Keep track of tests and procedures you need after the age of 40 and take it with you to your next doctor appointment.

The ovaries produce both testosterone and estrogen. These sex hormones help grow, maintain, and repair reproductive tissues.

Doctors may use estrogen tests to help check on concerns with puberty, fertility, menopause, and other conditions.

A progesterone test can help your doctor check on ovulation or possible fertility problems.

During a hysteroscopy, your doctor inserts a hysteroscope -- a thin tube with light on the end -- into your vagina.

A pelvic exam is part of a woman’s annual physical exam or pregnancy checkup. Find out what the pelvic exam involves.

A Pap smear checks cells from a woman’s cervix. Learn how the Pap smear is used to screen for cervical cancer.

If you think you have vaginal infection, your doctor will probably perform a test called a vaginal wet mount, or vaginal smear.

What is a healthy diet? Get basic nutrition facts in this article.

Except for vitamin D, the human body cannot make vitamins. You need to get vitamins from the foods you eat or from supplements.

If you were physically active regularly before age 50, you're at an advantage: You probably already follow these exercise tips.

This article explains why modest portions, healthy foods, and regular weigh-ins may help maintain weight loss.

When it's time to see a doctor about your exhaustion -- and what to try first.

Can’t sleep? Try these 10 insomnia tips.

Navigating the changes of midlife causes stress, there's no doubt about it, and we'd all like to reduce stress in our lives.

Differences in estrogen levels are typical in a woman on different days, or between two women on the same day of their cycles.

Lots of women get pelvic pain and cramping, but your period isn't always to blame.

Women have about 450 periods during their lifetimes. Even so, your period can still manage to surprise you.

Menstrual cramps are the leading cause of absenteeism in women younger than 30 years.

Heavy or prolonged menstrual periods, or menorrhagia, are the most common type of abnormal bleeding from the uterus.

Periods vary widely from woman to woman. Some periods are punctual, some are unpredictable.

When it comes to periods, "normal" covers a lot of ground. Use the broad range of factors below as a guide.

There’s a lot of buzz about this eco-friendly alternative to pads and tampons. But what is a menstrual cup?

Most women experience spotting between their periods at some point. Usually, it’s nothing to worry about.

Breast symptoms are the strongest just before your period starts, and improve either during or right after it.

Mittelschmerz is the pelvic and lower abdominal pain that some women experience during ovulation.

Toxic shock syndrome is a sudden, potentially fatal condition caused by an overgrowth of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus.

TSS symptoms usually come on quickly, about 2 days after the bacteria infects you.

Yeast infections develop where a moist environment encourages growth of the yeast fungus, such as the genitals.

Yeast infection symptoms can also be caused by sexually transmitted diseases and other vaginal infections. 

Anyone who's had a yeast infection knows the unbearable vaginal itching it can bring.

Your doctor may diagnose a vaginal yeast infection based on your description of symptoms and possibly a vaginal exam. 

In many cases, you can safely treat a vaginal yeast infection with an over-the-counter medication.

While you can't always avoid a yeast infection, you can lower your risk of getting one.

Cervicitis is inflammation of the cervix -- the lower end of the uterus that opens into the vagina.

Cervical polyps are growths on the cervical canal, the passage that connects the uterus to the vagina.

A number of different conditions, from cysts to tumors, can cause ovarian pain.

Ovarian cysts, solid or fluid-filled pockets in or on your ovary, are common, especially with woman who still get their period.

For women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), losing weight can become a constant struggle.

Many different conditions can cause chronic pelvic pain. The main symptom is pain that lasts for more than six months.

If you have pelvic pain that doesn’t go away, see your doctor. Meanwhile, there are things you can do at home to feel better.

PID is one of the most serious complications of a sexually transmitted disease in women: It can lead to irreversible damage.

Sometimes, pelvic muscles and other kinds of tissue that hold everything in place get stretched out, weak, or torn.

If you have pelvic organ prolapse, you probably wonder what can be done to treat it on your own.

Kegel exercises (also called “pelvic floor exercises”) strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

Sexual dysfunction is a common problem among women. Almost half of all women have persistent problems with sex.

