the uterus, cervix, vagina, fallopian tubes and breasts.
Women’s reproductive health includes a broad range of topics such as birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, one’s ability to become pregnant and infertility, said HHS.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) reported that disorders of women’s reproduction health include birth defects, developmental disorders, low birth weight, preterm birth and menstrual disorders.
Other female reproductive health issues include uterine fibroids (benign tumors in the wall of the uterus), endometriosis (uterine tissue implants and grows outside the uterus,; disorders of the thyroid gland, and cancer, wrote CERCH. Female reproductive cancers include ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote that the female’s reproductive system is one of the most fragile systems of the female body. It can easily become infected or injured. If it does, women might have long-term health problems.
Taking simple steps to prevent getting or spreading HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) will help protect your reproductive health. HHS warned some STDs show no early signs, while others can lead to painful symptoms or even infertility. CDC recommended getting regular checkups for STDs, even if you do not have any symptoms.
According to a World Bank study, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) rank as the second greatest cause of the disease burden in young adult women in developing countries, accounting for 8.9 percent of the total disease burden in that age group, wrote United Nations.
Protecting your reproductive health also means having control over having children, determining for yourself if and when to become pregnant.
CDC recommended learning what types of birth control are available and talking with your doctor to help you choose among the options. The best way to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy is to use effective birth control correctly and consistently.
Sources:
"CDC - Contraception - Reproductive Health." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/UnintendedPregnancy/Contraception.htm
"CERCH – Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health » Female Reproductive Health." CERCH – Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://cerch.org/health-outcomes/female-reproductive-health
"Female Reproductive System." KidsHealth - the Web's most visited site about children's health. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/changing_body/female_repro.html
"Female Reproductive System: Organs, Function, and More." WebMD - Better information. Better health. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/your-guide-female-reproductive-system
"Reproductive Health." United States Department of Health and Human Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://www.hhs.gov/opa/reproductive-health
"Women's Reproductive Health Issues - Woman Health - Female Reproductive System." Women's Health Issues - Women's Health Questions and Answers - Women's Sexual Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://womenshealth.about.com/od/gynecologicalhealthissues/Womens_Reproductive_Health.htm
"Reproductive Health." National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/repro-health
"Women's Reproductive Health | CDC Reproductive Health." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/WomensRH/index.htm
"paper3." Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/issues.htm
Reviewed June 13, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith
Keywords: female reproductive health, women’s reproductive health, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, STDs, symptoms, disease burden, become pregnant, birth control, your reproductive health, overall health