Bradley G. Goldberg, MD

The PAP smear is a screening test for detecting cancerous or precancerous changes of the cervix. The test was developed by Dr. George Papanicolaou in the 1940’s.

In most term pregnancies, the fetus will be in the vertex, or "head-down," position at delivery. When the fetus is not in this position, it is referred to as breech. Early in pregnancy the breech position is common.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most dangerous activities encountered during pregnancy. It is also the largest preventable cause of death and illness among American women in general. It is estimated that over 22 million women in this country smoke, and among women of reproductive age (those between the ages of 15-45), almost one-third are smokers.

Of all the aches, pains, and discomforts of pregnancy, morning sickness is probably one of the most dreaded. Up to 80% of all pregnancies will be affected by some degree of nausea and vomiting. Although this can happen at any time during the day, the mornings tend to be especially troublesome for most pregnant women. Although the exact cause is not known for sure, most likely it is related to the rising levels of hormones associated with the pregnancy.

The inability to easily remove Norplant has surely frustrated many physicians and patients. We have developed a technique for removal of these implants that simplifies this time-consuming procedure.

Almost 25% of the babies born in this country are delivered by cesarean section. Of these cesarean deliveries, one-third are repeat cesarean sections. In the past, it was believed that once a woman had a cesarean section, that all of her subsequent deliveries should also be cesarean. However, the current medical opinion is that most of these women can attempt a natural, vaginal delivery.

It is not always necessary for pregnant women to give up their exercise routines. In fact, studies have demonstrated that mild to moderate amounts of exercise could result in certain benefits such as shorter labors, less preterm deliveries, less cesarean deliveries, and less fetal distress during labor. Proper exercise programs could also increase your daily energy levels, and improve your quality of sleep.

Pregnancy loss can be emotionally devastating to both mother and father. Frequently, the response tends to be why me, and what could we have done differently? It is important for these couples to realize that the miscarriage is usually not a result of something that they have done, it is also important for them to realize that they are not alone.

Multiple gestation is the medical term that refers to a woman who is pregnant with twins, triplets, or other higher-order multiple pregnancies. This will occur in slightly less than 2% of all pregnancies. Within the category of multiple gestation, twin births are by far the most common, accounting for 95% of all multiple pregnancies.

Osteoporosis is a disease that is caused by significant bone loss, which leaves the bones weak and at an increased risk for fracture. It is diagnosed clinically when a patient has a history of certain types of fractures, or by the use of special X-ray studies such as a DEXA scan.

Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus. This can be done through either an abdominal or a vaginal incision, and either with or without removal of the ovaries. Almost 600,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the U.S. This makes hysterectomy the second most common major surgical procedure performed in this country, with the first most common being cesarean section.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Most of us are aware of the statistic that one out of every eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. However, an important point about this statistic is that most of these cancers do not occur until after the age of 50.

The introduction of the Pill in the 1960’s was probably one of the most liberating events in the history of women. Providing a safe and effective method of contraception, which women could easily control themselves, it enabled women to impact society like never before. Since its introduction, it has probably become one of the most widely studied medications ever.

Uterine fibroids, also called myomas, are the most common tumors of the female reproductive organs. Although the exact cause of these tumors is unknown, current medical opinion is that they arise from a single microscopic smooth muscle cell. Smooth muscle cells are the type of cell that forms the uterus.

The National Institutes of Health have estimated that over 10 million adult Americans (70% of whom are women) have urinary incontinence. Unfortunately, the makers of protective adult undergarments, diapers that is, would like us to believe that this is a normal part of life that must be dealt with, of course using their products.