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14 Results for search "Hormones: Misc.".

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At this point, no one would dispute the link between growth hormone and aging. It's a fact that as we age, our bodies produce less of this important hormone. "It's natural human physiology to have a decline in the amount of growth hormone we produce as we get older," says Mary Lee Vance, an endocrinologist in Virginia who specializes in growth disorders. Youth at any price Since the link between ...

What is a contraceptive patch? The Ortho Vera patch is a reversible method of birth control that delivers the same hormones as the pill. It's up to 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. The patch comes in a package of three, enough for one month of birth control. Individual patches are also available in case a patch is damaged or comes off. They look like beige squares measuring a little ...

What is the ring? The ring is a reversible method of birth control that delivers a mix of estrogen and progestin just like a birth control pill. Instead of taking a daily pill, a woman inserts a flexible plastic ring into her vagina and into her vagina and leaves it in for three straight weeks. In the fourth week, it's taken out. When used correctly, the ring is 98 to 99 percent effective at preve...

What's a diaphragm? A diaphragm is a shallow dome-shaped rubber cup that you insert into your vagina to keep sperm from entering your cervix. If you use it perfectly every time, a diaphragm is about 94 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. But it takes some practice to insert the device correctly, and a woman using a diaphragm for birth control has about a 16 percent chance of getting pregnan...

What's a female condom? A female condom is a thin polyurethane pouch that you insert into your vagina before sex to prevent pregnancy and guard against exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. Soft rings at either end hold it in place. Polyurethane is stronger than latex, so female condoms are less likely to tear than regular latex condoms. On the other hand, they're harder to use correctly and ...

What's an intrauterine device? The intrauterine device, or IUD, is a T-shaped plastic stick that's wrapped in copper or filled with a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone and inserted into your uterus. It's better than 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. How does it work? The copper IUD interferes with fertilization by keeping sperm away from the egg. If fertilization occurs, it w...

What's natural family planning? The name refers to a variety of methods for predicting the fertile days during a woman's cycle. These techniques are used by couples who are either trying to conceive or trying to avoid pregnancy. Your fertile period lasts from about five days before ovulation to one day after -- but predicting when you'll ovulate each month can be tricky, especially if you're like ...

Can I use spermicides alone for birth control? You can, but they're tricky to use. For that reason, women who rely only on spermicides for contraception have a 29 percent chance of getting pregnant within a year. It's a better idea to use spermicides as backup for other contraceptives, such as condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, or IUDs. When combined with spermicides, these methods are generally ...

What's tubal ligation? It's an operation designed to make a woman sterile. If you're certain that you don't want to have any more children, you can have your Fallopian tubes closed off to prevent your partner's sperm from making it to the egg. Because this surgery is difficult to reverse, most states require a 30-day waiting period before you can schedule it, so that you'll have time to be sure o...

What is human growth hormone? Human growth hormone (HGH) fuels the growth of our bodies during childhood and adolescence. Released from the pituitary gland when we sleep, the hormone has the chief function of lengthening bones and increasing the thickness of soft tissues such as skin. People who don't make enough HGH while they're young -- often because of genetic diseases or kidney failure -- ca...

What is a hysterectomy? A hysterectomy is an operation to remove the uterus. Some or all of the other reproductive organs, including the ovaries, may be taken out as well. If you are a woman living in the United States, there's a one in three chance that you'll have a hysterectomy by the age of 60. Each year US doctors perform about 600,000 hysterectomies. Indeed, after cesarean section, hysterec...

Perimenopause starts with your first hot flash and lasts until 12 months after your last period. You may already be in it (symptoms can start as early as your 30s). Take this quiz and find out. 1. Which of the following can be a sign that menopause is approaching? a. Insomnia b. Decreased sexual desire c. Thinning hair d. All of the above 2. Since perimenopause is a natural process, th...

Ever since the mid 1960s, doctors have been harnessing the power of human growth hormones to improve the lives of children with growth-stunting diseases such as chronic renal failure and Turner syndrome. In recent years, the hormone has attracted a whole new group of customers, including athletes looking for a competitive edge and older people looking for a fountain of youth. How much do you know ...

What is DHEA? DHEA is the most abundant steroid hormone in our bodies. (Hormones in this category include estrogen, testosterone, and cortisone.) DHEA, short for dehydroepiandrosterone, can convert to either testosterone or estrogen; it reaches its peak when we're in our 20's and then performs a dramatic disappearing act as we age. After we hit 30, our DHEA levels drop about 10 percent every 10 ye...