OVERVIEW Sexually transmitted diseases, also called sexually transmitted infections, are spread through sexual contact. Because most of these infections do not immediately cause symptoms, it is important for sexually active people to have screening done regularly, to treat any STIs before complications

OVERVIEW A Pap smear, sometimes called Pap test or cervical smear, is a routine screening done at a gynecologist's office to detect irregularities in and on the cervix. Its name is an abbreviation of its inventor, Greek doctor Georgios Papanikolaou, who developed the test in 1923. It is the most common

OVERVIEW Menopause is a natural and expected hormonal shift that marks the end of the childbearing age with the cessation of the menstrual cycle. Nearly all women go through this change at some point in their lives, with the vast majority of women experiencing it between the ages of 40 and 60. Menopause

OVERVIEW Hormone replacement therapy is a medical intervention designed to boost a woman's hormone levels. As women get closer to menopause (the average age at onset is 51), their naturally occurring hormone levels ­- particularly estrogen and progesterone ­ decrease considerably. This deficiency can

OVERVIEW Contraception, also known as birth control, prevents pregnancy by using one or more methods, medications or devices. Medical contraception has been available since the 1960s, and, in that time, a wide variety of options have been introduced, ranging from permanent sterilization to products for