Being a woman presents challenges to health promotion and disease prevention that are specific to women. Guidelines and screenings along with routine wellness visits are necessary to either prevent diseases or have early identification for early treatment. Women experience acute and chronic conditions in their lifetime. Two conditions pertinent to women’s health are bacterial vaginosis and osteoporosis.
Bacterial Vaginosis
Issues, Prevalence and Significance One of the most common vaginal infections of women of childbearing age is bacterial vaginosis. It is an alteration in the normal producing hydrogen peroxide lactobacilli that are found in the vagina (Younkin, Davis, Schadewald & Juve, 2014). The good bacteria are replaced by an abundance of bacteria that are anaerobic which alters the ph of the vagina and allows an infection to occur. Many women with this disease are without any symptoms. It can be seen alone or in association with sexually transmitted disease. It is more common in African American women, females with female partners, smokers, and those of lower socioeconomic status (AHRQ, 2014). Bacterial vaginosis can cause symptoms such as vaginal itching, pain with sexual intercourse, abdominal pain, pain with urination or a foul vaginal odor. During pregnancy, bacterial vaginosis can cause preterm labor or rupture of…show more content… Attention to the known risk factors can help determine if there is a need for early screening. Screening occurs with a bone density test. DEXA scans are the gold standard due to low radiation, cost and accurate results. Evaluation of the result is determined by a person’s T score. A normal score is less than -1. Early osteoporosis shows a score of -1 to -2.5. Osteoporosis is diagnosed with a T score greater than -2.5. Laboratory testing that may be completed includes a calcium and vitamin d level to check for adequate calcium levels and absorption in the
