GP Education
Dr Sue Mallett and Kath Hinde will be partnering with the following organisations to deliver education
Patient Education
Invisible women, invisible problems
The vulva is the general name given to all external parts of the female genitalia.
Everyone is unique and its normal for there to be noticeable differences between the left and right side of the vulva especially the labia minora (the inner lips). Images seen online are often heavily edited making the vulva look symmetrical and childlike.
The skin of the vulva is very delicate. Irritation (itching, burning or discomfort) is relatively common in women of all ages. Signs and symptoms might include redness, swelling, burning, itching, dryness, skin cracking, whitening of the skin and discharge.
Looking after your vulva:
- Only use water or gentle soap substitute to wash your vulva.
- No talcum powders.
- Avoid swimming in chlorinated water if possible, or immediately after swimming shower to remove chlorine or salt and avoid wet clothing.
- Wear cotton underwear that is washed in pure unscented soap and rinsed well, wear loose fitting natural fibre clothes.
- Avoid using liners or pads all the time, those delicate tissues need to be able to breathe.
If you develop signs of vulval irritation, try some simple measures like a salt bath or using a cold compress. If symptoms do not improve then it is important to see a doctor as most cases of vaginal irritation improve with treatment but there are a few rare conditions than can become serious if left untreated.
Urinary incontinence affects around 1 in four women (of all ages) and the Doctors at LWHC can help support women with investigation and treatment to support women to get back to living.
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the fascia and ligaments in the pelvis stretch allowing any of the pelvic organs to drop into the vaginal space. Prolapse management can involve medication, physiotherapy, and pessary fitting.
Our treatment also includes strategies to reduce pelvic pressure and increase pelvic support. This may include the fitting of a pessary, a soft device that fits into the vagina, which supports and improves the position of the pelvic organs.
Did you know there is a new “mini Mirena” which offers a new choice for women? IUDs are recommended as one of the most effective methods of contraception and there are 2 main choices available.
Kyleena has the same hormone that is in Mirena, but it is a smaller device which is easier to insert. It is over 99% effective.
For women who prefer a non-hormonal contraceptive option, copper IUDs have been around for many years. Recently a newer copper IUD has become available in Australia. This device is a bit smaller than regular copper IUDs and so may be more suitable for women who have not had a pregnancy.
Every woman has some vaginal discharge. It is normal and needed to keep the vulva and vagina moist and reduce the chance of infection. This is because normal vaginal discharge is slightly acidic, which repels germs. Normal discharge will change in appearance throughout your cycle and will be different at different ages.
The vaginal environment contains bacteria in just the same that healthy skin has bacteria on it. Anything that upsets the normal balance can lead to a change in the amount and type of discharge that a woman has. Things that might change the normal balance include hormonal changes, stress, ill health, and certain medications.
Changes in discharge may be a sign of infection, an STI or another health condition. If a woman experiences the following changes, they should see a doctor:
- change in colour to yellow green or grey.
- change in consistency to resemble cottage cheese especially if associated with an itch.
- discharge that is foamy or frothy
- strong smell of fish, yeast, or another odour
- brown or bloodstained discharge
Your doctor will ask questions and often perform an examination in which swabs are taken. Most causes of abnormal vaginal discharge are easily treated.
Tips for vaginal health
- Only use water or gentle soap substitute to wash your vulva.
- No talcum powders.
- Avoid swimming in chlorinated water if possible, or immediately after swimming shower to remove chlorine or salt and avoid wet clothing.
- Wear cotton underwear that is washed in pure unscented soap and rinsed well, wear loose fitting natural fibre clothes.
- Avoid using liners or pads all the time, those delicate tissues need to be able to breathe.
- Protect yourself against STIs by using condoms and having regular STI checks.
Information is of a general nature and is not intended to replace the advice of your medical practitioner.
Periods fun facts:
- Women can have up to 450 periods in their lifetime.
- The oral contraceptive pill is designed to give women a period every month not because they need it but because the inventors thought women would like to have a period every month ( not surprisingly the inventor was a man ! )
- The average amount of blood lost in a period is around 35mls
Period not so fun facts:
- Heavy periods or heavy menstrual bleeding are common and affect around one in five Australian women.
- If women are getting painful periods, it is important that they get help for them as untreated period pain can go on to cause chronic pelvic pain.
Heavy periods
Some of the ways a period is described as heavy is if a woman is:
- passing lumps of blood (or clots) that are larger than a 50 cent coin
- bleeding so much that she needs to change her pad/ tampon every hour
- having to get up most nights to change her pad/tampon
If untreated heavy periods overtime can lower iron levels and may lead to anaemia. This can make a woman feel tired, weak, or dizzy and if very bad can cause shortness of breath or chest pain.
It is important to get heavy periods checked with your doctor. As part of that visit your doctor will look for causes of heavy bleeding which may include bloods tests to look for hormonal problems and check for anaemia and they may organise an ultrasound scan to look at the uterus and ovaries.
Heavy periods can impact enormously on some women’s day-to-day lives, but they can generally be managed using hormone therapies or surgery. If your periods are making life difficult for you, remember that there are options available to you.
Painful periods
What is normal period pain? Pain on the first 1 or 2 days of a period, that goes away with the use of simple painkillers or the oral contraceptive pill and does not prevent you from doing your normal activities like study or work is considered to be normal. If pain is worse than this, then a woman should see her doctor.
Painful periods can be due to a number of things:
- Hormonal changes: often periods are painful when periods first start for young women and also for women who are perimenopausal. This type of period is often heavy, irregular, and painful.
- Pain in the uterine muscle typically pain occurs on the first couple of days of a period.
- Pain due to endometriosis or adenomyosis commonly the pain is present for more than 1 – 2 days prior to a period starting.
Sometimes blood tests or an ultrasound test are required to find out what is the cause.
Initial help for painful periods:
- Warmth on tummy or lower back e.g., heat pack or bath
- Exercise
- Complementary therapies such as acupuncture can help
- Pain relief: anti-inflammatory medication tends to work better than paracetamol
- Hormonal medications such as particular types of the contraceptive pill or Implanon or the Mirena IUD
Information is of a general nature and is not intended to replace the advice of your medical practitioner.
Health Matters Videos
Health Matters videos have been produced in collaboration with St Lukes Health
Podcasts
CLICK HERE to listen – Dr Sue Mallett collaborated with Women’s Health Tasmania to produce some of these podcasts.
Upcoming Events
LWHC is partnering with Physiofit to ‘walk’ the 1500 km around Tasmania and hope to raise $1500 for Jean Hailes.
We are supporting Women’s Health Week (7th to 11th Sept) which is organised every year by Jean Hailes.
Jean Hailes is Australia’s premier source of evidence based women’s health information for women and health practitioners. Read all about it here: https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/
Will you join our team and step up for this great cause? Follow us on Facebook to be part of our journey around Tasmania.
#WomensHealthWeek #MyMovesCount #mapoftasmaniawalk
Sign up and join the Launceston Women’s Health Clinic & Physiofit team: CLICK HERE!
Record and log your steps/km on our team’s page – all steps will help us reach our goal.
Make a donation or get friends to sponsor you.
