Our office will be closed Friday, January 10th for winter weather. If you have an emergency call 911. If you have an urgent OB/GYN issue, call to leave a message with the answering service for the on call physician.
Category: Gynecologic Problem
Talladega Satellite Office Now Open!
We are now offering OB/GYN appointments at our new satellite office in Talladega.
Dr. Hall-Minnie and Dr. Malek are excited for the opportunity to provide women’s health care to this community. They are both passionate about caring for underserved populations and believe it is important that women have access to preventative care and cancer screenings like pap smears and mammograms in addition to maternal health care. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, “Alabama ranks third in the nation for incidence and deaths from cervical cancer.” We want to help change this figure by improving access…
Ask Your Ob-Gyn—Dr. Sarah Whitehead Answers Questions about Endometriosis
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis in a condition in which tissue normally found in the lining of the uterus begins to grow in other areas of a woman’s abdomen. It is normal tissue, not a cancer, but it can still cause great discomfort and other medical problems. Endometriosis is very common, affecting about one in ten women.
The misplaced endometrial tissue can become attached to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the outside surface of the uterus, the bladder, bowel, or other places in the pelvis.
What problems does endometriosis cause…
Birmingham ObGyn Dr. Wendy Gregory Explains Menstrual Suppression—Life Without Periods!
Did you know, it is possible to safely lighten or eliminate your monthly period? The use of birth control pills or other hormonal birth control products to control the timing of your period or avoid it entirely is called menstrual suppression. Women can choose to suppress their periods for a short time or even for many months or years.
As a gynecologist for over two decades, I know that a monthly period and the discomfort that often accompanies it never happen at a convenient time in a woman’s life. As a busy mother of two, I understand the frustration…
From Dr. Favor–For Colorectal Cancer Screening–45 is the New 50!
FOR COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH: THIS POST HAS BEEN REVISED TO INCLUDE NEW INFORMATION ABOUT COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING AND GENETIC TESTING.
We understand that, through a large part of her life, her gynecologist may be the only physician a woman sees every year. While our focus is your reproductive health, we want you to be well-informed about other health issues you may face now or in the future. Colorectal cancer is one of these risks.
Despite the fact that these cancers are highly preventable and very treatable in earlier stages, they are the third leading cause of cancer deaths…
The Pap Test–Finding Cervical Cancer Early
The Pap Test Changes Cervical Cancer Survival
Most women regard a Pap Test as a routine part of their reproductive health care. Sometimes you don’t even notice the moment during your exam when your doctor swabs or brushes the cervix to collect cells from its surface. This small sample of cells is sent to a lab where it is examined to look for pre-cancerous or cancerous cells within the sample.
In 1943, Dr. George Nicholas Papanicolaou published his description of a simple procedure that could distinguish normal from abnormal cells taken from swabs of the vagina and cervix…
Long Acting Reversible Contraception: A Birth Control Method Many Gynecologists Choose for Themselves
Surprising Facts:
Over 40% of women’s health providers choose the Intrauterine Device (IUD) for themselves according to one study. However, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that only about 12% of American women overall are choosing an IUD or other long-acting reversible contraception methods (LARC). These gynecologists and other providers help their patients learn about the advantages they enjoy themselves. Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods like the intrauterine device (IUD) and arm implant (Nexplanon) are very reliable types of birth control that provide years of protection against pregnancy with a single device.
Why Do So…
Ovarian Cancer: Educating Women about Symptoms
In my last blog post, I talked about Chris Evert’s ovarian cancer diagnosis and the importance of knowing your family medical history. While reviewing my medical journals this month, I found another reason to write about ovarian cancer: the importance of recognizing symptoms.
About OVarian Cancer
About 13,000 women in the U.S. die of ovarian cancer each year—making it the deadliest of all cancers of a woman’s reproductive system. Survival rates are poor because the cancer is usually not discovered until an advanced stage (III or IV). Only about 10 to 30% of women diagnosed…
Chris Evert Speaks Out about Ovarian Cancer
Many of our patients know that Dr. Favor loves tennis! Her enthusiasm for a competitive game led her to high school and college state tennis championships. In 1972, when Dr. Favor was still in grade school, Hall of Fame player Chris Evert began her professional tennis career. Evert’s talent and, above all, her mental toughness inspired a generation of women players including young Judi Favor.
Last week, Chris Evert announced that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The road ahead will surely test that mental toughness. But by sharing her difficult personal story, she is again able to…
Developing a Healthy Body Image for Pre-Teens and Teenagers
As a gynecologist, I occasionally see a woman who is struggling with a serious emotional problem. Sometimes she realizes that challenges like being stuck in an unhealthy relationship, substance use, self-harm, or eating disorders (anorexia, compulsive eating) have become lifelong battles. Many women cannot explain the issues that interfere with a healthy life. Too often, a woman’s first steps on this path began years before.
Pre-teens and teenagers are under lots of pressure these days. Recognizing emotional changes that are different from normal teenage angst is a hard part of parenting. One aspect of teens’ emotional and…
How to Recognize an Urgent Gynecologic Problem
As ObGyn physicians, most of the care we provide on an urgent basis involves pregnancy and childbirth. For gynecologic problems, we more typically provide medical treatment at an office visit or surgery, if necessary, at a planned time in the future. But this is not always the case. Certain conditions in gynecology represent true emergencies, requiring immediate treatment to prevent long term consequences and even loss of life. We want our patients to be aware of the signs of these more urgent problems.
As you would expect, gynecologic problems generally manifest themselves with pain and/or abnormal bleeding. Most women…