While vaginal bleeding after sex can be alarming, it’s also fairly common and probably no cause for concern.

Before considering vaginoplasty or labiaplasty, understand the difference between reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery.

When a woman has vaginismus, their vagina's muscles squeeze or spasm when something is entering it, like a tampon or a penis.

Adenomyosis is a condition in which the inner lining of the uterus breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus.

An enlarged uterus can be a symptom of a variety of medical issues. Learn what could cause an enlarged uterus.

As a woman ages and with a natural loss of estrogen, their uterus can drop into the vaginal canal, causing a prolapsed uterus.

Learn the reasons your doctor may advise a D&C (dilation and curettage) and what to expect during the procedure.

A hysterectomy is an operation to remove a woman's uterus. A woman may have a hysterectomy for different reasons.

After a hysterectomy, you'll have a short hospital recovery. Recovery time at home will vary depending on the procedure you had.

An estimated 20 million people in the U.S. have had a hysterectomy. You should know that there are alternatives to hysterectomy.

You know it’s important to do regular breast self-exams to check for changes. A vaginal self-exam is just as important.

Some objects are designed for use in a vagina. Others are not and may be placed there accidentally or intentionally.

Learn the leading causes and types of vaginal infections -- and what to do about them.

Both “good” and “bad” bacteria live in your vagina. If this delicate balance is upset, you can get bacterial vaginosis.

The Bartholin’s glands are located on each side of the vaginal opening. If they become blocked, fluid can back up into them.

You can find cysts just about anywhere on the body. A vaginal cyst is usually located on or under the lining of the vagina.

An estimated 20% to 40% of American women between ages 15 and 44 say they use a vaginal douche.

Most of the time, vaginal discharge is normal. The amount, odor, and hue can vary depending on the time in your menstrual cycle.

It may seem like a minor irritation. But the lack of vaginal moisture can have a huge impact on your sex life.

When itching and irritation occur in an area as sensitive as the vagina and vulva, it can be especially uncomfortable.

A vaginal fistula is an abnormal opening that connects your vagina to another organ.

There are two types of vulvodynia. The pain can be consistent or occur only when you sit for a long time or have sex.

Vulvodynia is a chronic pain condition of the vulva. It usually lasts more than 3 months, and there’s no known cause.

Vulvar vestibulitis is a type of vulvodynia, or pain around the vulva – the sex organs outside a woman’s body.

Vulvovaginitis is inflammation of your vulva and vagina. It’s also called vaginitis.

Thyroid disorders can range from a small, harmless goiter (enlarged gland) that needs no treatment to life-threatening cancer. 

Feeling all revved up? Or maybe your throttle's on idle with symptoms of fatigue and weight gain. The cause may be your thyroid.

You might not realize you have hypothyroidism. The symptoms come on slowly, and some of them are similar to other conditions.

Although they're two separate diseases, depression is sometimes a symptom of hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is easy to treat with medicine that boosts your low levels of thyroid hormone.

Soreness, swelling, heaviness, shooting or burning pangs, tightness -- whatever the feeling, breast pain hurts.

Most changes in your breasts are perfectly normal and no cause for concern.

Fibrocystic breast changes -- once called fibrocystic breast disease -- is a common noncancerous breast condition.

Breast calcifications are small calcium deposits that develop in a woman's breast tissue. They are common and usually benign.

Find out about infections that affect the breasts and how to treat and prevent them.

While nipple discharge can be serious, in most cases, it's either normal or due to a minor condition.

When you’re going to have a baby, you may be surprised to know that your breasts will go through many changes.

A UTI is an infection in any part of your urinary system, which includes your kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra.

UTIs are more common in pregnancy. Hormones are one reason.

To say goodbye to burning, frequent urination, and other unpleasant symptoms, start with these changes today.

In women, the front wall of the vagina supports the bladder. This wall can weaken or loosen with age.

If you're a woman and you have a lot of hair growing in places where it normally does just for men, that’s called hirsutism.

Learn the symptoms of lipedema, a disorder that occurs in some women, as well as causes, treatments, and other lipedema facts.