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Not so many years ago, certain women's
health issues were deemed improper
for discussion in a public forum or
the popular media, and were often
neglected as topics for medical research.
Today, accurate information about
women's health is much easier to obtain
than it was in the past. Indeed, it
has even become one of the most exciting
healthcare issues, as increasingly
more secrets are being unveiled and
more and better preventive and therapeutic
treatments are being made available.
Janssen-Cilag researchers have substantially
contributed to this progress, particularly
in the field of vaginal infections,
family planning and menopause.
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| Vaginal
infections |
The most common gynaecological
symptom today is probably vaginal
discharge, mainly due to vaginal
infection. Reliable data on the
incidence of vaginal infections
are rare, but in practice, the
figure is rising. This is probably
due to an increase in the number
of infections and the growing
awareness among women.
Although infectious diseases of
the vagina are often associated
with sexually transmitted diseases,
the majority of cases clearly
do not belong in that category.
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The vagina naturally hosts a lot
of micro-organisms that play an important
role in balancing the normal vaginal
ecosystem, together with vaginal secretions
and the activity of the vaginal environment.
Pregnancy, menstrual cycle, the use
of oral contraception, illness or
a temporary reduction in immunity
can disturb the vaginal ecosystem
and make women extra sensitive to
vaginal infections.
Family
planning
As a girl reaches puberty, hormones
surge with a flurry of activity and
induce a variety of physical changes.
One of the most substantial transitions
is the development of the reproductive
system.
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| A key role in these reproductive
changes is played by the ovaries.
They are situated in the lower
part of the abdomen and produce
and store eggs and also feminizing
hormones (oestrogens, progesterone).
Oestrogens stimulate the growth
of the breasts and create a fertile
environment in the uterus. They
also make sure that the fertilized
egg can become implanted in the
uterus. Progesterone looks after
its nourishment and development.
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Once these and related processes
have been triggered, it has become
physically possible to become pregnant.
Fundamental to a woman's ownership
and control of her own body is awareness
and control of her reproductive system
- her reproductive life. Today, thanks
to several effective contraceptive
methods, women can choose whether
they want to become mothers and if
so, when. Reasons for implementing
contraceptive techniques include personal
desires and medical conditions.
Menopause
After many years, menstruation
stops and the woman can no longer
become pregnant. She then enters a
period defined as natural menopause.
The average age at which this occurs
is between 45 and 55. Biologically
speaking, this means that hormone
production is reduced. The ovaries
no longer respond to stimulation by
the pituitary gland and stop releasing
progesterone. At the same time, oestrogen
production also diminishes significantly.
Reduced sex hormone production can
be accompanied by various symptoms
such as mood changes, emotional insecurity,
depression, and loss of sexual desire.
Physical changes may also occur such
as hot flushes, sweating at night,
loss of concentration, insomnia, vaginal
dryness, loss of urine. Postmenopausal
oestrogen reduction also leads to
a loss of bone mass which may result
in osteoporosis and bone fractures
(wrist, hip and vertebral fractures
are the most common). There is also
a link between the increased incidence
of cardiovascular disorders and postmenopausal
oestrogen reduction.
Click
here to explore our R&D advances
in this field.
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