By Raeghan Hilton / Jambar Contributor
There is a wide range of women’s health topics, but for college-aged women, there are likely a few specific concerns based on where they are in life.
Keri Speicher, nurse practitioner at The Center for Women in Canfield, said if she were to identify three topics affecting college-aged women’s health, those would be the menstrual cycle, sexually transmitted infections and contraception.
It is important to understand the menstrual cycle to identify when something is abnormal. A lot of young women are unaware of what a normal cycle, such as cycle length, looks like for them.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists explains how to track a menstrual cycle.
“A menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of bleeding of one menstrual period to the first day of bleeding of the next period,” an ACOG report stated.
According to ACOG, day one of the period is considered the first day of the menstrual cycle. Day 5 is when estrogen levels increase, causing the uterine lining to grow and thicken. Day 14 is when the egg is released from the ovary and travels to the fallopian tube. This is considered ovulation. By day 28, if the egg is never fertilized, the uterus sheds its lining.
Women also have concerns about the amount of bleeding during their period. ACOG states that a period should last two to seven days. During a period, the first three days are usually when the heaviest bleeding occurs.
Tracking the cycle days and amount of bleeding during every period can help women identify what a normal cycle looks like to them. Speicher said excessive bleeding for multiple days can become a concern.
“If you are changing super plus tampons or a pad every hour for more than a day or so, then we are questioning how much bleeding is going on,” Speicher said. “But it’s always pretty typical to have that one heavy day… and you’re changing [your tampon] because it’s saturated, not just because you don’t like it.”
ACOG sets guidelines as to when menstrual bleeding is abnormal and when it is appropriate to reach out to a health professional. ACOG lists these as signs of heavy menstrual bleeding:
- Bleeding that lasts more than seven days.
- Bleeding that soaks through one or more tampons or pads every hour for several hours in a row.
- Needing to wear more than one pad at a time to control menstrual flow.
- Needing to change pads or tampons during the night.
- Menstrual flow with blood clots that are as big as a quarter or larger.
Women who experience this should consult their doctors, as there are procedures that may reduce menstrual bleeding. These procedures can be found on ACOG’s website.
Speicher also voiced her concerns surrounding STIs, saying women are often unaware they have one or do not understand the possible complications that happen as a result.
Speicher described the interaction she experiences with a lot of patients when it comes to STIs.
“A lot of our girls will come in and say they don’t want [STI] testing. They don’t want us to look for that because they don’t have any symptoms. You don’t have to have a symptom to have a sexually transmitted infection,” Speicher said. “In fact, oftentimes, we’ll find the sexually transmitted infection on a pap smear that we’re doing.”
Speicher explained the complications related to STIs like gonorrhea and chlamydia.
“As an example, we can talk about scarring that can happen around the fallopian tubes and the ovaries with long-term infection or repeat or recurrent infection,” Speicher said. “And the literature doesn’t say you have to have chlamydia for six months before you get scar tissue or pelvic inflammatory disease.”
Following an STI diagnosis, Speicher explained the steps and treatment that should take place.
“When women find out they have a sexually transmitted infection, it’s very important to do the follow-up that’s been directed to them,” Speicher said. “It’s important to finish the antibiotic completely if that’s what was given. It’s important to come back for their test of cure.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, STIs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and trichomoniasis can be treated with antibiotics.
ACOG lists ways to prevent STIs that include getting vaccinated for hepatitis B and human papillomavirus, knowing your sexual partners, knowing that some sex practices increase the risk and using a latex or polyurethane condom, which are also used to prevent pregnancy.
Although birth control is known to help women avoid pregnancy, there are other uses for it, also known as noncontraceptive benefits.
Dr. Jennifer Baird has been working at The Center for Women in Canfield for 25 years. She explained some reasons why she may prescribe birth control for an individual.
“I may put a woman on a birth control pill–let’s say she’s not even sexually active, or planning on becoming sexually active–for heavy bleeding, for bad cramping, for ovarian cysts [or] endometriosis,” Baird said.
ACOG’s website also elaborates on noncontraceptive benefits. They list reasons such as a reduced risk of gynecological disorders like endometrial and ovarian cancer.
“A lot of the younger [patients], it’s a lot of irregular periods that bring them in for contraceptives. That has nothing to do with making a baby,” Speicher said.
Speicher said with various birth control options, women are likely to find a contraceptive that works best for them and their health goals.
